Built amphitheatrically in front of the sea, Kavala has plenty to offer, from a rich archaeological history and several Ottoman monuments, to a long maritime tradition and proximity to unique natural landscapes.
The promenade is full of shops and ideal for walks. Start from the harbour and walk to the fish auction, with the sea on the one side and the city skyline on the other. If you are a mountain lover, mount Paggaio is real close, while both the villages of Moustheni and Mesoropi are full of greenery and gurgling streams. It is also worth visiting the ancient city of Philippi, as well as the famous wineries near Kavala.
Here are five reasons for visiting Kavala.
1. Picture perfect as a postcard, Kavala’s aqueduct, also known as Kamares, is the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable photo of your visit to the city. It’s actually an elevated water pipeline that supplied part of the city with water until 1930.
Built in the 16th century, the arched aqueduct has become the ultimate symbol of the city. Just below, there is a sign pointing the way to Istanbul, noting that it is 460km away.
2. Visit the fish auction of Kavala, one of the largest in the country, to try fresh local fish. The people of Kavala are proud of their fish. Many, young and old, often go fishing and along the long coastline to the left and right of the town, you see rods and lines, boats and longlines. Gilt-head bream, sea bass, mullets, loggerheads and shellfish, all come from the northern Aegean. Look for “Balaouro” restaurant (19, Thasou street, +30 2510 225222) on the small harbour where you will enjoy fresh small fish and shellfish. Also, located on the port’s pier, “Psaraki” restaurant (3, Ethikis Antistaseos street, +30 2510 211750)serves delicious meze with a beautiful view.
To enjoy fresh mussels you will have to drive 40km to the seaside village of Keramoti. The tavern “Glaros” (Keramoti, +30 25910 51478) serves delicious plump mussels from the area’s mussel farms.
3. Climb to the fortress, the acropolis of Kavala at the top of the old city. Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans took advantage of the peninsula’s key position and fortified the top. From here they could supervise the passages of the Egnatia highway and the sea.
On the roof of the central circular tower you will enjoy the view of Kavala city from above. On your way to the top and the Fortress you will also pass by the narrow cobbled streets of the old town with its colourful traditional houses.
4. The old town is full of preserved Ottoman buildings and mosques. Start from Imaret. Built in 1817, it was used as an Islamic seminary until 1902. It also served as a soup kitchen for the poor and within it was a mosque. Later, it housed refugees. Today it is a hotel including a restaurant and a café. The colour of the buildings’ tiles, its grey domes and its unique position above the city make Imaret a wonderful place to visit.
Three hundred metres further down you will see the house of Mohamed Ali, one of the most characteristic surviving examples of 18th century Ottoman architecture in Greece. Built in the 1780s, it has two floors, a hammam and a large garden.
Today it is a museum, while in the garden there is a nice café. In the same neighbourhood is the Khalil Bay Mosque, which is estimated to have been built around 1530. In the 1930s it housed the Philharmonic Orchestra of the municipality of Kavala and thus acquired the name “Mosque of Music” and is now called “Old Music”.
5. One hundred and fifty tailor shops, ten cinemas, tennis clubs, ballrooms, restaurant and pastry shops – these were the elements that were shaping the city’s image in the early 20th century. Kavala used to be the centre of tobacco processing and export in the Balkans. Thanks to this product it experienced significant commercial and economic growth from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.
You can discover the rich history of the city’s tobacco industry at the “Tobacco Museum” (4, K. Paleologou street, 30 2510 223344, open Monday to Friday 8:00-16:00), while scattered around the city you will see the large rectangular buildings that once served as tobacco warehouses.
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The Old Town of Kavala, Greece -Colours, stone and history
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