The Alexandroupolis lighthouse with scooters, cars, and people out on the street below

Explore

Plan your days in Alexandroupolis

Landmarks in the city, wetlands and forest reserves outside it, and 2,000 years of history in between.

Alexandroupolis Lighthouse

Landmark

Alexandroupolis Lighthouse

Greece's tallest lighthouse, built in 1880, and the unofficial living room of the city.

Old Customs House & Harbour

Landmark

Old Customs House & Harbour

A row of 19th-century ochre warehouses anchoring the marina, now the visual heart of the harbour.

Ethnological Museum of Thrace

Museum

Ethnological Museum of Thrace

A neoclassical 1899 building housing 5,000 items of Thracian traditional life — costume, music, and craft.

Cyclops Cave, Makri

Landmark

Cyclops Cave, Makri

A cave above Makri beach linked in local legend to Homer's Cyclops Polyphemus, with a Neolithic settlement inside dating back 6,500 years.

City Beach

Beach

City Beach

Easy sand and calm, shallow water a short walk from the lighthouse — the simplest beach day in town.

Evros Delta Wetlands

Nature reserve

Evros Delta Wetlands

One of the most important wetlands in Europe — flamingos, pelicans, and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.

Dadia Forest National Park

National park

Dadia Forest National Park

The only forest in Europe where all four European vulture species can be seen, from a dedicated observatory.

Vistonida Lake

Wetland

Vistonida Lake

Greece's fourth-largest lake, with over 300 recorded bird species including Dalmatian pelicans and the rare white-headed duck.

Traianoupolis Thermal Springs

Historic site

Traianoupolis Thermal Springs

Roman baths built on hyperthermal springs discovered by Emperor Trajan — a 2,000-year-old spa town.

Panagia Kosmosoteira Monastery

Byzantine monument

Panagia Kosmosoteira Monastery

A 12th-century Byzantine monastery built by a Komnenos prince, with rare frescoes from the Constantinople school.

Ancient Maroneia

Archaeological site

Ancient Maroneia

The largest ancient Greek colony in western Thrace, once famous across the ancient world for its wine.

Agia Paraskevi Beach

Beach

Agia Paraskevi Beach

The region's top-rated organized beach — fine sand, shallow water, and a small chapel that gives it its name.

Kokkina Vrachia (Red Rocks)

Beach

Kokkina Vrachia (Red Rocks)

A striking beach where rust-red rock formations rise straight out of the sea — dramatic scenery over classic sand.

Dikella Beach

Beach

Dikella Beach

One of the longest beaches in the region — over 3km of sand backed by a quiet village and a handful of beach bars.

Archaeological Museum of Alexandroupolis

Museum

Archaeological Museum of Alexandroupolis

A modern museum, opened in 2018, tracing the region from the Neolithic through Roman and Byzantine times.

History Museum of Alexandroupolis

Museum

History Museum of Alexandroupolis

A small, locally run museum on the city's more recent past, from the Ottoman era to the 20th century.

Archaeological Site of Zone

Archaeological site

Archaeological Site of Zone

An ancient Thracian city with intact walls and temples to Demeter and Apollo — one of the best-organized sites in Thrace.

Alexandroupoli Natural History Museum

Museum

Alexandroupoli Natural History Museum

An interactive museum on the biodiversity of Thrace and the Evros Delta, aimed squarely at families.

Alexandroupolis Mosque

Religious site

Alexandroupolis Mosque

An Ottoman-era mosque begun in 1895 and completed in 1906, still serving the city's small Muslim community.

Metropolis Square

Landmark

Metropolis Square

The city's central square, home to the Metropolitan Church of St. Nicholas, built at the turn of the 20th century.

Catholic Parish of St. Joseph

Religious site

Catholic Parish of St. Joseph

A Catholic church built at the end of the 19th century, still holding Mass twice a month for the city's small Catholic community.

Armenian Church of Saint John the Baptist (Karabet)

Religious site

Armenian Church of Saint John the Baptist (Karabet)

A small church serving Alexandroupolis's Armenian community — one of the few Armenian churches on the Greek mainland.

Educational Academy Zarifios

Historic building

Educational Academy Zarifios

A historic school building from the city's Ottoman-to-Greek transition, now preserved as an architectural landmark.

Hatzisavva Vineyards

Winery

Hatzisavva Vineyards

A small, organic family winery at the foot of the Aino mountains, running guided tours and tastings of its estate wines.

Alexandroupolis's Flower Clock

Landmark

Alexandroupolis's Flower Clock

A working clock face planted entirely in flowers — a small, photogenic landmark typical of Greek seaside towns.

Castle of Potamos

Archaeological site

Castle of Potamos

A medieval Byzantine-Genoese fortress on layered Mycenaean, Classical, and Byzantine remains, paired with the nearby Avantas Castle.

Ecclesiastical Museum of Alexandroupolis

Museum

Ecclesiastical Museum of Alexandroupolis

Over 400 sacred artifacts from the 15th to 19th centuries, housed in a 1909 neoclassical former school next to the city's cathedral.

Altinalmazi Park

Park

Altinalmazi Park

A well-used city park in the centre, popular with locals for an evening walk or a break from the seafront.

Scout Park (Municipal Grove)

Park

Scout Park (Municipal Grove)

A large municipal grove and one of the city's most-visited green spaces, home to a handful of park cafés.

Yuppii Luna Park

Amusement park

Yuppii Luna Park

A small funfair right beneath the lighthouse — rides and games for a family evening out.

Makri Beach

Beach

Makri Beach

The organized beach of Makri village, a straightforward sandy stretch that doubles as the trailhead for the Cyclops Cave above it.

Nea Chili Beach

Beach

Nea Chili Beach

A mostly free, fine brown-sand beach a short drive west of the centre, with a small organized stretch and tavernas along the main road.

EOT Beach

Beach

EOT Beach

A Blue Flag municipal beach on the western edge of the city, run as a fully organized complex with courts, a restaurant, and an open-air cinema.

Mesimvria Beach

Beach

Mesimvria Beach

A nearly two-kilometre sandy strip that marks the westernmost swimming beach in the area, right in front of the Archaeological Site of Zone.

Transfiguration Beach

Beach

Transfiguration Beach

A sandy beach east of the city near Traianoupolis, shaped by its position on the edge of the Evros Delta rather than a resort strip.

Fanari Beach & Lagoons

Beach

Fanari Beach & Lagoons

A lively summer beach village toward Rhodope, backed by a cluster of bird-rich lagoons and views to a small lighthouse.

Silk Museum, Soufli

Museum

Silk Museum, Soufli

A Piraeus Bank heritage museum in an 1883 silk-merchant mansion, tracing Soufli's sericulture industry from cocoon to cloth.

Art of Silk Museum, Soufli

Museum

Art of Silk Museum, Soufli

A working silk mill turned museum in an 1886 merchant mansion, run by the family that still makes the silk.

Didymoteicho Fortress

Byzantine monument

Didymoteicho Fortress

A hilltop Byzantine citadel with 24 surviving towers — among the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Greece.

Bayezid Mosque, Didymoteicho

Historic site

Bayezid Mosque, Didymoteicho

One of the oldest Ottoman mosques in Europe, completed in 1420 — under restoration since a 2017 fire, using over 3,500 individually cut timber pieces.

Didymoteicho Ottoman Bath

Historic site

Didymoteicho Ottoman Bath

An Ottoman bathhouse dating to 1398–99, among the earliest surviving hamams anywhere in Greece.

Didymoteicho Folklore Museum

Museum

Didymoteicho Folklore Museum

A small museum of everyday Thracian household and farming life, including a reconstructed traditional kitchen.

Kirki Abandoned Mines

Historic site

Kirki Abandoned Mines

The remains of a large polymetallic mining operation that ran for most of the 20th century before closing in 1997.

Pythio Castle

Byzantine monument

Pythio Castle

A 14th-century Byzantine fortress built by a future emperor, sited beside the only railway crossing between Greece and Turkey.

Orestiada Historical & Folklore Museum

Museum

Orestiada Historical & Folklore Museum

A museum on the refugee history of Orestiada, a city founded in 1923 by Greeks displaced from Karaağaç, near modern Edirne.

Metaxades

Traditional village

Metaxades

A hillside village built almost entirely from pale local stone, with a carving tradition recognised as intangible cultural heritage.

Lefkimmi

Village

Lefkimmi

A small village on the fringe of Dadia Forest, named for the poplar trees that once lined its outskirts.

Petrified Forest of Fylachto

Geological site

Petrified Forest of Fylachto

A fossilised forest up to 40 million years old, with a petrified oak trunk over 20 metres long still lying where it fell.

Lake Tychero

Lake

Lake Tychero

A reservoir lake beside the town of Tychero, now a small wetland ecosystem with a lakeside tourist centre.

Nipsa Forest & Lake

Nature reserve

Nipsa Forest & Lake

A Natura-protected oak, pine, and plane forest around a reservoir lake — the closest proper hiking terrain to Alexandroupolis.

Melia Windmills & Forest

Viewpoint

Melia Windmills & Forest

A hilltop row of traditional stone windmills above a beech-and-pine forest village, with one of the best sunset views inland.

Ancient Olive Grove of Makri

Historic grove

Ancient Olive Grove of Makri

One of the oldest working olive groves in the Mediterranean, with individual trees estimated at up to 2,500 years old.

Ardas River

River

Ardas River

A tributary of the Evros flowing in from Bulgaria, rich in birdlife and known locally for a riverside summer festival.

Nestos Gorge

River gorge

Nestos Gorge

A green river gorge cutting through the dry Rhodope foothills, with canoe trips and a long riverside hiking trail.

Kompsatos Medieval Bridge

River landscape

Kompsatos Medieval Bridge

A steep stone bridge from the 17th or 18th century arching over the Kompsatos River, deep in Rhodope oak forest.

Alexandroupolis Railway Station

Landmark

Alexandroupolis Railway Station

The city's rail link traces back to 1874, when Alexandroupolis was still Ottoman Dedeagach on the Istanbul–Vienna line.

Pythio Railway Station

Historic site

Pythio Railway Station

A 19th-century Orient Express station on the old Istanbul–Vienna line, at the point where the railway used to cross in and out of three countries.

Old Prefecture Building (Palio Dioikitirio)

Historic building

Old Prefecture Building (Palio Dioikitirio)

The city's former seat of government, in continuous administrative use from the Ottoman era through to 1995.

One Perfect Day in Alexandroupolis

Full-day itinerary

One Perfect Day in Alexandroupolis

The essential first-timer's route: the lighthouse, the harbour, an old-town museum, and a seafront dinner.

A Family Beach Day

Family itinerary

A Family Beach Day

Calm, shallow water, a funfair for the kids, and an easy dinner — a full day built around the city beach.

History & Culture in a Day

Culture itinerary

History & Culture in a Day

The city's three main museums plus its mosque and central square, tracing Alexandroupolis from antiquity to the 20th century.

A Day in the Evros Delta

Nature itinerary

A Day in the Evros Delta

A boat trip through the wetlands followed by a soak in 2,000-year-old thermal springs on the way back.

Soufli & Didymoteicho Heritage Loop

Day-trip itinerary

Soufli & Didymoteicho Heritage Loop

A full day through Evros's two great heritage towns — silk history in Soufli, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments in Didymoteicho.

Nature & Birdwatching: A Dadia Forest Day

Nature itinerary

Nature & Birdwatching: A Dadia Forest Day

A full day built around Europe's only forest with all four European vulture species, with a quiet village stop on the way.

A Romantic Evening in Alexandroupolis

Evening itinerary

A Romantic Evening in Alexandroupolis

Sunset at the lighthouse, dinner on the water, and a proper wine list to finish.

A Rainy Day in Alexandroupolis

Indoor itinerary

A Rainy Day in Alexandroupolis

Four museums and a café crawl — a full day that never needs an umbrella.

An Active Day: Watersports & the Cyclops Cave

Active itinerary

An Active Day: Watersports & the Cyclops Cave

Jetskis and watersports on the region's top beach, then a short climb to a cave linked to Homer's Odyssey.

A Budget-Friendly Day Out

Budget itinerary

A Budget-Friendly Day Out

A full day that costs almost nothing: a free beach, a free landmark, and a browse through the farmers market.

The Great Cycling Tour of Alexandroupolis

Cycling route

The Great Cycling Tour of Alexandroupolis

A municipal 15km cycling loop around the city on dedicated bike paths, laid out to suit all ages.

Watersports at Aqua Sport Center

Watersports

Watersports at Aqua Sport Center

Jet skis, SUP, kayaks, and towables run directly off the city beach — nine activities, open daily through summer.

Lock n Tension Escape Room

Indoor activity

Lock n Tension Escape Room

A city-centre escape room with six themed rooms — a solid rainy-day, evening, or group activity.