Castle of Lamia

The Castle of Lamia is located at the highest point of the city, atop a rocky hill. It looms over the surrounding area, with a view of the valley of Spercheios to the Malian Gulf and of the pass that leads to Thessaly through Mount Othrys. It is the most important monument and the most reliable witness of the city’s history. The earliest part of its courtyard was built following a polygon layout and dates back to the 5th century BC. In the 13th and  14th centuries it successively passed into the hands of foreign conquerors of the Middle Ages, mostly Francs and Catalans, and was named “Castle”. In 1446, it was permanently conquered by the Turks who held it until Lamia was freed in 1833. During King Otto’s reign, a barracks was constructed on the main flat area of the castle to accommodate the requirements of the Greek border armed forces. The Castle continued to be used for military purposes until the start of World War II. Since 1994, the Archaeological Museum of Lamia has been located on the first floor of the barracks, which were renovated for this purpose.