Alexandroupolis

Alexandroupolis is a small town with a harbour and an airport. Though some guides describe it as "dusty", it has a rocky beach and a typical Greek nightlife. It is the last major Greek town before the Turkish border on the highway to Istanbul.

By plane

• Alexandroupolis International Airport "Dimokritos"There are four flight every day linking the city to Athens by Olympic Airlines, and Aegean Air. There are three flights every week from Alexandroupolis to Heraklion or Sitia (Crete) by Sky Express.

By train

There are several trains from Thessaloniki. Slow trains take 6h (), fast ICs take only 4 1/2h ().
Train connections are relatively frequent to the rest of the country, though the rail link to Bulgaria via Dikea has been canceled until further notice. Trains are running only to Dikea, 15km short of the Bulgarian border. There are no buses from Dikea to the border city of Svilengrad, with taxi and hitchhiking being the only options to access Svilengrad and the extensive Bulgarian rail network for the time being.

• Alexandroupolis railway station

By bus

National Network of Buses or KTEL operates a frequent schedule of buses to all the major cities of the country. Shuttle buses depart twice daily to Athens (approximately 8–9 hours) and there are hourly connections to Thessaloniki.
OSE, the national train operator, has set a daily bus shuttle to Istanbul that departs the main station early (around 7AM) every morning. Tickets are usually easy to find and can be booked in the ticket office.

By boat

The most important connection is the ferry to Samothrace. For sailboats the harbor is also well suited. The number of berths is very limited.

Since the city and especially the center is small and flat, you can easily walk to explore the city: for the sights outside the city, a vehicle is essential.

• Alexandroupolis Cathedral

  address: Metropoleos Square
  Inaugurated in 1901 and dedicated to the patron of sailors. Beside the church a museum displays sacred artifacts dating back to the 16th century

• Agii Theodori Cave ChurchThe rocky church of Agioi Theodoroi, with frescoes of the 10th century AD, is in a magnificent location after the Byzantine fortresses of Potamos and Avanta.

• Castle of Avanta (Potamos)The castle is on the provincial road that connects Alexandroupolis with Avanta. From far you can see the three impressive medieval towers of the Potos River. They are square and surrounded by a double wall. It is thought to have been built in the 13th century by the Gatelouzos, the Genoese conquerors of the area, on a site occupied on prehistoric, Ancient Greek and Byzantine periods. The climb to Avanta (or Potamos) Castle, from the west side of the hill, takes about 20 minutes. A grandiose gate is preserved, with two tall towers on both sides and the ramparts of the castle, with the stairs leading up there. The view of the whole plain from the warriors fully justified the construction of the Avanta Castle at this point. The ruins that the visitor sees today date back to the 13th century, although there are findings from the Mycenaean period. The whole area has scattered castles on hillsides and rocks that allow the field and the passage to be monitored by Rodopi and Komotin.

• Tsepel Kagia HillIn Hill Tsepel Kayan, now called Mytero or Monastery Hill, 4 km north from the village of Avantas to Aisymi, there are rocks carved in the shape of chairs and tables, as well as murals depicting constellations. Ruins and traces of buildings have been discovered, that it is probable to be a place of worship of the Kikonon tribe of the ancient Thracians. The climb up to the hill, is easy and can be walked following the old trail.

• Agios Theodoros ChurchThe 10th-century frescoed church of St. Theodore is in a unique location, after the Byzantine castles of Potamos and Avanta. Not only the rock church itself, the way there is well worth the trip.

• TraianoupolisThe city was founded by the Roman Emperor Trajan (reigned 98-117) and was famous in Roman times for its baths. In the 4th century, it became the capital and metropolis of the Thracian Roman province of Rhodope. Despite a chequered history, the city remained the metropolis of the ecclesiastical province of Rhodope until its decline in the 14th century. The area was destroyed in 1322 by Bulgarian raids and 1329/30 by Turkish troops. On display are ruins of former bathing facilities and parts of the city wall. You should definitely combine a visit with a visit to the modern bathroom, because even today, the place is a health resort.

• MesimvriaMesimvria was a colony of the inhabitants of the island of Samothrace, built at the end of the 7th century BC. The city flourished in the 5th and 4th century BC. However, during the period of the Macedonian and later Roman rule began to gain importance, as the construction of roads in the hinterland lowered the importance of the coastal city. On the excavation site, the remains of the fortress wall with towers, private houses, a road network, public buildings, a sanctuary of Demeter and an Apollo temple were found. The most important monuments of the excavation site are: The Shrine of Demeter. Inside the building, silver, gold, silver and gilded relief panels were found, all connected to the Demeter cult. Dated to the 4th century BC. The archaic temple of Apollo. It was part of a larger building complex (35 x 45 m) with a central paved courtyard, surrounded by a stoa. Many ceramic fragments with engraved inscriptions were inside the temple from the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Found.

• Panagia KosmosoteiraThe remarkable former monastery Panagia Kosmosotira was built in 1151 by the Byzantine emperor Isaas I Komnenos according to the plans of the Hagia Sophia and survived wars and turmoil for 900 years in very good condition.

• BirdwatchingYou can go birdwatching for sotos, a rare speciment of a bird that has resided for years in Balkans.

• BeachesFromn the west of the city to Panorama are almost continuous beautiful sandy beaches with many beach bars and restaurants, but also areas without management, for those who prefer a quiet bath.

Along the promenade by the harbor and in the area between Promenade and Leof.Dimokratias street are a great variety of restaurants and fast food.

• Macdonald

  address: 382, Dimokratias Av

Due to the university and the many young people, the nightlife is quite good for the size of the city. Most of the cafes and bars are located in the district at and above the promenade and in the city park.

• Thema

  phone: +30 2551 025255
  address: 8, Souliou St
  Wine-bar

• Kybernio

  phone: +30 2551 037160
  address: 2A, "Nikiforou Foka" St
  Night bar

There are no cheap youth hostels, but a lot of 1-star hotels and a couple of upscale hotels by the seaside. Backpackers often just stay at the beach near the train station.
There is also a located right on the beach.

Budget

• Mazestic Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 26444
  address: Eleftherias Square

• Mitropolis Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 26443
  address: 11, Athanasiou Diakou Str
  1-star hotel. 22 rooms.

• Lido Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 28808, +30 25510 34004
  address: 15, Konstantinou Paleologou Str
  1-star hotel. 43 rooms

• Erika Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 34115
  address: 110, Dimitriou Karaoli Str
  1-star hotel. 23 rooms with balcony. Buffet room, dry cleaners, car hire, Free Wi-Fi.

• Marianna Hotel

  phone: +30 255 108 1455, +30 697 604 351 11 (Mobile)
  address: 11, Malgaron Str & Dimokratias Av.
  2-star hotel. 14 rooms.

• Dias Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 81934
  address: 13, Troados Str
  2-star hotel. 16 A/C rooms

• Plaza Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 21266, +30 25510 29112-3
  address: 2nd km of Alexandroupoli - Komotini National Road right on the municipal plage
  2-star hotel. Built in 1984, renovated in 1996. 25 sea view-rooms. A/C, sound proof, bath or shower, mini-bar, hairdryer, Internet access, telephone, TV.

• Park Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 28607, +30 25510 28647, +30 25510 35800, +30 6942-463196 (mobile)
  address: 458, Dimokratias Av
  2-star hotel built in 1977 and renovated in 2010. 30 A/C rooms with balcony. Central heating, open-air Swimming Pool

• Oceanis Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 28830
  address: 20, Paleologou Street
  2-star hotel. 24 rooms.

• Santa Rosa Beach Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 25551, +30 25510 332061, +30 6946-332061 (Mobile)
  address: 1st km of Alexandroupolis - Nea Chili National Road
  1-star hotel. 28 A/C rooms with bath or shower.

Mid-range

• Hera Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 25995, +30 25510 23941
  address: 179, Dimokratias Av
  2-star hotel. 32 A/C rooms. Bath or shower, Wi-Fi.

Splurge

• Alexander Beach & Convention Center

  phone: +30 25510 39290
  address: 2nd km Nat. Rd
  A 5-star hotel built in 1985 and renovated in 1998. 41 Executive rooms, 36 Superior rooms, 10 Family rooms, 7 Deluxe suites, 1 Presidential suite. Services: private beach, restaurant, poolside bar, hamam, beauty salon, spa, fitness centre.

• Astir Egnatia Hotel

  phone: +30 25510 38000
  5-star hotel. 125 standard rooms with balcony, 36 superior rooms with sea view, 36 maisonettes, 17 suites with veranda, 2 deluxe suites. Hamam, Jacuzzi, heated indoor swimming pool, etc

• Ferries to the island of Samothrace just to south of city leave mostly twice a day—but irregularly. There is a fast one (taking an hour and costing pp), and a slower one also for cars (taking 3h and costing pp). Tickets have to be bought in a travel agency near the port.
• One of the reasons to visit Alexandroupolis is to take the train to the border station of Pythion and change to train to Istanbul there.
• The nature reserves of Evros Delta and Dadia are known for their profusion of birds.
• Didymoteicho
• Rhodope Mountains
• Komotini