Serres is a city of Greek Macedonia, with about 59,000 inhabitants, on the northern edge of a vast fertile plain crossed by the Strymon river, at the foot of Mount Menoikio. It is the capital of one of Greece's largest regional units, with a farming and commercial economy and lively city life. Little known to foreign tourists, it offers a Byzantine acropolis, Ottoman monuments, an important monastery and, nearby, Lake Kerkini, one of Europe's birdwatching paradises.
History
Serres, ancient Sirris, was a city of the Thracians and then the Macedonians. In the Byzantine era it was an important fortress and religious centre, contested by Byzantines, Bulgarians and Serbs: in the 14th century it was for a time the capital of the Serbian tsar Stefan Dušan and then of the despot John Uglješa. The Ottomans took it in 1383, before Thessaloniki, and for over five centuries it was a great trading centre, with mosques, baths, caravanserais and a covered market. It became Greek in 1913, during the Balkan Wars, but that same year was largely burned by the retreating Bulgarian army; it was again occupied by Bulgaria in both world wars. Emmanouil Papas, one of the leaders of the 1821 revolution in Macedonia, came from the Serres region.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Koulas | The Byzantine acropolis on the hill, with the 14th-century Tower of Orestes and a view over the whole plain |
| Old cathedral of Saints Theodore | An 11th-12th-century basilica with a mosaic of the Communion of the Apostles, restored after the 1913 fire |
| Bezesteni | The 15th-century Ottoman covered market with six domes, now the Archaeological Museum |
| Ahmet Pasha mosque | A 16th-century mosque, one of the city's Ottoman monuments |
| Eleftherias Square | The heart of the modern city, with cafés and pedestrian streets |
| Timios Prodromos monastery | Founded in the 13th century on the slopes of Menoikio, 10 km away, with frescoes and the tomb of Patriarch Gennadios Scholarios |
Timios Prodromos monastery
About ten kilometres north-east of the city, in a wooded gorge of Mount Menoikio, stands the monastery of Timios Prodromos (St John the Baptist), founded in 1270. It was a great Byzantine spiritual centre and remained important under the Ottomans: Gennadios Scholarios, the first Patriarch of Constantinople after the city fell in 1453, is buried here. The main church preserves 14th-century frescoes. Today it is a convent and is visited in suitable dress.
Lake Kerkini
About 40 km north-west of the city, at the foot of the Belles mountains on the Bulgarian border, lies Lake Kerkini, a reservoir created in the 20th century on the Strymon river that has become one of Europe's most important wetlands. Over three hundred bird species live or stop here: it is one of the few places where you can watch the Dalmatian pelican and the great white pelican up close, along with cormorants, herons, storks and raptors. Water buffalo graze on the shores. Trips by traditional boat, on horseback or by bike let you explore the lake; winter and spring are the best times for pelicans.
Serres bougatsa
Serres is famous throughout Greece for its bougatsa, paper-thin filo filled with custard, cheese or meat, baked and served hot for breakfast, often dusted with sugar and cinnamon: the city's bougatsa shops have a long tradition. Other specialities include sesame sweets, loukoumia and the meat-and-vegetable cooking of Macedonia. See Greek cuisine.
Around Serres
| Destination | Distance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Kerkini | 40 km | Pelicans, water buffalo and birdwatching |
| Amphipolis | 60 km | The Lion of Amphipolis and the great Macedonian tomb at Kasta, found in 2014 |
| Alistrati cave | 40 km | One of Greece's largest and most beautiful caves, with stalactites and stalagmites |
| Mount Menoikio | 10-20 km | Trails, woods and Timios Prodromos monastery |
| Lailias | 25 km | A ski centre in the Vrontous mountains |
| Kavala and Philippi | 80-100 km | The seaside city and the UNESCO site of Philippi |
Getting there
Serres is about 100 km from Thessaloniki (an hour and a quarter by motorway) and 80 km from Drama. KTEL buses and the train link it with Thessaloniki; the nearest airport is Thessaloniki. By car you can continue to Bulgaria via the Promachonas crossing.
The city today
Serres has a surprisingly lively city life: the large Eleftherias Square and the surrounding pedestrian streets are full of cafés and shops, frequented by families and by students of the International Hellenic University, which has a campus here. In summer the city holds open-air concerts and festivals, and in the evening people climb Koulas hill for the cool air and the view.
When to go and where to stay
Serres has a continental climate: hot, dry summers and cold winters, with snow on the nearby mountains and sometimes in town. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the city, the monastery and hikes on Menoikio; winter and early spring are the best time to see the pelicans at Kerkini, when they take on their breeding plumage. The city has hotels and guesthouses at moderate prices; around Lake Kerkini there are farm stays and small stone guesthouses in the villages, ideal for setting off by boat at dawn. Nearby, the hot springs of Agistro and Sidirokastro offer open-air thermal baths, especially pleasant in the cold months.
Tips
- Combine Serres with Lake Kerkini and Alistrati cave for a weekend in northern Greece.
- Breakfast on bougatsa in one of the historic shops in the centre.
- For birdwatching at Kerkini bring binoculars and warm clothes for the early morning.
See also Greek Macedonia, Thessaloniki and Greek cities.