October 28th excursion to Thracian Tempi – Xanthi (4 days)

Πρόγραμμα

1st DAY Athens – Xanthi
Departure from Athens at 06:30 for the city of Xanthi with intermediate stops. Late afternoon arrival at the Z PALACE 5* Lux hotel, check-in, and buffet dinner.

2nd DAY Xanthi – Vistonida – Porto Lagos – Komotini
Breakfast buffet and day dedicated to the old town of Xanthi. Picturesque, cobbled alleys, restored mansions, neoclassical buildings, and traditional buildings built by craftsmen from western Macedonia and Epirus, combine local and Ottoman architecture. Near our hotel we will see the tobacco warehouses of the city and the famous “P” (Kapnergaton street) which got its name from the shape of the buildings of 1890, and then, the central square where the old clock dominates (from 1859). In the pedestrian part of our tour, among others, we will see the Town Hall, built in 1830 by the Jewish tobacconist Moises, the Municipal Art Gallery, the famous Folklore Museum (inside visit / individual expenses) housed in the mansions of the tobacconists Athanasios and Pantelis Kouyoumtzoglou, the Metropolis square with the metropolitan church (three-aisled basilica) of Agios Ioannis the Forerunner (1839) and its three-story bell tower (built in 1924), the Metropolitan Palace of 1897, the building of the 1st Primary School, etc. We will proceed to the area of the river Kosynthos, which the locals call “Beach” and gather many cafes, restaurants, and bars. It follows a magical route to the lake of Vistonida to visit the picturesque Porto Lagos with the small church of Agios Nikolaos and then a short visit to Komotini. Return to the hotel and evening buffet dinner. which the locals call “Beach” and has many cafes, restaurants, and bars. It follows a magical route to the lake of Vistonida to visit the picturesque Porto Lagos with the small church of Agios Nikolaos and then a short visit to Komotini. Return to the hotel and evening buffet dinner. which the locals call “Beach” and has many cafes, restaurants, and bars. It follows a magical route to the lake of Vistonida to visit the picturesque Porto Lagos with the small church of Agios Nikolaos and then a short visit to Komotini. Return to the hotel and evening buffet dinner.

3rd DAY Thracian Temples of Nestos – Treasure Dam – Pomakochoria
Breakfast buffet and we leave for the magical route that “rolls” next to Nestos in the Thracian Tempi! We pass Paranesti and from there we continue to the Thesauros dam in a landscape that will remain truly unforgettable. We continue to the unique images of the traditional villages of Pomaki, Echinos and Sminthi, a unique cultural experience and return to the city of a thousand colors, as Xanthi is also known. Return to the hotel and dinner in the evening.

4th DAY Archangeliotissa Monastery – Aggitis Cave – Drama
Rich buffet breakfast and departure for a visit-pilgrimage to the Holy Monastery of Panagia Archangeliotissa, imposingly built in a dreamlike landscape with a unique view of the plain below. As a building, the Monastery as we see it today, was built in 1841. This existed in the same location many hundreds of years earlier and was destroyed by two terrible earthquakes that hit the area in 1829. The only indicative element in terms of buildings is a crypt of the Monastery located under the Holy Altar and which goes back to 1000 to 1100 AD. Later we headed to the cave of the river Agitis. The uniquely beautiful cave is considered the largest river cave in Greece with a length of 15 km, of which 12.5 have been mapped. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the Aggitis river flows on its floor and the exit of the river through the mountain is impressive. We continued to the city of Drama. Visit the beautiful city park with the lake of the Springs of Saint Barbara and the beautiful, imposing, stately buildings from the beginning of the 19th century, such as the building that housed the gymnasium of Arenas. Free time for a walk and lunch (individual expenses) with excellent local meats – and more – and later return to the comforts of our hotel. Buffet dinner in the evening. Free time for a walk and lunch (individual expenses) with excellent local meats – and more – and later return to the comforts of our hotel. Buffet dinner in the evening. Free time for a walk and lunch (individual expenses) with excellent local meats – and more – and later return to the comforts of our hotel. Buffet dinner in the evening.

5th DAY Kavala – Athens
Buffet breakfast and departure for the beautiful city of Kavala, Christoupolis of Byzantine times, with its typical Macedonian architecture and impressive port. Here the aqueduct, the Town Hall, the tobacco shops, and the castles dominate. Time for a walk and a coffee in the alleys and we return to Athens with intermediate stops.