Elassona retained its Homeric name, Olosson, almost intact. Homer refers to it as “White Olosson”, the town that took part in the Trojan expedition with 40 ships, headed by Polypoetes. It was initially inhabited by the Lapiths, but owes its great significance to the Perrhaebi. It was the largest town and capital of Perrhaebia. The Byzantine city was built upon the ruins of the ancient city and continued its historical course.
The insufficient flat land and the weak irrigation at the region of Elassona forced a large part of the population to turn to stock breeding. The festival of feta cheese, a key ingredient of the local food chain, takes place at the end of September in Elassona with a variety of related activities and demonstrations of traditional cheese-making. During the three-day event a scientific congress is organized and sampling stands can be found at the central square.
The ottoman mosque of Elassona, also known as the Varosi Mosque, was built around 1897. It is located on the western side of the city, in the Varosi area near the Elassonitis River. It is one of the few surviving ottoman monuments in the area and has been designated a historic monument due to its architectural and historical significance. The building has a square prayer hall covered with a dome, while its minaret collapsed in 1961.
The preserved customs building, on the southeastern side of the city, was built in the early 1880s to house the ottoman customs office when, with the Treaty of Berlin (1881), the border between Greece and the ottoman empire was demarcated on the heights of Melouna, east of Elassona. The customs house operated until 1912 when the province of Elassona and Macedonia were liberated by the Greek army.
The Monastery of Panagia Olympiotissa, the most important monastery in North Thessaly, though somewhat afar from the main mass of Olympus, is intertwined with the mountain's name, history, and traditions. According to tradition, the miraculous icon of Panagia Olympiotissa was transferred for safety reasons to the current monastery in Elassona from an old Byzantine monastery in Karya, a historic, mountainous town in the SE side of Olympus
The single-arched bridge over the Elassonitis River used to connect the two sides of Elassona. It was most probably built during the mid-17th century to replace a Byzantine bridge (13th century). The town’s stone-built monument is no longer in-use since a new, modern bridge has been built right next to it.
The Holy Church Eisodia tis Theotokou (the Presentation of the Virgin Mary) is the oldest church in Elassona and was the city's Metropolitan Church until 1931. It is located in the Varosi neighborhood and was built in 1859 on the site of an older church, using materials from an early christian basilica. The iconography began in 1968 and was completed in stages. The bell tower was added in 1924, while the old Metropolitan building was housed next to it.
Good Friday in Elassona is characterised by a solemn atmosphere and large crowds. In the evening, the Epitaphs of the parishes begin their procession, crossing the main streets of the city. Residents and visitors accompany them with lit candles, while hymns and bells create a special atmosphere. The procession ends in the central square, where all the Epitaphios gather for a joint ceremony. The moment is particularly symbolic and unites the local community in a common expression of respect and faith.
