Frourio Hill is the low but commanding ridge at the heart of Larissa, the site of the ancient acropolis and the city's most historically layered spot. From the Neolithic period through the Classical era, the Byzantine period, and four centuries of Ottoman rule, this hill has been the centre of power in Thessaly. Today it is a freely accessible public space with panoramic views across the flat Thessalian plain toward Mount Olympus.
Two ancient theatres sit on the hill's southern and western flanks. The larger First Ancient Theatre, built in the Hellenistic period and capable of holding 10,000 spectators, is one of the biggest theatres in Thessaly. The smaller Second Ancient Theatre was probably built in the Roman period and is more intimately proportioned. Both are remarkably intact and often empty — you can sit in the stone seats in total quiet and look out over the surrounding rooftops. Admission is free to both.
Between the theatres, excavations have revealed Hellenistic and Roman structures, Byzantine church foundations, and the remains of the Ottoman fortress that gave the hill its modern name (frourio means fort). The hill is about a ten-minute walk from Plateia Laou.