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Xanthi (Prefecture)
Xanthi Prefecture: A Majestic View of Nestos River |
Welcome to Xanthi!
This prefecture, together with the Prefectures of Drama, Kavala, Rodopi and Evros form the East Macedonia and Thrace District, the northeastern-most part of mainland Greece. The capital city of the Prefecture of Xanthi is the City of Xanthi. The prefecture spreads over an area of 1793 square kilometers (692.2 square miles) of which 1130 square kilometers (436.3 square miles) is forested. It is thus considered as one among the 5 or 6 most important Greek Prefectures regarding forest coverage.
It is 736 kilometers (457 miles) from Athens and 235 kilometers (146 miles) from the capital of Macedonia, Thessaloniki. According to the 2001 census, it is inhabited by 101,856 people. Its sea territory, especially the Bistonic Gulf, offers a rich fish production. The prefecture’s subsoil is rich in marble, granite, graphite and geothermal resources.
The Prefecture of Xanthi is special for its ecological characteristics: national parks and especially Ramsar protected areas (Nestos River Straits and Delta, and Rodopi Mountain). It is of interest also regarding cultural monuments: Traditional settlements, historical Monasteries, archaeological sites, and intense cultural life. Flora and fauna show a high degree of diversity. The climate is continental, with rain and snow during winter, so housing construction has been adapted to it: the entrance is usually on the west side of the building, whereas there are few or only narrow openings to the north.
This Prefecture features a vast amount of sightseeing. Whichever season visited one must be prepared to spend at least 10 days to just scrub the surface of what is there to experience. We deal with this on a separate page, just naming here only a few of the many sites worth seeing or experiencing: The Old City Quarter of Xanthi; the Nestos River Delta; the Porto Lagos and the Vistonida Lake wildlife, with Aghios Nikolaos Monastery on an islet in its waters; the Livadites Waterfalls, the Monastery of Panayia Kalamous (Our Lady Kalamous); the picturesque villages on the mountainous northern part of the Prefecture; the ruins and the ancient theater in Abdera, Aristotle's native town; the old train station at Livera, and much, much more.
It seems that so often Greece is primarily (though wrongly) identified solely with the Aegean Islands, and once you get acquainted with Thrace, you will certainly feel like you have to come back again and again!
Stavroupolis Town, Xanthi City
Xanthi Prefecture: Forest and Mountains with Marble |
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