Lamia's central square is named for Athanasios Diakos, a local hero of the Greek War of Independence who was captured and executed by the Ottomans in 1821 — roasted alive on a spit, according to the accounts, after refusing to renounce his faith or join the Ottoman side. His statue dominates the square, and there is a genuine civic pride around him in Lamia that you feel even as a passing visitor.
The plateia itself is a pleasant place to sit: lined with kafeneions and cafés, shaded by plane trees, and surrounded by the low neoclassical buildings that give central Lamia its slightly faded dignity. In the evenings it fills with locals doing the volta — the Greek evening stroll — and the cafés stay busy until late. It is the natural place to base yourself while exploring the city, and the castle hill rises clearly above it to the north.