Requests, places to visit wanted for SE Europe/Turkey tour

[sitalkes]

Hi, As part of the research for my new book, I'll be touring Romania, Bulgaria, western Turkey (Bithynia/Trakia), and northern Greece in March- May this year. I'll finish with a visit to England before going home. I'll be visiting as many museums, experts, and archaeological sites of Thracian/Dacian interest as I can. Many sites would be of interest to Roman and Greek historians, too. If there's something you would like me to photograph or a place you would like me to visit. please let me know. I'll try to fit it in.

Cheers,
Chris

[hoplite14gr]

To attract tourists the capital of the 3 prefecture capitla in west Thrace:
Alexandroupoli, Commotini and Xanthe have their own Archaological Museums. But if you have time minor towns museums give "gems" as I descovered in my quest for shield devices.
Minisrty of culture: http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/gh10.jsp
Click on the British flag for the English pages.

Best regards

[sitalkes]

Thanks, yes I was definitely going there. There are some interesting archaeological remains there as well. The "Lonely Planet" guide says there's nothing to interest tourists in Greek Thrace but I will prove them wrong!

By the way, is the the Pydna (Aemilius Paulus) monument in the Delphi museum?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

In Northern Greece you can visit Phillippi,Abdera that has a nice little museum,Maroneia,with also interesting finds,Mesembria,Samothrace(with interesting archaeological site and museum).A week ago I visited the archaeological site of Doriskos.Just some kms from my home town,Alexandroupoli.Nothing to see there,actually.The have excavated almost nothing.You can see where the city walls once stood and for years people found gold coins in the area around,but nothing very interesting.The sea once reached where now the rail way is,kms away from the modern coast line.But they've found bronze rings where once the harbour was.Near by there are the roman hot springs of Loutros.Still people use them. Even Northern there are a couple of interesting places that I haven't visited.Some tombs in fact,like the ones on Vergina.they found valuable things,I think,among wich four sacrificed horses with the chariot.I think they are in desplay where they were found,but haven't seen even pictures.
Now,speaking of Western Turkey,just close your eyes and walk blindly.It's certain you'll find some great things!Every village has a historic mention,either from Herodotus,or Xenophon's Anabasis,or Alexander's campaign. But it is not easy to find them and there also the places are not excavated properly most of the times.Of course you'll visit the famous cities like Troy,Ephesos,Melitos,Pergamos...so no need to talk about them.
Khaire
Giannis

[Jona Lendering]

Thessaloniki! Sweet memories of three lovely holidays. The Archaeological Museum is splendid, the Byzantine Museum is even better. Honestly, even if you are not directly interested in Byzantine art, you must go there. Walk along the walls to the citadel, visit the church of Saint Demetrios (after all, a Roman soldier), and have a frappe near the house where Mustafa Kemal (a.k.a. Ataturk) was born.

Potideia - splendid exavation.
Xerxes' Canal - nice beaches on both sides.
Amphipolis- take at least one day; nice museum.
Philippi
The museum of Kavala can be ignored, but it is a good place to find a hotel.
If you continue to the east, you will find Gallipoli more interesting than Troy, although the plain is impressive; this is indeed a place where the gods themselves might have fought a war. Good hotels in Canakkale.
Istanbul, no explanation necessary.

West of Thessaloniki:
Vergina, of course. Make sure you have a mobile phone that can take pictures as well, because it's the only way to make photos (cameras forbidden). Kind guards, nevertheless.
Pella.
Naousa: buy some red wine, have a picknick in the school of Aristotle, and imagine what the great philosopher might have said to Alexander.
Good for a swim: the Tempe canyon.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Thessaloniki! Sweet memories of three lovely holidays. The Archaeological Museum is splendid, the Byzantine Museum is even better. Honestly, even if you are not directly interested in Byzantine art, you must go there

Thessaloniki,my city!At least I study here...Visited the museum some times.I'm ashamed for not having visited the Byzantine museum in the one and a half year that I'm here.And I know it is equal or better than the archaeological.Imagine that in the archaeological museum they've replaced the Vergina finds with the Derveni and all other stuff.

and have a frappe near the house where Mustafa Kemal (a.k.a. Ataturk) was born.

Hm,nice taste! I also like that coffee bar!The house is now the Turkish Embasy.

If you visit Potidaia for a bath,I jugest the east coast,one of the best beaches in Greece,though not organised(this can be an advantage for some) 8)

Amphipolis,of course!The bridge from wich Brasidas entered the town is there!At least the plaster outline of it.Some of the wood survived though.The museum is actually built inside the city walls that are relatively well preserved.If you have a good guide,you may see what some archaiologist believe is the grave of Brasidas.It is just under the museum in a kind of basement.The silver sarcophagus and the gold wreath are desplayed in the museum just above.

Make sure you have a mobile phone that can take pictures as well, because it's the only way to make photos (cameras forbidden). Kind guards, nevertheless.

Hey Jona,are you serious???!!!They let you photograph with the mobile phone?Or they just can't spot you so easily?Can the phone have a flash?

Khaire
Giannis

[sitalkes]

Thanks, guys, that's terrific, yes I visited the Thessaloniki museum in 1986, it was terrific then, must be even better now. Can I get to all those places by train or bus, or should I hire a car? Is there much left of the many ancient cities in Gallipoli, or the wall they repeatedly built across the peninsula?