Alexandroupoli is just 40km from the border of Turkey. It is a popular destination for Turkish holidaymakers from Istanbul. At weekends in the summer it is said that the number of cars with Turkish number plates exceeds that of local registered vehicles.
With a population of around 70,000 Alexandroupoli is big enough to offer the visitor a host of cafe’s, restaurants and bars. There are no shopping malls in the city but there are plenty of good independent shops, For groceries there are two Lidl and one Carrefour supermarkets and a large Praktiker DIY store on the airport side of town.
Originally known as Dedeagac, a Turkish name based on a wise old Turkish man or dede who lazed around under the shade of a tree and who was finally buried beside it. In 1920 the King of Greece, Alexander I, visited the city and the local authorities changed its name in the King’s honour.
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