Macedonia Orientale e Tracia

Philippi, where Europe first heard the Gospel

Founded in 356 BC by Philip II of Macedon on top of an older Thracian settlement, Philippi became famous for the battle of 42 BC, in which Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius, and even more so for the year 49 or 50 AD, when Paul of Tarsus delivered his first sermon on European soil there and baptized Lydia, the purple-cloth merchant, on the banks of the river Gangites. The archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage property since 2016, preserves the Roman forum, the great Hellenistic theatre still used for summer performances, the early Christian basilicas and the prison traditionally associated with the apostle's imprisonment. Walking among these stones, with Mount Orbelos in the background, means crossing three thousand years of history in under an hour.

Thasos, the green island of white marble

Separated from the coast by just twelve kilometres of sea, Thasos was colonized by Greeks from Paros in the 7th century BC precisely to exploit its gold mines and, above all, the white marble that made the island famous throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Limenas, the capital, preserves the ancient agora, a theatre cut into the rock and a small harbour that seems to have changed little over time. The coastline alternates golden-sand beaches like Golden Beach with spectacular coves such as Saliara, the so-called Marble Beach, where crushed white marble turns the water an almost unnatural turquoise. The interior, covered in pines and chestnut trees, shelters mountain villages such as Panagia and Theologos, with the stone-and-slate houses typical of traditional Thassian architecture.

Komotini, crossroads of faiths and markets

Capital of the province of Rodopi and of Western Thrace, Komotini is perhaps the place where the region's plural character can be felt most clearly: within a few hundred metres you'll find Ottoman mosques such as the Yeni Cami and the Eski Cami, Orthodox churches, a covered bazaar that is still lively and active, and the university quarters linked to the Democritus University of Thrace, named after the philosopher born not far from here. The city doesn't rely on picture-postcard looks so much as on an authentic atmosphere, made up of Turkish pastry shops, spice stores and a daily bustle that speaks of coexistence more eloquently than any rhetoric.

The Evros delta and Dadia Forest

The river Evros, which for much of its course marks the border between Greece and Turkey, opens into a marshy delta recognized as a wetland of international importance: reed beds, brackish lagoons and muddy islets are home to flamingos, herons, pelicans and tens of thousands of migratory birds that stop here along the route between Europe and Africa. A little further north, the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest protects one of the last European populations of black vulture, alongside griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and golden eagles: a visitor centre with observation hides lets you watch these birds of prey soar freely above the wooded gorges.

Borderland flavours: tobacco, honey and Ottoman cuisine

Thracian cuisine bears the marks of its plural history: spiced soutzoukakia, baklava and other Ottoman-tradition sweets are eaten alongside dishes from mainland Greek cuisine, while Thasos is famous throughout Greece for its dense, aromatic pine honey and for its olive oil. In the markets of Komotini and Xanthi you can still find stalls of spices, dried fruit and Turkish sweets that tell the region's trading history better than any museum, a place once at the crossroads of the tobacco routes that enriched the merchant families whose houses are now visited as monuments.

• Visit the archaeological site of Philippi and its ancient theatre
• Swim at Saliara, Thasos's marble beach
• Stroll through Kavala's old town up to the Kamares Aqueduct
• Watch birds of prey in Dadia Forest from the visitor centre's hides
• Get lost in Komotini's covered bazaar among spices and Turkish sweets
• Admire the sunset from the Alexandroupoli lighthouse