In the 48 hours we spent in Kavala, we ate delicious meals, visited historical spots, and even went to the deep blue beaches on our last day.. After visiting many of the Greek islands and capitals close to the Turkish coast, the Macedonian region was next.. On the last days of our Schengen visa, we made a weekend getaway from Istanbul and took the bus to Kavala on Friday evening.. We loved this city as sweet as its cookies, and I wanted to share it with you.. In this article you will find information about The history of Kavala, Places to visit in Kavala and Places close to Kavala. Let’s get to the detailed information about Kavala;
History of Kavala
History BC. The historical story of Kavala, which dates back to the 600s, was founded by immigrants from the Greek island of Thassos (Thassos) with the name Neapolis, that is, “New City”.. Kavala, which was Ottoman territory for about 500 years between 1391-1912, was taken over by the Turks, and Sultan Süleyman had the castle located on the top of the old city repaired.. While the settlement, which was gathered only on the peninsula at that time, consisted of the region called Panagia, it began to spread from the peninsula with the permission of the Sultan.. Tobacco trade begins in Kavala in the late 1800s and early 1900s and the city gets richer. It became the richest tobacco exporting port of that period and Turkish tobacco is coming to an important point in the world.
Kavala is a small city with a population of approximately 80 thousand.. Since it is located just across Thassos Island, it is generally preferred by holidaymakers who go to the island in the summer season as a one-day waiting point or a city to wander for a few hours.. But actually Kavala is a very rich city in all aspects.. In this article, I share with you suggestions that will lead even those who say “you don’t go to Kavala”.. If we are ready, let our Kavala journey begin.
How to Get to Kavala?
You can go to Kavala by bus in the most economical and comfortable way from Istanbul.. A few bus companies from Istanbul Bayrampasa Bus Station have daily flights to Kavala.. We went to Kavala with Alpar Turizm, which organizes bus services abroad.. We made a reservation by searching for a ticket in the form of Turkey-Greece on the Alpar Turizm website.. Bus services depart from Istanbul at 21:00 every day, stopping by the route of Komotini, Xanthi, Kavala and Thessaloniki one by one.. The journey from Istanbul to Kavala takes approximately 7 hours by bus.. Kavala bus ticket price round trip 50 €. The bus arrives in Kavala at around 04:00 and drops the passengers in front of the Oceanis Kavala Hotel, the return is from the opposite lane at the same point.. Since this point is on the main street in the center of Kavala, you will not have any problems in terms of transportation.
It is possible to go to Kavala by your own car, but some rules and documents are required for this.. Traveling abroad by car can be another alternative way of traveling if you complete them.. Apart from this, there are ferry services to Kavala from Rhodes, Kos, Ikaria, Lesbos and Thassos from the Greek Islands.. You also have the chance to reach Kavala by boats departing from Athens’ Piraeus port.. If you want to add a few cities to your route on your way to Kavala, places close to Kavala include Alexandroupoli, Komotini, Xanthi, Thessaloniki, Asprovalta and Halkidiki.. You can include these cities in your list, even if you want to feel the Greek Island air while you are there, there is Thasos Island right across.
To go to Kavala, you must first have a valid Schengen visa.. If you have a green passport, you can go to Kavala without a visa.. You can use the Ipsala customs gate to go from Turkey to Greece.. Ipsala is located approximately 200 km from Kavala.. If you traveled by bus when you arrived at the gate, the procedures are as follows. Every passenger gets off the bus and enters the passport control queue.. At this point, the passport police can ask questions about why you want to enter the country.. After passing the passport, there is a break for freeshop shopping.. You can shop here on your way or back.. I can say that the prices are more affordable when compared to other freeshops.. I especially recommend you to visit the freeshop on the Greek side.
Things to Know Before Going to Kavala
- When Kavala comes to mind Kavala Cookie comes before its beaches, history and culture. Even if you have tasted it before, I recommend you to try it because it is considered among the must-haves when it comes to Kavala. Since everyone’s cookies are different from each other, there may be slight differences in every place you taste, so it is useful to taste and buy.. Coming to the most curious subject of Where to buy Kavala cookies, there are three big businesses producing cookies in Kavala; Kourabies Lovies, Marmelo and Koyrabiedes Iosifidis. Lovies’ outlet just across from Marmelo. As someone who has tasted both, I make my comment right away, I think Marmelo is better. I could not taste Koyrabiedes Iosifidis as it is closed on Sundays, but it is said to be the best.. Located on El Venizelou Street (I pinned its location on the map at the end of the article), Xasoulakis is the Türe family’s favorite Kavala cookie shop.. When you go, you will see that there is no large-scale production.. It is really as delicious as cooked at home, with plenty of almonds.. It is not in a very central location, but it is really worth going to.
- I would like to talk about the initiative of Türe family, whom we were guests in Kavala, on behalf of winemaking.. Kavala and its surroundings, a region of Greece rich in vineyards. As such, they decided to combine their knowledge of wine with private tours.. You can get detailed information on Kavala Wine Tasting website, join wine tasting tours and spend an experience-oriented day in Kavala.
- You will see that many Greeks speak Turkish in Kavala because many people living here came from Anatolia during the exchange. came. Most of the arrivals are from Cappadocia, their parents or older settled in Kavala at the time.. But when Anatolia became the place where they were all connected with their roots, they passed on the Turkish they learned back then to their generations.. Also, be prepared for people to speak Turkish while shopping or in restaurants, as it is a city that is frequently visited by Turks. a city famous for tobacco. To wander the streets with tobacco warehouses, factories and tobacco merchants’ houses with beautiful architecture and feel the history Filippou and El. Wander around Venizelou Streets. Hand. Venizelou bought and restored number 67 by the Municipality of Kavala and transformed it into a Music Conservatory.. Built in 1884, this building was the home of a wealthy tobacco merchant of the time.. In fact, when you come here, you will see another building that is about to be demolished right next to this building.. That building is also quite impressive despite its disrepair.
- We appreciate Kavala, one of the cheapest cities in Greece, consume plenty of seafood, and taste its delicious wines.. I won’t go into details now, as I’ll tell you about the flavor stops we discovered in Kavala in another article.
- Every Saturday, Kavala’s fruit, vegetable and clothing market is set up in the parking lot right next to the Kavala Archaeological Museum.. Some of the stalls that caught my attention in the market were Tsipouro (Çipuro), that is, a kind of Greek raki resembling drowning raki, and stalls selling various honeys.. Free to taste each. If you are staying in a house in Kavala, maybe you want to buy fresh products from the market and prepare a nice dinner at your home.. We bought a fresh, big bunch of asparagus from the market and brought it all the way to Istanbul because it was so fresh we couldn’t resist.
Places to Visit in Kavala
A city where you can breathe both Greek and Ottoman air, Kavala. The weather is nice, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and there are beautiful beaches.. Since it is a small city, you can walk to any point.. Now we are discovering places to visit in Kavala together.
Panagia
Let’s start exploring Kavala from Panagia. The historical district of Kavala, known as the Old Town, is called Panagia.. This is actually a peninsula surrounded by streets with old-style Ottoman houses with bay windows.. While walking around Panagia, you have to risk climbing a bit, but when you get to the top, the view is so beautiful that it will be worth all your tiredness.. As you start to wander around the Panagia region, start by seeing the Church of St. Nicholas just behind the beach.
Church of St. Nicholas
Pargalı İbrahim Pasha The Church of St. Nicholas, also known as its mosque, is located on Agios Nikolaos street.. Let me explain right away that it is referred to as both a church and a mosque.. Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, whose name we have heard many times in history books, had a mosque built in his name in 1530 and became the largest mosque in the city at that time.. Later, while it was converted into an Orthodox church in 1926, its minaret was shortened and turned into a bell tower.. Although it has a typical Ottoman architecture that you will see when you look at the church from the outside, this is a church now.
When you start climbing Poulidou Street, right across the church, you enter the Panagia region.. You will see colorful old-style Ottoman houses along the cobblestone street.. There are also a few souvenir shops, taverns and cafes on this street.. While walking on the street, you will see Imaret Hotel on your right.. One of the most interesting points of Kavala is a hotel, but wait, you will understand why when you read its story.
Imaret Hotel
In Kavala Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha, who was born and later became the governor of Egypt, had this place built as a soup kitchen in 1817.. Currently a government-run hotel under special protection by the Egyptian government. It is definitely one of the most luxurious and enjoyable hotels in Kavala with a magnificent view.. We did not stay here, but the magnificent photos I saw are enough to praise this place.
Imaret, which was built to help the poor during the Ottoman period; With 18 domes, 2 madrasahs, 2 mosques, it is considered as an Ottoman Cultural Heritage today.. Unfortunately, since it is currently used as a hotel, you have to be a guest at the hotel or come for the restaurant to see its interior.. A building that I admire with its photographs even though I cannot see its interior.. Maybe you can spend a night at Imaret Hotel to make an excuse for yourself and spice up your Kavala trip.. In this square, the imposing statue of Mehmet Ali on a horse will welcome you.. The house in Ottoman architecture with a bay window that you will see right across the statue is also the house of Mehmet Ali Pasha of Kavala.
House of Mehmet Ali Pasha of Kavala
Governor of Egypt Kavalalı Mehmet This is the house where Ali Pasha was born and grew up.. 18. For those who are curious about the details of the architecture of the Ottoman-style house from the 19th century, the entrance to the museum is 3 €. There is also a cafe at the exit of the museum.. The museum contains information about the life of Mehmet Ali Pasha.. You can visit it both to see the traditional structure of the house and to have historical information about Kavala.. Since it didn’t attract our attention, we were content to see it from the outside and went to the garden of the church and school on the other side of the square to watch the view of the city.
Ekklisia Kimisi Theotokou Church
Mehmet Located in Ali Square, the church has a great view as it is located very high above sea level.. Since the church was not open when we went, we could not see inside, but it was incredibly enjoyable to watch Thasos Island and the infinity of the sea from its garden.. Right next to the church, the point that falls on the nose of Panagia is a Greek school.. Luckily, we didn’t come across school hours because it was the weekend and we infiltrated his garden.. I don’t think you need to go up to Kavala Castle to watch the view of Kavala, this is definitely the most beautiful view point of Kavala.. Keep in mind that it will be wonderful especially at sunset.
Halil Bey Mosque
On our walking route, which starts from the north of Panagia, in the south of the peninsula, Kavala’ We rested for a while at the most beautiful view point of. Then we start moving towards the east side.. As we continue on our way through narrow streets and climbing steep stairs, we do not forget to take lots of photos of the streets.. The streets are so quiet and calm that it is as if there is no one here, but in fact, everyone is having siesta in their homes at that time.
We came to our next stop, Halil Bey Mosque.. 5. It was built as a church in the 16th century, but later converted into a mosque in 1530 with the arrival of the Ottomans in the city.. After the Ottoman rule ended in Kavala with the population exchange, it was left to its fate for a while.. Later, the municipality restored it and opened it for events.. If you go inside, you will see that the ruins from the period of the church are exhibited on the underground glass floor.. Halil Bey Mosque, also known as Palia Mousiki (Old Music), is now open for the municipality’s orchestra and various musical events.. If you come across it, you may have the chance to see the inside in detail.. Since it was closed when we went, we only looked through the window.
There is also Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha Complex in the garden where the mosque is located.. When you see the blue old-style building, you will immediately notice it.. This place also serves as a museum where the memories brought from Anatolian lands with the population exchange are exhibited.
Kavala Castle
If you continue on your way after Halil Bey Mosque, the road will take you to Kavala It will take you to Kavala Castle, the highest point of. 15. This castle, which was built for defense purposes in the Byzantine period in the 19th century, was expanded during the Ottoman period.. Today, the castle walls are still standing with the majority of the castle and can be seen from every point of the city.. It adds a very romantic atmosphere to the city, especially when it is illuminated in the evening.. If you are not satisfied with the sights you encounter while visiting the Panagia region, you can go up to the castle to watch Kavala, the Aegean Sea and Kavala harbor from the hill.. Especially when you climb the watchtower, you can watch the city view panoramically.. The entrance fee to Kavala Castle is 2.5 €. There is an event space with various shows and concerts, especially in summer evenings.. If you check the event calendar when you go to Kavala, maybe you can have a nice evening with a view.
Suleiman the Magnificent Aqueduct
Come back after climbing the Kavala Castle You will pass through narrow streets with lots of slopes on your way.. Kavala’s Aqueduct (Kavala Aqueduct) is the first structure you should photograph when you go down to the city center. We don’t leave Kavala without seeing the aqueduct, one of the iconic symbols of the city, which was built by Suleiman the Magnificent to bring water to the city from the mountains in the northern region.
Cyprus Street
Now that you have reached the city center, let’s start visiting the places where the heart of Kavala beats.. Kyprou, which is the most touristic and lively street of Kavala, i.e. Cyprus Street. When you walk from Kapnergatis Square to Kıbrıs Street, you will come to this colorful cobblestone street.. As you proceed with this route, you will see the Lazarist Monastery, Wix Building, Town Hall, Megali Leschi and Tokos Building, respectively.. By the way, I would like to talk about the historical stories of these structures.
Lazarist Monastery
It is a nice structure built between 1888-1892, where you can see the effects of Neoclassical architecture.. This place was used as the French Consulate and a school where French lessons were given during the First World War.. The Wix building, located right next to the monastery, was made by the German Baron Adolf Wix in 1906 as a miniature of the Hungarian tower.. It was used as a business center and house in the period.. Today it is used for various functions of the municipality.. Next to it, you will see the building built by the Hungarian tobacco merchant Pierre Herzog as a miniature of the Hungarian Palace.. It was used as the business center and house of the merchant in the period.. It currently serves as Kavala City Hall.. Again on this street, Megali Leschi (The Great Club) was built in 1910.. It once hosted the Association of Poor Women from Kavala. It is known as one of the most precious structures in Baroque architecture in Europe.. Finally, Tokos Building was built by tobacco merchant Dimitrios Tokos in 1879 and used it as a home.. It was later used as the Town Hall in 1913.. Like many political leaders in 1929, Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos also gave a balcony speech here. It was restored by the Ministry of Culture in 1979 and used for official works in Kavala and Thasos.. It stands out as one of the most important Neoclassical and Baroque works of the Ottoman period.. In particular, you should carefully examine the carvings and architectural details on the roof.
Tobacco Museum
The natural Tobacco Museum and the Tobacco Museum of a city so famous for its tobacco. No wonder there is a square (Kapnergatis) dedicated to tobacco workers.. The pink building in Kapnergatis Square is open to visitors as the Tobacco Museum.. The exterior of the building is decorated with tobacco figures and bears the traces of neoclassical Ottoman architecture.. You will see a statue in this square again.. The statue depicting tobacco workers represents porters carrying tobacco bales.. There were 40 thousand tobacco workers in Kavala in its famous period for tobacco, imagine how many people worked for tobacco in Kavala, which had a population of 60,000 at that time.
Kavala Beaches
Although Kavala lags behind Thassos especially in summer, it actually has turquoise beaches that are more beautiful than the other.. There is not enough Turkish source about it.. Since we went to Kavala in March, we could not swim, but the Greeks were already opening the season a little.. However, we did not dare, but we spent our last day in Kavala to see the small settlements and beaches in the vicinity.. We saw crystal clear beaches with a blue flag. It is unbelievable that it is possible to swim in the bay, whose beauty I admire even from the rocks, in the Panagia region in the center of the city.. If you say you want to go out of the city a little bit, only 3 km away by car, wonderful coves start to greet you.. Closest to Kavala city center is Kalamitsa Beach; With its taverns, bars and rental hostel options, it is a region where the locals of Kavala have their summer houses.. Kalamitsa beach is a beach with fine sand, clear water and sunbeds.. An organized beach comes right after Kalamitsa. Batis Beach is a place with a blue flag, camping area, restaurant and facility that will meet all your needs.. Tosca comes next after Batis Beach. Tosca Beach has a hotel and extensive facilities, this is an ideal place especially if families with children are looking for a hotel and beach together.. After Tosca comes the Paleo region, which is again the summer resort of families from Kavala, a beach destination where you can find hotels and restaurants and everything you are looking for.. Continuing from Paleo, the next is Nea Iraklitsa Beach. This beach has a very long coastline compared to the others, there are changing cabins, showers and facilities.. The next beach, Nea Peramos, is an organized and free beach with a blue flag, fine sandy beach, tavern, cafe and supermarket facilities. Apart from these, there is Perigiali Beach about 3 km to the east of the city.. Apart from a few famous restaurants in the port part, I can’t help but mention that the blue flag beach is fine sandy and organized.. Finally, on the west side of the city, Rapsani Beach is a long beach with fine sand, a few minutes walk from the centre.. You can evaluate Rapsani and Perigiali Beaches to swim in the center of Kavala.
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