The
name Edessa is related to the ancient Phrygian and means tower
in the water or town on the water. In 814 BC Heraklides "Karanos"
makes it the first kingdom of Macedonians and the fate of the
city is identified with the history of Macedonia. Ancient, byzantine
but also industrial finds, testify the town's history. Romans,
Slavs, Ottomen as well as occasionals pass from its history.
 On
18th October 1912 the town was liberated and incorporated to the
Hellenic State as capital of the prefecture of Pella. In 1923
it is supported by Greeks-refuges from Asia and only after the
'50s - '60s when the "white coal" (=water) becomes useless
which for centuries had moved mills, workshops, industries and
factories. This was the end of the indrustry and industrial history
of the city. Many people of 'culture' have their name connected
with the town.
The waterfalls of Edessa didn't use to be the same as they are
now. Until the end of the 14th century the main volume of the
water was held in a small lake in the west of the town.
Then the waters (perhaps after a geologic or weather phenomenon)
decide to pass the town and to fall thematical from its rock,
as a result creating many small rivers and at the same time the
lake from where they were from came to an end. Many travellers
of the 17th and 18th century describe the picture of the town
with arock from which water falls of a lot of waterfalls.
For nowadays traveller it would be difficult to understand what
happened a few decades ago, when the waterfalls was an unknown
place. They were hidden behind high grass, behind irrepressable
vegetation, abandonned at the edge of the rock, it was considered
to be a venture or even an adventure to walk down the rough paths
of those days to watch them ... or to take a picture of them.
 From
1942 there is a different confrontation of the whole place and
the first Germans see it with a touristic and of usage view. Each
mornimg the sergeant of the Gestapo Fritz blocked the ways to
the square, took away the identity cards of the men and if they
wanted to get them back they had to give a hand at the work-site
at the waterfalls. So in summer, in 1942, two swimming pools,
parterres, flower-stands sprong out of nowhere. We could say now
that they were built with an interesting architecture which respects
the landscape.
After the end of the war, the place was given to the municipality
of Edessa and the gardeners looked after it, planted in it many
flowers and trees. Then the civil war broke out and the waterfalls
were forgotten for same time, except the farmers of "Loggos"
district who enjoyed having their bath there. They were hard working
people who had never seen the sea, got off their mule and dived
into the cold green waters.
Until the beginning of the 1960's paths were under construction
so that the tourists could get to the waterfalls safely that time
the places "Belventere" were constructed to have a variety
of views. There was an exception however, the desicion of the
electric civil service to built another small factory, destroying
the waterfalls park and the waterfalls as well. This idea didn't
work out because people of the town became stabborn and fought
back so they SAVED the waterfalls after many fights, the matter
of course and the manifest.
Today the waterfalls are a well-known site of the immensity beaty
for whole Greece and all the rest world. Anyone can safety admire
the big waterfall named "KARANOS" and the double's.
The water falls from 70 meters height and there is a small cave
under the rock.
The whole area has been upgraded and offers many facilities to
the tourists Indicatively, it is reported that there is a tourist
information office continiously open as well as the Open Air Water
Museum (Industrial Museum with watermills - factories) and a 5*
hotel with a convetion center amd other facilities.
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