Byzantine monument — Feres, ~25km from the city
Built in 1152 by Isaac Komnenos — son of Byzantine emperor Alexios I — as his residence and final resting place, the monastery dominates the centre of Feres on the edge of the Evros Delta. The complex still has its fortress walls, towers, and gate intact.
Inside, the five-domed, cross-shaped church holds frescoes considered fine examples of 12th-century Constantinople School art, including a distinctive eagle-motif ceramic ornament in the northeast corner. The church remains active today.
Easy to combine with an Evros Delta visit, since Feres sits right at its edge — a half-day detour that pairs Byzantine history with the wetlands.