Edessa, the “city of waters”, owes its fame and prosperity to water; it is strategically built on a location towering over the plains and the route of ancient Via Egnatia. Its abundant waters fall from a great height and were used as of the late 19th century for many water driven mills and factories, which brought, in the first half of the 20th century, industrial and financial prosperity to the city. Its numerous factories, mainly manufacturing textiles, gave the city the nickname “Manchester of the East”. Examples of the city’s industrial and economic prosperity can be found in the preserved old industrial buildings, which, at present, house cultural and social services (Open Air Hydropower Museum). Modern Edessa developed on the site of the ancient acropolis on the rock with the waterfalls. Despite its rebuilding, the city has preserved its old beauty complemented by rich vegetation, picturesque waterfalls and traditional houses with tiled roofs.