Western Thrace

Nestos or Mesta River - Greece-Bulgaria - Nestos River

Western Thrace is a region in Greece. In Greek, it is referred simply as Thrace (Greek: Θράκη), as there is no other Thrace in Greece. Eastern Thrace is part of Türkiye.

Tourism in Western Thrace is developing along the seacoast from Abdera to Maroneia but many travelers on their way to Türkiye still make few stops in the region. The archaeological sites of Abdera and Maroneia and the traditional settlements of Xanthi and Komotini and the Rodopi mountain range and the Nestos river gorge and delta, are the most interesting features of Western Thrace.

Regions

• Xanthi Region —
• Rhodope Mountains — Region
• Evros Region —
• Pomaks Country (Pomakochoria) — Charming villages scattered in the green Rhodope valleys and graceful masjids complete with tall minarets.

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Cities

• GPS 40.852 ,25.873 Alexandroupolis Coastal city with ferry links to Samothrace
• GPS 41.35035 ,26.49729 Didymoteicho - (meaning 'Twin Walls') — A typical Greek town, but well worth a detour if you are interested in Byzantine and Ottoman styles of art.
• GPS 41.2762 ,24.9717 - Echinos — A charming 'Pomak' (Greek Muslims) village on a valley of the Rhodopes Mountains.
• GPS 40.8939 ,26.1718 Feres — A town with a 12th century Byzantine style church adorned with numerous frescoes.
• GPS 41.118 ,25.402 Komotini City with a Muslim/Turkish community
• GPS 40.9072 ,25.5197 Maroneia the ancient Ismaros and the largest and most important of all Greek colonies of Western Thrace, mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey.
• GPS 41.1990 ,24.7061 Stavroupoli, Xanthi|Stavroupoli - — The old town still preserves its traditional flair, attracting plenty of tourists from Thessaloniki and other Greek cities.
• GPS 41.137 ,24.887 Xanthi An old town with pleasant cobbled narrow streets and old buildings

More Destinations in Western Thrace

GPS 41.101081 ,25.091381|zoom=14 — Byzantine archaeological site

GPS 40.9322 ,24.9739 - Abdera — One of the wealthiest cities of Ancient Greece, birthplace of the philosophers Democritus, Protagoras and Anaxarchus, and the lyric poet Anacreon.

GPS 40.905, 25.517 Maroneia — One of the wealthiest cities of Ancient Greece,

GPS 40.803 ,26.077 |zoom=13Evros River Delta — Marshes and wetlands across the Turkish borders attracting large flocks of migratory birds in autumn, when breeding is over in Europe.

GPS 41.115 ,26.187 |zoom=12Dadia forest — Heavily wooded hills providing a habitat for diverse wildlife not common in other areas of Western Thrace.

GPS 40.96106 ,25.13263 Fanari — The best seaside resort of Western Thrace.

GPS 40.905 ,24.784 Nestos River Delta — Comprises freshwater lakes and ponds that offer refuge for birds and various mammals. Further North extends the “Kotza Orman" (Great Forest), once a very large forest but today restricted to some fragments along both sides of the river.

GPS 41.0880 ,24.7809 Toxotes, Xanthi|Toxotes — The closest village to the beautiful Nestos gorge

Local Language in Western Thrace

Greek phrasebook|Greek is the native language of most the people of Thrace. Most of the Muslims in Thrace are ethnic Turks and speak Turkish as a local language. In villages north of Xanthi, Pomaks, who are ethnic Bulgarian Muslims, speak Pomakika (a dialect of Bulgarian). However, most people also speak passable English and some may speak German or other European languages.

Travel as a Muslim to Western Thrace

By plane

The closest airport is "Alexander the Great" airport in Kavala City. Flights, mostly charters, from all over Europe.

By road

GPS 41.645 ,26.476 |zoom=12* Kastanies border crossing = is just 6 kilometers southwest of GPS 41.676 ,26.557 Edirne = on the Turkish side. GPS 40.940 ,26.319 |zoom=12* Kipi/İpsala — The main border crossing between Greece and Türkiye. GPS 41.721 ,26.211 |zoom=12* Ormenio/Svilengrad — Main border crossing between Greece and Bulgaria. GPS 41.265 ,25.429 |zoom=12* Makaza–Nymfaia border checkpoint (Balkan Toresi) — This mountain pass provides quick access from Rhodope Mountains|central Bulgaria to Western Thrace, some 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Komotini, and to the Greek motorway Egnatia Odos. The distance from Kurdzhali to Komotini via Makaza is around 70 kilometers (43 mi) and takes roughly one hour and 15 minutes by car. GPS 41.3666 ,25.0448 Cross-border Zlatograd - Thermes — The Greek border lies just 5 kilometers away from the Bulgarian town Zlatograda. A very scenic route though driving can be a very hard experience.

By train

There was an international InterCity train jointly operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and Train OSE linking Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal to Thessaloniki. Unfortunately the train service was terminated in 2011 due to cost cutting by Greek state-owned company Train OSE. Nowadays there are no trains from Greece to Türkiye. You'd rather go to Istanbul's Istanbul#By bus|Main Bus Terminal (Büyük Otogar). There is at least one bus daily to Athens or Thessaloniki, stopping at Alexandroupolis, Komotini and Xanthi.

Some private companies running comfortable buses are Simeonidis Tours, Crazy Holidays and the low cost Alpar Tourism (20€).

GPS 41.380 ,26.612 Pythion — A village and rail border crossing between Greece and Eastern Thrace|Turkey.

How to get around in Western Thrace

By car

The new super-highway Egnatia can get you anywhere in the region within an hour or an hour and a half for the most remote areas. It connects all the major cities in Thrace from Xanthi to the border crossing with Bulgaria in Kastanies north of Evros or the customs with Türkiye to the east.

Travel on a Bus in Western Thrace

Even the smallest rural villages can be visited by using a combination of local run buses.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Western Thrace

Frequent stops all along the region's sole train line and cities dotted along the Evros River. A scenic route for some but rather slow for the busy traveler.

Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in Western Thrace

SAOS will sail you to Samothrace|Samothraki daily or even more frequently during the summer period.

What to see in Western Thrace

Kompsatos river bridge, Thrace - Stone bridge on the Kompsatos river {{Marker GPS 41.327111, 24.671785* Livaditis Waterfalls

{{Marker GPS 41.1412 ,25.2107 Stone bridge on the Kompsatos river — A magnificent stone bridge

{{Marker GPS 41.1832 ,24.7089 |zoom=15* Macedonian tomb of Stavroupoli — A small but well preserved Macedonian tomb dating back to the first half of 4th century B.C.

{{Marker GPS 41.24782 ,25.10425 Thracian Μeteors (Thrakika Meteora) — Amazing rocky peaks surrounded by abandoned settlements. Access by vehicle through a dirt road that starts east of Iasmos Town.

What to do in Western Thrace

Kayak or canoe descent of the river Nestos has become a popular sport and numerous hotels in Stavroupoli, Xanthi|Stavroupoli and nearby villages provide a trip package. Horse riding along the gorge is also available.

You can go for hiking in the Erimanthos Forest on the southern slopes of Rhodope mountains and spend the night in the basic cottages owned by the local park rangers.

Stay Safe

Mosquitoes are a matter of increasing concern along the coastal marshes. As a rule the hotels do not provide anything and you have to buy specific products to protect yourself

Explore more Halal friendly Destinations from Western Thrace

Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia to west, Northern Thrace (Bulgaria) to north, Eastern Thrace (Turkey) to east, and the island of Samothrace to south is within easy reach once you are done in Western Thrace.

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