Alexandroupolis Lighthouse

Completed in 1880 by French engineers, the lighthouse predates most of the city around it and, at over 32 metres, remains the tallest in Greece. It marks the approach to what was then the Ottoman port town of Dedeagach, before it became Alexandroupolis.

The marble square around its base is where the city actually lives in the evening — locals meet here to walk, talk, and watch the sunset, and it draws a small, informal audience every night. It's free to walk right up to the base, though the tower itself isn't open to climb.

Best light is early morning or the hour before sunset, when the low sun turns the pale stone gold. See the full history in the guides: Alexandroupolis Lighthouse: A Short History.