Description

Thessaloniki to Pomak Villages – Private Day Trip
Pomakohoria
For a road trip far from the tourist track, drive north of Xanthi to the fascinating Pomakohoria (Pomak villages), the 25 or so tiny towns tucked into the forested Rhodopi Mountains near Bulgaria.

The Pomaks are a Muslim Slavic people spread across Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. In Greece, they are officially classified as ‘Greek Muslims’, for whom the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne requires education in Turkish. Pomaks receive this – even though their native language is Pomak, a very old dialect of Bulgarian. This accidental policy makes them some of the more polyglot people in Greece.

During the Cold War, the Pomak villages were suspect, and its residents kept behind a military cordon. The tanks and fences were removed only in the mid-1990s. Decades of neglect and exclusion took their toll: these villages are noticeably poorer, with rougher roads and erratic trash collection. In the less remote villages, concrete construction has replaced more traditional whitewashed buildings. Still, it’s a very interesting corner of the country, and the natural scenery is majestic. Kapka Kassabova’s book Border (2017) puts these villages in the context of greater Thrace, at the confluence of Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece.

Echinos village, 30km north of Xanthi, has remarkable mountain views, a shining metal-topped minaret that seems to glow across the valley and a fascinating multicultural cemetery. The best-known destination is Thermes, for its mineral baths, in a tidy bathhouse east of town. A free outdoor bath, below the entry road, is less well tended, but worth a look to see the steaming, mineral-encrusted rocks. The water is known for treating skin conditions such as eczema.

We will drive 5km to the village of Kottani, for the eponymous Taverna Kottani, a magical, end-of-the-world place where a kindly couple serves perfect mountain food in a cosy stone house trimmed with traditional Pomak textiles.

Thessaloniki to Pomak Villages – Private Day Trip | Description

Inclusions

• Pick up and drop off service from your hotel in Thessaloniki
• Visit Old Town in Xanthi City (optionally)
• Visit 2 or 3 Pomakohoria
• English-speaking tour leader
• Transportation by air-conditioned V.I.P. car or mini van
• Professional chauffeur
• Wifi on board (free)
• Bottle of water and coffee during the route (free)
• After the trip you will receive with email edited photos and video of your trip.

Exclusions

• Gratuities (optional)
• Guide who speaks your language
• Entrance fees

Additional info

• Participants under the age of 12 must have a parent or guardian.
• Because there are many sights worth seeing but a day trip is not enough to visit all of them, before starting the trip we will present to you all possible sights to choose the one that you are more interest for.
• There are many beautiful sights. You are encouraged to bring a camera along. But if you don’t… we have a camera for you!
• Weather will not affect the operation of the tours.
• However if canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
• Pick up from your hotel in Thessaloniki
• Departure time: 09:00 am
• Duration: 10 hours (approx.)
• Return details: Returns to original Pick up point

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