It is one of the most beautiful Greek cities and the cultural capital of Thrace (🛣️ – 0,80 EUR, ⛽ – 1,789 EUR / l). References to Xanthi date back to 879 BC. It began as a small village and experienced all the tumultuous periods of the history of Thrace, such as raids, disasters, race conflicts, and civil wars Xanthi developed during the years of the Ottoman occupation and became wealthy and known worldwide due to the growing of tobacco. The city keeps its oriental atmosphere due to the fact that the town has a significant Muslim population. It is a very lively town with many bars and cafes, fueled by a university presence, we had here probably our best Friday night in Greece (Beer – 3 EUR / 0,5 l, Mojito – 8 EUR). The next morning, we spent some time at the base of Old Xanthi, where a massive Saturday market converges, drawing a great cross-section of the city and surrounding villages. Vendors sell fresh and cheap vegetables and fruits, live snails, and homemade booze (7,50 EUR / l). There’s also lots of cheap clothing and household goods. After that, we walked the old town stacked up on the hillside on the north side of the city. Xanthi’s picturesque historic district is a web of winding lanes and stairs lined with pastel-colored timber-framed houses and grand neoclassical mansions.
Parking location – Xanthi: 41.142836N 24.890808E