Contact Admin. Alexandra Tzavella April 28th, For Athenians, Chalkida is generally regarded as an ideal getaway for a day trip during which a little tsipouro potent spirit and seafood can make for a relaxed and special day.
The city offers numerous mezedopolia eateries serving assorted meze dishes and drinks renowned for their fresh shells and seafood, cozy cafes with sea views, as well as bars. Its influence in antiquity was wide reaching and its colonies spread all the way to Sicily and Italy. Walking around the fortress area is a cultural and religious experience. The Karababa fortress, built by the Ottomans in as protection against the Venetians, is an imposing site on the mainland side of Chalkida from where I took my best panoramic pictures.
It is said that, like the changing water currents, locals can be fickle. This can also be the case with visitors, who often arrive intending to stay just for the day and end up remaining for two or three days! But if a day is in fact all you have, you can still get the best out of the city in just a few hours. Just a ten-minute walk from here, look out for the Mecca of pies, Loukas, a year old workshop on Avanton St.
Some 20 different types of pies are made here. During Ottoman times, the renowned Ursi mosque was located here. Locals describe the Archaeological Museum of Chalkida as a small place with plenty to offer. It is housed in a neoclassical building constructed early in the previous century. The archeological artifacts on show hail from all over Euboea and are dated between the Paleolithic Period to the 3 rd century AD.
But of all the statues at the museum, the head of just one remains intact, that of Antinous, a Greek youth and favorite, or lover, of the Roman emperor Hadrian. To recharge your energy levels head across the street to Passion for Life , a fresh juice bar serving 61 fruit and vegetable choices. The base of the minaret still exists. Just 50 meters away, look out for a marble Arabic-type fountain, engraved with prayers.
