The gulf view
All of Kavala, the gulf and Thassos on the horizon from the walls.
**One continuous climb from the harbour to the fortress that takes in everything โ about two hours.** โ **Start at the harbour**: the seafront, the fishing boats and the quayside cafรฉs โ **level and easy**. โ **Then the Kamares aqueduct**: walk west until you pass beneath it, **and photograph it from the street climbing to its east**. โ **Then enter Panagia**: the climb begins in narrow lanes near the harbour โ **Ottoman houses with projecting wooden balconies**, stone dwellings and old doorways; โ **the effort starts here**: steep gradients and steps. โ **Pass the Imaret** โ the great Ottoman complex Mehmet Ali built (today a hotel) โ **and Mehmet Ali's house** and his equestrian statue. โ **Then the fortress** on the summit: a small ticket, **and the view is the reward**. โ **Come down** the other side straight to the harbour. โ **Timing**: **start after 16:30** in summer โ the climb at midday is genuinely hard, **and you will reach the fortress in golden light**; โ but **check the fortress's closing time** first. โ **And comfortable shoes**, not sandals.
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**A fortress on the summit of the Panagia peninsula, with the best view in northern Greece of a gulf and a city at once** โ directly above the old town. Its present form dates from the **15th century**, on a Byzantine core, built to protect the city and its harbour. It is **relatively small** โ a circular wall, a round central keep, corner towers, a cistern and a barracks. โ **Its value is the view rather than the buildings**: from its walls you see **the whole gulf**, **the island of Thassos** on the horizon, **the city on its amphitheatre**, **the Kamares aqueduct** from above, and **Panagia's red-tiled roofs** directly beneath you. โ In its courtyard is a **small auditorium** used for summer performances. โ And the climb from the old town is **hard work**: steep lanes and steps.
All of Kavala, the gulf and Thassos on the horizon from the walls.
A round tower at the fortress's heart, which can be climbed.
Red tiles and wooden balconies directly below you.
Panagia, Kavala, 65302 Kavala, Greece