Official language: Greek
Time zone: UTC+3
(summer),
UTC+2
(winter)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Must see is the mouth of the Evros River, which is the natural border between Greece and Turkey. You can see there as many as 314 out of 423 species of birds living in the country!
The Ethnological Museum of Thrace located in a neoclassical stone building offers interesting exhibitions about the folk culture of the region, including extrusion of sesame oil.
History enthusiasts should go on a trip to the archaeological sites of Mesimvria and Maroneia, to the ancient Ismara or the church of Agioi Theodoroi carved in the rock.
Alexandropoulis is a small port city, which until 1920 was called Dedeagats. It lies in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in the north-eastern part of Greece and is the last stop before crossing the border with Turkey. It attracts not only with beautiful beaches, but also with a rich nightlife.
In the mid-nineteenth century, fishermen from Maronea and Makri founded a small village called Dede-Agats, which can be translated as "a monk's tree". According to tradition, the name comes from the oak tree, under which the dervish was once buried. Already in 1871, tracks were brought there, which contributed to the rapid development of the region. For the following years, the city was ruled by the Russians and Bulgarians, who gave it the name Alexandroupolis in honour of Alexander the Great. Today, the city is located within the borders of Greece and is a weighty port and a transfer point on the routes to Turkey.
In Alexandropoulis, there is no shortage of places reminding of history. One of them is the picturesque promenade, where you can find plenty of typical Greek taverns. Must see are also the narrow streets of the old town, the Panagia Kosmosoteira church and the characteristic Faros lighthouse from 1880, from which there is a wonderful panorama. It is also worth visiting the nearby coastal towns of Traianoupoli and Feres. To the west of the city there are wonderful sandy beaches, such as Demir Ali and Agia Paraskevi, which offer great conditions for water sports.
What to eat in the city? At the wharf there are plenty of restaurants serving the best fish and seafood dishes in the whole Greece. It is worth tasting soap suds (risotto with fried mussels) or a clam in white wine with shallots and herbs served with crumbled feta in a vessel called mydia saganaki. Of the fish, you'll most likely get mackerel steaks or salted tuna in olive oil. Because many Turks and Bulgarians live there, in addition to the Greek taverns, you can find there typically Turkish and Bulgarian. Where to eat? We recommend, among others, Taverna Gialos, Taverna Loukoulos and Nisiotiko.