Walking around the castle of Kavala
The castle of Kavala is located at the highest point of the peninsula, which is naturally a fortified location. It was built in 1425 on the same place the Byzantine castle was. The Byzantine castle of Christoupolis was destroyed after a Turkish siege in 1391. Its purpose was to control Via Egnatia and the Aegean Sea, which was claimed by the Venetians with their strong fleet. Indeed, in the summer of the same year it was captured by the Venetians just for a few days. After a siege lasting three weeks, it was recaptured by the Turks again. In about 1520, new works were carried out on the castle by Sultan Suleiman or his predecessor Selim. From the late 17th century part of the castle's basement was converted into a prison and remained in use until the 19th century. From 1885 the castle ceased to be a military and administrative center and was abandoned. At the beginning of the 20th century it was purchased by the Egyptian Khedive (viceroy) Abbas Khilmi. The Municipality of Kavala in the late 1960s bought the castle from the Egyptian Waqf Organization. Today, apart from being an attraction and a monument of the city, it is a venue for cultural events with a theatre and an exhibition hall.
Visitors can see the fortified enclosure with two square towers on the north side, a polygonal tower on the east and two bastions on the east and southwest sides. A transversal wall dividing the citadel into two parts creating the inner and the outer enclosure. In the middle of the wall rises the cylindrical tower.
For access to the site there is a tourist train with departures every hour. Starting point is the National Bank of Greece at Ionos Dragoumi Street. Otherwise, visitors can walk to the entrance of the castle on its south-eastern side via Fidiou Street.
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