Philippi

The ruins of the basilica "extra muros", discovered in 1992, are located in Krinides 500m from the parking lot and are well worth a detour, as they originally belonged to the entire complex of Philippi. It was badly damaged by the Ostrogoths during the siege of Philippi in AD 473. It was finally destroyed in the first half of the 7th century due to a strong earthquake and in the 9th century by the Bulgarians when they occupied Philippi. Some graves have been found. It is believed that there have been cemeteries there since Roman times. Next to the basilica there is a nice café under the trees, where you can relax from a walk there.

The excavation site is a cemetery outside a basilica. The southern part of the basilica is cut off from the dirt road that runs through it and serves the neighboring fields. The graves in the church are impressive. They are underground, spacious with beautiful decoration, inscriptions, etc. They are in the shape of catacombs. There are also above-ground coffin-shaped tombs, vaulted roofs of the familiar type also found in the other northern cemetery basilica. Unfortunately, the area is not accessible, except through a hole in the wire mesh on the south side.

Every visitor of Philippi should also visit Lydia that is about 1 km to the north. At the entrance of the Baptistery of Lydia, there is a beautiful octagonal church with wonderful icons and mosaics and a cross-shaped baptismal font in a stream where adult baptisms are performed. Many Greeks have their children baptized in the chapel because of the special significance of the place for Christianity. In the creek that flows beside the chapel, the apostle Paul is said to have performed the first baptism on European soil, the rich Jewish merchant Lydia.

In the double battle at Philippi, west of Philippi in October / November 42 BC the Roman triumvirates Marcus Antonius and Octavian (the later emperor Augustus) won about the followers of the republic, Marcus Iunius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, who had been among the leaders of the assassination attempt on Gaius Iulius Caesar. You can no longer see any of the battles in the fields. Only the 2 hills, each about 500 m from the mud bath, where part of the fortification of the army of Cassius are still visible today. On the larger, northern hill you can still see the remains of the fortifications and have a beautiful view of Philippi and the second hill and the former marshland. There is no path on the hill, so you have to go cross-country. The ascent is not exhausting and the view is worth the effort. In the immediate vicinity of the hills is the Lasponera mud bath, where you can park well and also find refreshment in the restaurant. It is a good starting point for visiting the northern hill. The southern hill has nothing to see and is not worth the climb.

Just a few kilometres from Lydia, you will find Lasponera, a 'healing mud bath' which is said to help with joint and back pain. The mud bath is open until 17:00 in summer. Men and women bathe separately. Remember to bring a towel and old bathing clothes, as they will get dirty. Even if you are healthy, it is definitely worth a visit! As it is an open-air facility, the mud bath is only open from June to October. There is also a mixed-sex bath in an old Byzantine-Ottoman building which you can hire privately for half an hour. The water is rather cool, but it's the atmosphere that counts here.

This monument of Caius Vibius is a 4 m high marble monolith, dating to the 1st century AD, near Krinides village. Two of its four sides bear an inscription, which refers to the career of the Roman officer Caius Vibius Quartus. The damage to the monument is said to have been a measure to stop the old habit of the pregnant women of the area to secretly rub themselves in an "immoral" way on the corners of the monument, believing that this would only give them male children. To stop this sinful and non-godly old habit, the corners of the monument were removed, putting an end to sins. This is not as unusual as it seems. The same was also true of the stones (menhir) of the megalithic cultures in Christian times. Here, too, the ladies snuggled up to the stones, believing in fertility.

The archaeological site of Dikili Tash is mainly a prehistoric settlement, dating to the Neolithic period (6400-4000 BC) and the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BC). Remains from Hellenistic and Roman times also exist, however, and a Byzantine tower crowns its top. There is not really much to see and so more a place for archaeologists

From Lydia about 10 km towards Drama is Apo Kefalari. The village is located at the foot of a mountain and is known for its trout-specialized romantic cafes and restaurants lining a stream. Even on hot summer evenings, it is relatively cool here. Worth a detour from there to a lookout, which is located above the restaurants on the mountain and from which one has an impressive view of Philippi and the plain of Drama. Since the way is not signposted, one asks in the place best.

From Kato Kefalaria you can reach Piges within 2 km. Here is a tourist restaurant on a small lake and is also highly recommended to visit.