Photo: Mark Landon (photographed in 1991; digitized in 2021), CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Aulis is best known in Greek mythology as the harbour where the Greek fleet gathered before sailing to Troy. According to legend, the winds failed, and King Agamemnon was compelled to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis. Today, the site preserves modest archaeological remains, including traces of the sanctuary of Artemis, linking the enduring myth to a real ancient cult centre on this quiet stretch of coast.
Aulis was a Greek port town, located in ancient Boeotia in central Greece, at the Euripus Strait, opposite of the island of Euboea, at modern Mikro Vathy/Ag. Nikolaos. Livy states that Aulis was 3 miles (4.8 km) from Chalcis.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The Church of Agia Paraskevi is Chalkida’s most notable historic church, originally Byzantine but heavily remodelled under Venetian rule. Its elongated basilica form combines Orthodox tradition with Western Gothic features such as pointed arches and rib-vaulted chapels. The building incorporates reused classical and early Byzantine elements, reflecting the city’s layered past.
The Diachronic Museum Arethousa is a modern archaeological museum in Chalkida, housed in a restored early-20th-century distillery building. Its exhibitions trace the history of Euboea and Skyros from prehistory to modern times, organised thematically around society, economy, religion and cultural identity. Highlights include finds from sites such as Lefkandi and Aulis, alongside multimedia displays that bring the region’s past to life.
A rare surviving Ottoman mosque, built in the 15th century. It was abandoned after the War of Independence, now used for occasional exhibitions.
The Karababa Castle stands on a hill on the mainland side of Chalkida, overlooking the Euripus Strait. Largely rebuilt by the Ottomans in the 17th century, it offers sweeping views over the city, the strait, and the surrounding coastline. Only limited traces of earlier fortifications survive, but the setting alone makes it well worth the climb.
red house
Built in 1884 by the French architect Flegish.
Closest beach to town; simple but convenient.