The capital of Evros, it was only a fishing village until the late 19th century. Now a major centre for transit shipping because of it being the crossroads of Asia, Europe, Mediterranean Sea and the Balkan peninsula. You can’t help but spend a day or two in this seaside town, with its main attraction being the light house and a multitude of cosy coffee shops that line the streets, Alexandroupoli is going to tickle your fancy in some way.
I crossed the border very easily from Turkey after spending some time exploring Edirne. The taxi driver dropped me off and I had my passport stamped and then walked over to the Greek side. Its quiet a walk but if you have on a good pair of shoes there is nothing like some fresh air and the sound of nature as you realise you are crossing the land between two major countries.
It was Sunday when I arrived in Greece, so being an Orthodox country everything and when I say everything that is exactly what I mean was closed. So the border town appeared to be a ghost town. That of course just makes the journey all the more fun for me as I wonder along and day dream. After a taxi drive and a bus journey I reached Alexandroupli and these are my recommendations that any traveller should do before moving on to their next stop.
Eat Gelato ice cream at Italos Gelateria with their rainbow of flavours. It is considered the best gelateria in town. Judging by the queues of local people you know you are making a good choice. It is so difficult to choose a flavour so best advice is have more than one. Its a delicious stop!
* Tasting the rich, sweet dessert pastry called baklava is an absolute must. It is made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened , held together with syrup or honey. In Greece baklava is supposed to be made with 33 dough layers referring to the years of Christ’s life. Just across the border in Turkey you can eat this delicious treat also but it varies slightly. The Turks use pistachios or heavy cream layered in it whereas the Greeks use walnuts. The Greeks portions tend to be bigger and have cinnamon and are softer.The Turkish one is crisper with no cinnamon. Both are delicious so my advice is to try both and decide for yourself.
Sleep at Dias Hotel. Built in an attractive building that was constructed in the 1970’s it initially served as lodge house. It is well located and in walking distance from the light house, supermarket, bus terminal and city park. It has 20 rooms. The rooms are clean and comfortable and I found them to be spacious. The blue and white tiled floor in the bathroom in particular reminder me that I was in Greece.
Eat dinner at Xarama beach Cafe and enjoy the sea breeze. It came highly recommended and when I sat down and looked at the menu I could see why. It was very difficult to choose. The menu was on a tablet and was extensive. While you wait for your food take a stroll on the pebbled beach, its magnificent at sunset, with the water gently lapping and you can see islands in the distance.
Coffee at Elemento 41 Bistro. Designed to look like home, this elegant bistro has a great selection of teas. I asked for baklava and was told they don’t sell any and it was best to buy it from a speciality store. Its a smoke free zone with good music and friendly staff. I just loved the decor, a real feast for the eyes.
Party at Noa Cafe Yatch Club at the harbour. The city’s hot spot. Located right on the waters edge this is where all the action is. A constant buzz of scooters is heard as they scoot up and down the harbour , a local means of transport for the young crowd. The view is great, cocktails and coffee awesome and atmosphere electric. If you are hungry try a waffle.
Shop at Georgiadis for souvenirs. Best place to find trinkets and memorabilia to take home. There is a great selection of items varying in price from 1or 2 Euros to expensive items. The owner speaks fluent english and even helped me to arrange a taxi to my next location. He gave me a map of the area and suggested places I visit. So not only a shop but in my opinion also tourist info booth .
Must see: The french architecture light house which is 6 storeys of stone steps and its lights can be seen 37km away. It was built in 1880 and the area is surrounded with park benches and lovely walk ways.
Flower clock is at the entrance of the harbour. Worth stopping to taking a photo. At night it is lit up so actually better then.
The Harbour. One of the most important ports in Greece, this commercial harbour consists of the outer port and smaller inner harbour. It is the only large port of Thrace, it receives passenger,merchant, fishing and tourist ships. The construction of the port began in the 19th century by French manufacturers
Quaint church just outside the harbour. Take a leisurely walk to the small white washed Orthodox church nestled quietly on the outskirts of the harbour. As you enter you are immediately drawn to its calmness. Being alone gave me time to to appreciate the beautiful images and take time to reflect on the peace and tranquility. When you leave you can walk down to the waters edge where I was very surprised to find a large amount jelly fish floating around.
Monument to Domna and Hadji Antonis Vizvizi, heros of the Greek War Of Independence. This bronze sculpture was made by George Megfkoulas in 1987. Hadji died in 1822 and was a Greek shipowner, in 1808 he married Domna who was from a local landowning family. They had 5 children one of whom went to study in Paris and on returning to Greece in 1832 gained appointment at the Minstry of Foreign Affairs and was the Governor of Naxos 1845 – 1876.
How to get there from Turkey
From Turkey if you are in Edirne you can take a taxi to the border about 7km away and walk over. Once in Greece, you catch a taxi for 20 Euro to Orestiada ( about half an hour away ) then buy a bus ticket for 11,50 Euro to Alexandroupoli. The ride is about 2 hours.
I chose to leave through a different border so bought a bus ticket on the Metro Greece bus straight to Istanbul Otogar for 13 Euro. This time it was 40km to the border but a lot easier as I was on the bus all the way
This low key Greek town is not a top holiday destination in Greece but its worth stopping in to get a taste of the country and its culture . Its the last major town before the Turkish border and has a comfortable pace of life. Definitely worth a day or two.
