Founded in 356 BC by the energetic Macedonian dynast Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, this evocatively sited ancient city is on Unesco's World Heritage list, and lies just 16km northwest from Kavala. Its strategic importance, commanding a principal trade route between Europe and Asia, saw it grow powerful and splendid in the Hellenic period that followed Alexander's death. That prominence persisted through subsequent Roman, Byzantine and post-Byzantine Christian periods, accounting for the palimpsest of stone remnants visitors walk amongst today.
Highlights include the Hellenistic theatre, set dramatically against the hill, the forum, and later remains of the basilicas that rose here once Philippi became an important centre of early Christianity. There's a very worthwhile museum, too, where more delicate finds are displayed and the overall story of Philippi can be better understood.
