Wild Thrace

Today we explore the Archaeological Museum in Kavala which houses remains from Amphipolis and other ancient sites found nearby. We proceed to an important UNESCO listed site on the Via Egnatia, the Macedonian and Roman colony of Philippi, named after Philip II, who conquered it and famed for the decisive battle between Octavian, Antony and the Conspirators who killed Caesar. Here we explore the forum, heroon and well-preserved theatre, as well as impressive Byzantine monuments. We end the day with a visit to Kavala where we see the Byzantine Castle.

We travel by ferry to the Island of Thasos, the most northerly of all Greek islands surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea. Here we visit the remains of the classical city. This was originally a Parian colony, enriched by its gold and silver mines. Marble was the island’s other commodity, and some of is beaches are composed of marble sand. After lunch we make a stop at the Limenas Museum before returning to the mainland.

We spend the day exploring the site of ancient Abdera which had strong links with Phoenicians and produced a number of important scholars including the Sophist Protagoras and historian Hecataeus. The city which became prosperous in the Classical period through its trade with Thrace, has left important remains, including a number of houses from the Roman period and later Byzantine churches. We journey afterwards to Xanthi, a major trading town in Byzantine and Ottoman eras. The city is well known in Greece for its distinctive period architecture.

The journey this morning takes us to Komotini whose history was closed tied to the Via Egnatia down to the late antique period when Theodosius fortified the road here. We move on to Alexandroupolis, which became important in the Byzantine period because of its proximity to Constantinople and became a fishing village in Ottoman period when it was connected by rail to Constantinople. We take time to see the Byzantine and Ottoman buildings in this beautiful sea side city which lies in the crossroads between east and west, on the borders between Bulgaria and Turkey. From here we catch a ferry to the lovely island of Samothrace.

We spend the morning exploring the famous Classical sanctuary. This was one of the most important religious complexes in Greece, set up in honour of the ‘Great Gods’ before the arrival of the Greek colonists. We also visit Chora village set high up on Mount Saos and its citadel built by the Galluzi family in the 14^th century when Venice controlled large parts of the Aegean. There are lovely views over the town, where flowers spill from window boxes and trees form canopies over restaurants and cafes. Later today we return to the mainland and our hotel in Alexandroupolis.

Today we visit the border fortress of Didymoteicho whose idiosyncratic name might derive from its two sets of walls built in the 6^th century under Justinian. Here we visit some of the Byzantine monuments, including the castle. We proceed to the aristocratic Thracian tumulus cemetery at Mikri Doxipara Zoni built in the 2^nd century AD for four family members buried with a rich assortment of elite goods, including bronze and glass goods, as well as carriages and horses buried with the deceased.

We explore the ruins at Mesembria, beautifully situated on the coast near the mouth of the stream Shabla Dere, now identified as the ancient Greek polis of Zone. Remains here include a small sanctuary of Demeter and a temple of Apollo. In the afternoon we visit the Alexandropoulis Archaeological Museum.

Our tour comes to an end, and we travel back to London.