Alexandroupoli

Alexandroupoli feels like a city at the edge of Europe, and it is — the last Greek city before the Turkish border, on a coast that runs flat and golden toward the delta of the Evros river. It is a young city by Greek standards, built in the 19th century, and it has the airy, confident feel of a town that grew up with boulevards and sea views. Its long seafront promenade at sunset is worth the walk, past cafés and kite-fliers and families, with the Thracian sea on one side and the lights of the city behind. The lighthouse at the harbour's end — the symbol of the city — was just beginning to glow. Alexandroupoli's great gift is its nature: the Evros delta, twenty minutes away, is one of Europe's great wetlands, home to thousands of flamingos, pelicans, and herons, and the coast south of the city is a string of long, wind-swept, almost empty beaches. It is not a tourist city in the usual sense; it is a real Greek city, and that is exactly its charm.

Alexandroupoli is a city with a short and curious history. The site, at the mouth of the Evros, was a minor Thracian settlement in antiquity, but the modern city was founded only in the 19th century, when the Ottoman authorities built a railway station here on the new line to Constantinople. The town, then known as Dedeagac, grew around the station as a port and railway junction. It was captured by the Greeks in 1913 during the Balkan Wars, and after the First World War it was formally ceded to Greece. In 1920, the city was renamed Alexandroupoli, after King Alexander of Greece, who died that year. The city's modern character was shaped by the great exchange of populations in the 1920s, when Greek refugees from Anatolia and Thrace settled here, and by its position as a frontier city — during the Cold War it was a border town between Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Today it is a university city, the capital of the Evros regional unit, and the natural base for exploring the wetlands of the delta and the remarkable culture of Greek Thrace, with its music, its tsipouro, and its warm, hospitable people.

Alexandroupoli has some of the most underrated beaches in Greece. The long municipal beach stretches along the south of the city — sand, shallow water, and the characteristic big Thracian sky. To the south and west, the coast opens into a series of long, almost empty golden strands: the beaches of Makri, Fanari, and Mesimvria, each with a village and a taverna, each perfect for a quiet swim. The sea here is warm and gentle, and in late summer it is as warm as anywhere in the Aegean. The Evros delta itself offers the unusual pleasure of a beachside wetland — wading birds and flamingos at the water's edge.

Thrace is one of Greece's great food regions, and Alexandroupoli is its table. This is tsipouro country — the local spirit, distilled from grapes, served cold with mezedes. The city's tavernas specialise in the food of Thrace and northern Greece: souvla (slow-roasted meat), giosbean (baked beans), the local cheese pies, and the famous Evros watermelons in summer. Seafood is excellent — the Thracian coast supplies the tavernas with the day's catch, and the grilled sardines of Makri are a local legend. The market sells the honey of the region, the peppers, and the wild greens. End a meal with the local halva and another cold glass of tsipouro.

May to September are the months for Alexandroupoli — warm seas, long days, and the delta at its greenest. Spring brings the birds to the delta and wildflowers to the plains; autumn, with the migration, is a spectacular time for the wetlands. Winter is cold and windswept, but the delta in winter is home to tens of thousands of waterfowl, and the city is quiet and atmospheric. The summer evenings, with the promenade full of life and the sun setting over the Thracian sea, are the city at its best.

Alexandroupoli is reached by air: Democritus, the city's international airport, lies a few kilometres east of the centre. The city also works as the gateway to Greek Thrace, with Komotini and Xanthi within easy reach.

Do not miss the Evros delta — a boat trip or a drive through the wetlands is the highlight of the region; spring and autumn are the best times for birds. The lighthouse is the place for the sunset. Try the tsipouro and the local mezedes — it is the soul of Thracian hospitality. The beaches south of the city (Makri, Fanari) are far lovelier than the city beach.