Thracian Wanderings

The route covers a total of 123 kilometers and takes about 2.5 hours by car or motorcycle, without stops. A guide is required when visiting the Evros Delta. The route can be done year-round and is ideal for visitors interested in birdwatching, nature and outdoor activities, cycling, mountaineering, and local gastronomy.

In about 2.5 hours, Evros unveils both its timeless and modern history and landscape. From Alexandroupoli to the dense forests of Dadia and back, this journey—perfect in any season—crosses plains, rivers, and mountains, Byzantine monuments, and rare landscapes. Along the way, one encounters the unique multicultural gastronomic wealth of Thrace, rooted in traditions stretching from East to West.

The Evros Delta, with its fishermen’s huts and rich flora and fauna, demonstrates the eternal bond between humans and the landscape, water, and land. In Feres, with its strong livestock tradition, the Monastery of Panagia Kosmosoteira has stood proudly since the 12th century. In Tychero, cooperation and cooperatives fostered prosperity. Soufli, Giannouli, and Dadia are names that evoke silk, forests, trails, birds, farmers, products, and beautiful villages.

Gastronomy here is deeply tied to tradition. Soufli kavourmas, slow-cooked meat with spices, is a product of centuries of wisdom and craftsmanship. The festive babbo recalls the aromas of allspice, leek, and rice. Soufli sausages add a fiery, spicy touch to local cuisine, while giouzlemedes with cheese and egg are the Thracian version of fried pies.

Local products such as Makri olive oil, Tychero melons, beans, and asparagus, dairy from goat and sheep milk, honey from Soufli and Feres, traditional gioufkades pasta, and, of course, fish and seafood from the Evros River, the Delta, and the Thracian Sea, are rare gastronomic ambassadors worth seeking out in local shops along the route.

And, of course, silk: not merely a product, but a thread linking generations, cultures, places, and stories. The intangible heritage lives on in the sericulture of Soufli, in the hands of the stone masons of Metaxades, and in the cultivation of basma tobacco. On this journey, matter is never separate from spirit—it is its most authentic and genuine expression. For those who wish to stay in the area, accommodation can be found everywhere: in Tychero, Provatonas, Soufli, and, of course, Alexandroupoli.

Route Products

PDO products: Makri olive oil, Feta cheese of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Kasseri cheese of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

PGI products: Thracian wine.

Special products: Soufli sausages and kavourmas, dairy from Soufli and Feres, Soufli honey, melons, beans and asparagus of Tychero, gioufkades pasta, fish and seafood (catfish, carp, mullet, octopus, shrimp, mackerel, seabream, sardines, anchovies, seabass).

Route Delicacies

Soufli kavourmas: A signature dish of Evros. A traditional spicy cured meat made from pork and beef, cooked with spices, leek, and fat. Served plain, in omelets, or as a side with legumes, stewed potatoes, or any saucy dish.
Babbo: A dish resembling rustic sausage. Pork intestine is stuffed with pieces of pork and beef, finely chopped liver, leek, rice, and spices, then baked or boiled. Traditionally a Christmas dish.

Soufli sausages: Made from pork and beef with their own fat, seasoned with oregano, allspice, and pepper. There are also spicy versions with red pepper and leek-flavored variations. Grilled or pan-fried, they are a rare and delicious meze.