"SERRES in Northern Greece" Prefecture of Sérrai by greekcypriot

Prefecture of Sérrai Travel Guide: 29 reviews and 309 photos

The map of Northern Greece - Prefecture of Sérrai

Beautiful SERRES and Places of Interest

The city is in Eastern Macedonia, about forty-three miles northeast of Salonica in the plain of Strymon, on the last outposts of the mountains which bound it on the north-east.

The city possessed great strategic importance under the Byzantine Empire in the wars against the Serviani and Bulgars. It was captured by the latter in 1206 and recaptured by the Emperor John Dukas in 1245. Later the Servian, Kral Stephen Dushan, captured it in turn, was crowned there im 1345, established a Court on the model of that of Byzantium, and married the daughter of Andronicus II.
The city carries on a brisk trade in textile and agricultural products. At first Serrae was a suffragan of Thessalonica, remaining so probably until the eighth century, when Eastern Illyricum was removed from Roman jurisdiction and attached to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the end of the next century it had become a metropolitan see without suffragans, and such is still its status for the Greeks.

Byzantine Hellenism (324-1453 AD)

The Basilica of St.Theodoros.

The famed city of Serrhai was destroyed when the Bulgarians set it on fire as they began their retreat in 1913. Its Byzantine monuments were consumed by the flames, with the sole exception of the three-aisled 11th century basilica of Ayioi Theodoroi, now reconstructed, which hints at the former wealth and culture of the second most important city of Macedonia after Thessalonike.
The sturdy, solid walls of the acropolis still bear witness to the size of medieval Serrhai. The town has a significant place in the history of the 12th and later centuries. It attained its greatest importance in the 14th century during the conflict between Byzantium and the Serbian state; in 1345 Serrhai was captured by the Serb ruler Stefan Dusan.
In 1371 the then ruler of the city, the Serb John Ugliesa, was defeated in the battle of Maritsa (Evros River) in his attempt to uphold the rights of the entire Orthodox world against the Turks.

The Modern City of Today and its Population

The city of Serres today

Sérres (Greek: Σέρρες, older form: Σέρραι Sérrai) is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city. The city is the capital of the prefecture of Serres and is situated in the Central Macedonia periphery. Its population was 56,145 in 2001.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A very interesting place to visit.

Last visit to Prefecture of Sérrai: Jun 2010
Intro Updated Jun 25, 2010
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Reviews (15)

The best kebab -souvlaki- in Greece! Restaurants (3)

We visited this restaurant while on a 5 day trip to Serres and the quality of the food is high. The restaurant received... more travel advice

The fort of Rupel - Prefecture of Sérrai

The Fort of Rupel Things to Do (3)

In 1916 the Fort of Rupel was a barrier in the onward march of the German-Bulgarian troops that invaded Greece. more travel advice

The restaurant's premises - Prefecture of Sérrai

Don't Miss this Restaurant Restaurants (3)

The creator of this beautiful resort Mr. Gaidatzis Aristidis has a beautiful restaurant and it is not only that. He can... more travel advice

Bougatsa in Serres Restaurants (3)

We had Bougatsa at this shop of Serreos. Because of the many customers sitting outside we tried it and it was... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (2)
See All Alistrati Cave
Shopping (3)
See All 'Akanes' the Local delight
Sports & Outdoors (1)
Fishing in the round area

Comments (15)

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VirtualFun Jan 21, 2011 at 6:18 AM

Serre seems to be an interesting place to visit. Good writing.
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Nemorino Dec 11, 2010 at 7:55 AM

Sounds like a very nice place to visit with 53 other people. Were you having a convention, or just an excursion?
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balhannah Sep 27, 2010 at 10:49 PM

Bougatsa Serraiki sounds delicious!
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TravelPodFun Sep 26, 2010 at 7:49 AM

Good work.
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Sandy35 Sep 3, 2010 at 8:20 AM

A nice destination.
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LoriPori Aug 16, 2010 at 5:20 AM

Lovely little page on Serrai Popi. The Monastery of Timios Prodromos is esp beautiful. Looks like plenty of delicious treats to be had here.
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RaulPaula Aug 10, 2010 at 2:41 AM

The "bougatsa" seems so real that I remembered when I once had one and it was great. Nice tips Popi
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Greekish Aug 8, 2010 at 1:13 PM

Nice tips greekcypriot!
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Romeo22 Aug 4, 2010 at 2:44 AM

A good page!
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Angelo33 Jul 18, 2010 at 1:25 PM

Beautiful photos. Your tips have much information. Good.