Kalabaka is a municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 in the Trikala peripheral unit, part of Thessaly

Thessaly

Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....

 in Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. The population 11,841 (2001). The Meteora

Meteora

The Metéora is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in...

 monasteries are located in the town. Kalabaka is the northwestern terminal of the old Thessaly Railways

Thessaly Railways

Thessaly Railways was a railway company in Greece, which owned and operated the metre gauge railway network of Thessaly and Pelion railway from 1884 to 1955, when the company was absorbed by the Hellenic State Railways...

, now part of OSE. Kalabaka was voted as one of the most beautiful places in Greece by the Skai TV

Skai TV

Skai TV is a Greek TV station, based in Pireus, Athens. It is part of the Skai Group one of the largest media groups in Greece. It was relaunched in its present form on April 1, 2006 in Athens and gradually managed to spread its coverage nationwide. Besides analog over-the-air transmission, it is...

 show I LOVE GR.

Municipality

The municipality Kalabaka was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 8 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

• Aspropotamos
  Aspropotamos, Trikala
  Aspropotamos is a former community in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,404 , mainly Vlachs/Aromanians. The seat of the community was in Kallirroi...
  
  
• Chasia
  Chasia, Trikala
  Chasia is a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,736 . The seat of the municipality was in Asprokklisia....
  
  
• Kalabaka
• Kastania
  Kastania, Trikala
  Kastania is a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,619 ....
  
  
• Kleinos
  Kleinos
  Kleinos is a village and a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,301 ....
  
  
• Malakasi
  Malakasi
  Malakasi is a village and a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,090 . The seat of the municipality was in Panagia....
  
  
• Tymfaia
  Tymfaia
  Tymfaia is a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,103 . The seat of the municipality was in Koniskos....
  
  
• Vasiliki
  Vasiliki, Trikala
  Vasiliki is a village and a former municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalampaka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,461 ....
  
  

History

The town is built on the location of the ancient city of Aiginion. It is attested since the 10th century, when it was known as Stagoi (Στάγοι), a Byzantine

Byzantine

Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...

 fortress and bishopric. Of its medieval monuments, only the cathedral, the Church of the Dormition

Dormition of the Theotokos

The Dormition of the Theotokos is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of the Theotokos , and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15 The Dormition...

, survives. It is a late 11th/early 12th century building, built on the remains of an earlier, late antique church.

The name "Kalabaka" was given 6-7 centuries ago. It is of Turkish origin and means "powerful fortress". It has been Anglicized variously as Kalampaka, Kalambaka, Kalabaki, and Kalabak.

On the 27 August 1881, Kalabaka left Ottoman

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 rule to join the Kingdom of Greece

Kingdom of Greece

The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...

.

On Thursday 23 April 1943, a battle took place in Kalabaka between Greeks and Italians in which 70 Italian soldiers died.

In 1995 an ancient tomb was found in Kalabaka dating from the 20th century BC.