Population: 3.000
The town of Avdera is the most famous city of Thrace, as it is the birth city of many ancient Greek philosophers, as Democritus (father of the atomic theory), Protagoras and many others. The distance from Xanthi is 25km and today belongs at the Municipality of Abdera, as the historical capital. The administrative capital of the Municipality is the Town of Genisea.
Today, the area is the rest area for all the habitants of the Xanthi area and at the same time, a strong cultural center, as it has one of the most important museums of the area.
The city of Avdera was founded from Greek colonists that came from Klazomenai, a city that is placed at the coast of Minor Asia, at the 7th c. B.C. The first effort was not successful, probably because of the bad climate factors of the area and at 545 B.C., a second wave of colonists came from Teo, another city from the same area of Minor Asia. The area was well known from the time of Homerus, as the country of Diomedes, King of Thrace, famous for his wild horses.
The city becomes a strong financial center. King Xerxes of Persia passed from there during the Persian Attack at 479 B.C. Avdera became a member of the 1st Athenian Alliance paying huge taxes, due to the financial possibilities of the city. At 379 B.C., the city is attacked from the tribe of Trivalloi. At 350 B.C., King Philip occupies the city and after that, the city complex is moved to the south. At that time, the city was well fortified, had a theater, the urban plan was square-shaped (Hippodamian method). The form of the city remained until the Romans, when the city walls were destroyed and over them, new houses were built. After the 4th c. A.D., the city moves in the acropolis, and is renamed as Polystylon and continues to exist until the 14th c. A.D.
The visitor can easily reach he town following the Egnatia Odos E90, until the Vafeika junction. From that exit, he will follow the old Xanthi-Avdera national road or reach the village of Vafeika and then will follow the road to Avdera, through the villages of Athigganochori and Genisea. The modern village is away from the sea and the Avdera Scala, the coastal part is placed approximately 5km to the south.
Useful phones:
-Police: 100
-Fire Services: 199
-First Aid Services: 166
-Port Authority: 25410-51520
-Municipality of Avdera: 25413-52500
Useful websites:
http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/gh351.jsp?obj_id=2359
http://www.visitgreece.gr/el/culture/archaeological_sites/abdera
http://www.pexanthis.eu/index.php/menu-tourismos/pedini/avdera.html
http://www.avdera.gr