Wild Thrace

Stretching east of Thessaloniki are the mountains and plains of Thrace. Its ancient kingdoms were alternately at war and allied to Persians, Greeks and Macedonians and the traces of each remain, often lying side by side in quiet, unhurried landscapes. Follow in the footsteps of Alexander and his father Philip through the great cities they founded and contested: Amphipolis, Philippi, Mesembria and explore the haunting sanctuaries and chariot-burial grounds that speak to a far older Thracian world. Short crossings by boat bring you to the unspoiled islands of Thasos and Samothrace, where the Sanctuary of the Great Gods has stood since around 1000 BCE. Throughout, Byzantine churches, medieval fortresses and Ottoman mosques stand in peaceful proximity, a reflection of the remarkable cultural coexistence that has long defined this region.