in celebration. The ancient fortress of Athenaion is at an altitude of 1356m, near the monastery of the Theotokos at Goura. It was built somewhere between the 5th and 1st century B.C. It was taken over by King Philip V of Macedon, in 189 B.C., during his campaign against the Athamanians. It was destroyed in 46 B.C. by Julius Caesar. There is a mountain path to the castle. The arched bridge at Pouri, which is considered to mark the end of the mountains and the beginning of the settlement, a classic example of stonemasonry of the era it was built (1514). This arched bridge was built in 1514 by St. Vissarion, and up to 1936 was the only link between the plains of Thessaly and the villages of Pindos. It is 67 m long, 2.05 m wide, 30.5 m high at the center and its parapet is 0.7 m high. According to the tradition, because St. Vissarion had no money with which to pay the craftsmen, they stopped work on the bridge. A bear then presented itself, which helped to carry the raw materials but also led the chief craftsman to move a large boulder and uncover a treasure. So the workers were paid and the bridge was completed. According to the same tradition, it was St. Vissarion who first crossed the bridge, and threw the chief craftsman's mallet a few kilometers away, and were the mallet was found, the monastery of St. Vissarion was built (in the north bank of the river, where presently the settlement of St. Vissarion or locally known as Dousiko (Δούσικο) is situated). Climate The climate in Pyli is worth mentioning since it has characteristics of both the plains and the mountainous regions of Thessaly. It is generally wet in the winter, with regular snowfalls each year averaging 30–40 cm of snow. There are also frequent rains, and low temperatures. In the summer it is arid and hot, though there are occasional buffs of cool breezes coming from the mountains. The surrounding forests and the river foliage of platanus trees provide small pockets of relief in the summer, so Pyli is a favorite stopover for many people from Trikala and the surrounding villages who are in search of some shade. Transportation There are regular buses almost every hour from and to Trikala, and tickets are available from and to Pyli directly from either Athens or