Greece City: Halkis (Chalkida)
The capital of the island is the ancient city of Halkis, or Chalkis (Chalkis, Halkidha), lies in the center of the west coast, opposite the very narrow place of the Strait of Evripos (Evrip, Evrin), separating Evbei from the mainland.
Shipyard, port, railway station and cement plant hardly make it attractive for tourists, but the history of the city is very long and heated by legends. The former capital of several ancient policies, Halkida in ancient times extended to the mainland shore of Greece (the modern city of Kanitos), and the people from her colonized many of the Aegean Islands and even Sicily. The system of measures and weights adopted here for a long time dominated in all of Greece, including in Athens. Considerable fame of the city brought and strait Evripos, the strange nature of the flows in which more than once put in a dead end of scientists of all eras – Below the old bay water bridge every few hours change the nature and direction of flow. According to the legend, Aristotle himself rushed into these waters in despair from the inability to understand the reason for such a strange behavior of water, there is no final explanation for this and now.
sights
The most well-noticeable architectural feature of the city is the old Ottoman Castro district around Karabab fortress XVII century. Here, besides numerous residential buildings of different eras (many of them are dated more by the Byzantine era and then only rebuilt and updated in accordance with the tastes of new owners) are beautiful Mosque of the XV century (now there is a collection of Byzantine art and decorative and applied fisheries) with an exceptionally beautiful carved fountain, unusual Iiia-Parasivi Basilica (usually closed other than the service period), which crusaders in the XIV century were rebuilt into the Gothic Cathedral, good Archaeological Museum on Venizelou 13 (open from Thursday to Sunday from 8.30 to 15.00; 2 euros), Old market and the new south of him Museum of Folklore (Wednesday – Sunday with 10.00 to 13.00, on Wednesdays – from 18.00 to 20.00; 3 euros) in the complex of a former prison.
The main reminder of the once prosperous Jewish community of the city is beautiful synagogue XIX century on KOTSOU 27.
Here, around old quarters, most of the excellent local taverns are concentrated, try which residents of Athens and other major cities in the central part of the country are even specially visited.
How to get
To get to here from the same Athens is very easy – Halkis with the capital bind 2-3 buses per hour, not counting the railway branch, and the time on the way is only 1 hour 15 minutes.
Reviews and studies of trips
Big Greek Travel 2012. Halkida and Delphi
On this day, we had to visit Halkida – the main city of Nom Evie, and then go to Delphi. Breakfast and drinking fragrant fresh coffee We went to the road. Read more →
