The Via Egnatia was the vital road that bound the Eastern and Western Roman Empires together. Along it flowed trade and ideas, leading to multitudes of flourishing cities. These cities, though, were dependent on the Empire’s existence and protection. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the Slavic Invasions of Byzantine lands forever ended the region’s strategic importance, and the great cities along the road network withered away. The arrival of the Ottomans saw little development in the area, and Greece’s independence caused the region to depopulate due to population transfers and the fortification of the borders.

Today Western Thrace (and here, also a bit of Eastern Macedonia) is a rugged landscape dotted with the timeless ruins of ages long past and communities thriving amidst these ruins. The remoteness and lack of economic development mean that the region has some of the best-preserved old towns in Greece within one of Europe’s most untouched natural landscapes.