Old Xanthi

Stacked up on the hillside on the north side of the city, Xanthi's picturesque historic district is a web of winding lanes and stairs lined with pastel-coloured timber-framed houses and grand neoclassical mansions. Although some of the buildings could use a bit more restoration, it is scenic. It's a functioning neighbourhood, not an outdoor museum with public schools, grocery stores, a 16th-century mosque and a lively bar scene.