Northern Greece Itinerary:
September 29th to October 7th 2007
Pebble mosaic at Pella,
| Journey through Ancient Greece Northern Greece Itinerary: September 29th to October 7th 2007 |
Pebble mosaic at Pella, |
 Turkish bath house in Thessaloníki |
For 2007 we plan to repeat the
successful tour of last year to Macedonia and Thrace
BUT in October rather than June in the hopes of getting
dryer weather! The North has a distinct character,
landscape and history making it a quite different
experience to the Peloponnese. The different climate
(wetter in spring!) means the area is altogether greener,
the land more cultivated, with fruit trees more common
than olives. This part of Greece is much less visited than the South & we often have the sites almost to ourselves. The tour will concentrate on Macedonia, the land of Philip II & Alexander & route of the Via Egnatia. We will again be going East to visit Amphipolis, Phillipi & Kavala. The region was occupied by the Ottomans until 1913 & still has a strong Turkish influence in its architecture & cuisine. We fly from Gatwick to Thessaloníki where we will spend 4 nights. There is so much to see in this vibrant city with a wealth of Roman remains, Turkish baths, two fine museums, mosques, dozens of churches, both Byzantine & modern, a large bazaar & many excellent restaurants. |
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The sanctuary of Isis at Dion, |
Monday is a 'free' day in Thessaloníki visiting the Palace, magnificent triumphal Arch & Rotunda of Galerius Caesar, the Roman Agora, the Turkish Baths, White Tower, bazaar, St Sophia, & much more, leaving time to enjoy a drink on the sea front! The museum has a magnificent display of Macedonian gold. On Tuesday we go first to Veryina (ancient Aigai), now confirmed as the old capital of the kings of Macedon. It is a breathtaking experience: the Great Tumulus contains Philip's tomb & two others, together with a staggering array of articles found in them. Here is the gold casket, which contained the bones of Philip. We will also visit the site of Philip's palace & the theatre where, in 336 BC, he was murdered & Alexander crowned king. Next we go to Dion, another idyllic site, ( nightingales, hoopoes and rollers here) at the foot of Mount Olympos. Sanctuaries to Demeter, Dionysos, Isis, & Zeus were built here in the C6th BC & Alexander held a massive party & gave supplication to Zeus, before his campaign to India. There are also substantial remains of the Roman city including a theatre, odeion, public baths & the House of Dionysos which has a fine mosaic floor. |
| On Wednesday we travel east
to Amphipolis. Founded in
437 BC Amphipolis this is another very large site with
remains from the C5th BC, including unique remnants of
the bridge over the river Strymon, some 10
kilometres of defensive walls, the painted walls
of a Hellenistic house, and several Byzantine Basilicas.
Nearby is the magnificent C4th BC colossal marble Lion
of Amphipolis. We spend 4 nights in the fishing port of Kavala, where St Paul landed in AD 49. The old town is charming, a maze of steep, narrow streets overhung with pretty Turkish houses leading up to the kastro. There is a fine 16th century aquaduct & an excellent museum. |
lead roof of the Imaret in Kavala |
The Roman Forum at Philipi |
From here we visit Philipi, site of
the battle in 42 BC. Most of the extensive remains
we see are Roman & Christian, including part of the
original Via Egnatia, a fine theatre, a forum,
public baths, three basilicas & what may have been St
Paul's prison. We will go further east into Thrace to visit Xanthi, a town with a large Turkish population & an old Ottoman quarter with elegant mansions built by C19th tobacco merchants. |
The Agora in Limenas, Thasos |
For those not interested in the Thasos
'extension' we can organise a day visit to Liménas,
the capital of Thasos, a short ferry ride away, where
there is an ancient akropolis, theatre,
agora, remains of several sanctuaries and good beaches. On Sunday afternoon those not going on to Thasos will fly from Thessaloniki to Gatwick. |
The provisional cost for this 8 night tour is Ł695 per person, based on 2 sharing, (single supplement Ł110) including flights from Gatwick 8 nights B&B en-suite accommodation & comprehensive information about the region & its history. It does not include entrance to sites & museums or lunch and dinner for which you should allow about Ł200.
to check availability phone Mary Kehoe 01934 832786 or Jane Maw Cornish 029 20 704314 or email Mary at maryekehoe@aol.com
Optional extension to the tour: We again plan to spend 6 nights on the island of Thasos staying in the capital, Liménas. Thasos, famous for its white marble, is a beautiful island and good walking country (see www.marengowalks.com) and there are good beaches in the town, as well as a short bus ride away. We will return to Thessaloníki by ferry & bus or taxi to fly back to Gatwick on Saturday October 14th.
For more details on staying in Thasos contact Jane 029 20 704314 or rockhouse-penarth@supanet.com
