This summer I visited my mom in Greece as usual. My mom lives in Kavala. If you never heard of this beautiful city you are welcome to check my previous post about Kavala, the beautiful nature of Old Kavala and the nearest island Thassos.
Today I will describe our day trip to the nearest town, called Drama. Distance between Kavala and Drama is 32 kilometers (20 miles).
If you go by car is faster, but we went by bus so it took us almost an hour.
The city (150km from Thessaloniki airport) is ideal for a weekend break, boasting a picturesque center with vibrant cafes lining the Agia Varvara turquoise springs.
It is a city and municipality in northeastern Greece in Macedonia.
The town is built at the foot of mountain Falakro, in a verdant area with abundant water sources, Drama has been an integral part of the Hellenic world since the classical era.
The flee market is every Tuesday.
It is a very busy and nice market that is going on in the center of the city near the main bus station.
The first thing we did was to visit the market in the morning. We did some shopping and then we had a coffee at the beautiful square in front of the church.
After the coffee brake we went to visit my mom’s friend, Mrs. Liza. She is Armenian but she lives in Drama for decades.
After lunch at Mrs. Liza’s house we went to the center to do some shopping before the shops closed.
On Saturdays shops close at 3 PM. A walk around Drama’s Old Town is an intriguing mix of old and new, with an array of architectural influences from northern Europe.
After some more shopping we went for a walk through the park that is called The springs of Agia Varvara.
It is a beautiful place where you can actually see hundreds of small water springs.
The nature is beautiful with a lot of lakes and waterfalls.
When we were tired of walking around we had a brake in a charming caffee-bar called Milos. There we had a beer and some snacks.
The waitress was so sweet she actually let me on the balcony so I can take some more photos from another perspective.
Later on we went to the bus station, where we found out that the bus to Kavala just left and the next one will be after one hour.
But this was not a reason to be sad, it was a chance to visit one more park of Drama located next to the bus station.
There are a lot of water springs there too.
The park is so beautiful, full of huge trees and happy people wondering around.
We had one more coffee and it was already time to go back. I enjoyed very much this day trip with my mom.
Drama is a beautiful city and I suggest you to visit it if the road of life brings you near of northeastern Greece.
Regarding the cultural events in Drama, the most famous is definitely Drama International Short Film Festival.
It is hosted in Drama since 1978. In 1987, the festival was recognized nationally. In 1995, it added the International competition section where short films from all over the world are visiting the city every year.
The theater where the festival is going on is at the The springs of Agia Varvara, right next to the beautiful lake in the middle of the park.
I would also like to mention that there are a lot of charming restaurants and Greek taverns around the lakes and the park.
If you wish to stay more days in Drama, I suggest you to stay at the beautiful hotel Hydrama also located at The springs of Agia Varvara.
Link will take you to the hotel page so you can check the price, more photos, availability and the guests reviews. It is a very beautiful and luxurious 5 stars hotel.
Located in a quiet area, but is also within walking distance from the center of the city.
If you wish to see more options for accommodation in Drama please check the link below. Hotels in Drama.
Drama also has a lot of beautiful museums that you can visit.
The Archaeological Museum of Drama covers human presence in the regional unit of Drama from the mid Paleolithic Period (50,000 years before present) with traces of life from Paleolithic hunts in the caves of the source of the Angitis, up to modern times (1913).
The city’s history (including periods of Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule) informs its unique style.
The Byzantine walls and the Church of Agia Sofia date from the 11th century.
There’s an eclectic range of cozy cafes in the Old Town. Try Honey Bar, funky Fika or Cafe Anoi (dating from 1897), which is a gorgeous bookish heaven with a working gramophone upstairs.
There are six wineries in the region of Drama that are open to the public, many worth a visit for the beautiful buildings. Particularly Oenogenesis is great example of beautiful Macedonian architecture.
Château Nico Lazaridi has an art gallery within its estate devoted to display of its wine labels.
Many international grape varieties are grown, but asyrtiko is the most popular local wine. The rest of the world may soon be on board, as these Greek grapes were also recently planted in Australia, the Napa Valley and South Africa.
Domaine Costa Lazardi in Adriani is the only winery in the region that is also a distillery, producing tsipouro (Greek grappa), similar in taste to ouzo but much healthier as it’s extracted from grape skin.
If you wish to eat in Drama you have to know that portions here are really huge.
So the only thing you have to do is to sit in a nearest tavern with a simple dish of feta in fried pastry drizzled with honey, or with a melting-off-the-bone slow-cooked goat with smoky aubergine. Just pack that extra stomach.
Tip for delicatesen of the area to try: Pastourmas a seasoned, cured beef particular to the region. Giofkades (local pasta) with spinach or tomato is also delicious, as is fasolada (traditional bean soup).
Embrace yourself, embrace the world 