Serres – shopping, a Byzantine fortress and Lake Kerkini

Serres is the first sizeable Greek town after the Kulata border, which has long made it a favourite for a day of shopping, a taverna lunch and a stroll. It’s a relaxed town with a broad main square, pedestrian streets and markets. It also has an interesting history, from the Byzantine fortress on the hill to the Ottoman covered market. And about 40 minutes away is one of Greece’s most beautiful lakes – Kerkini.

What to see

• Eleftherias Square and the pedestrian streets around it – shops, cafés and pastry shops.
• Koulas fortress – a Byzantine fortress on the hill above town, with the tower of Tsar Stefan Dušan and views over the whole Strymon valley.
• The Bezesteni – a 15th-century Ottoman covered market with six domes, now the Archaeological Museum.
• The Old Cathedral of Saints Theodore – an 11th–12th-century Byzantine church.
• St John the Forerunner Monastery – about 10 km away in a wooded gorge, founded in the 13th century. Patriarch Gennadios Scholarios is buried here.

Lake Kerkini

About 40 km northwest of Serres is Lake Kerkini, a reservoir at the foot of Mount Belasitsa and one of Europe’s most important wetlands. Dalmatian pelicans winter here, and hundreds of bird species pass through during the year. Boats from Kerkini village take you close to the pelicans, cormorants and herons, and water buffalo graze around the lake. Go from November to March for the pelicans and in spring for nesting birds.

Shopping

Serres has branches of the big chains for clothes, shoes and cosmetics, plus local boutiques and markets. Many visitors come for olive oil, olives, cheese and sweets, which are cheaper and more varied than in Bulgaria.

One-day plan

1. 7:30 – leave Sofia, with coffee in the Kresna Gorge.
2. 11:00 – arrive in Serres. Walk around the centre and the Bezesteni.
3. Lunch at a taverna – try bougatsa, a Serres speciality.
4. Afternoon – shopping or Koulas fortress.
5. 16:30 – head back, with dinner in Kresna, reaching Sofia around 22:00.

Alternative: skip the shopping and take a boat out on Lake Kerkini.

Getting there

By car – along the Struma motorway to Kulata–Promachonas, then about 40 km more. About 220 km and 3 hours in all. By bus – regular direct services from Sofia.

Practical tips

• Most Greek shops are closed on Sundays.
• Some shops close at midday and reopen in the early evening on certain days.
• Keep your receipts – there are sometimes border checks on quantities of goods.