Tepekule is the original settlement of the ancient city of Smyrna (Σμύρνη or Σμύρνα in Greek). It’s located at Tepekule in the Bayraklı district of Izmir, Turkey.
Kadifekale is a castle on very same hill where Alexander the Great had a dream about founding the ancient city of Smyrna (Σμύρνη or Σμύρνα in Greek). It’s located in Izmir, Turkey.
The Smyrna Agora is a small archaeological site containing the remains of ancient Smyrna (Σμύρνη or Σμύρνα in Greek). It sits east of the bazaar district of Kemeraltı in Izmir, Turkey.
Volissos (Βολισσός) is the largest village in northwest Chios, Greece. It sits on a hill that is crowned by a ruined medieval castle. I used the village as a start and end point for half of a scenic drive around northern Chios.
A prehistoric settlement on the side of a mountain overlooks the town of Emporios at the southern end of the island of Chios, Greece.
Anavatos (Ανάβατος) is an almost completely abandoned medieval village that sits hauntingly on top of a small mountain in Chios, Greece. When approaching it on the road from Avgonima, the village suddenly appears out of nowhere. To me, it looks like a scene out of Game of Thrones. The village is only 16km from Chios Town.
While the city of Shkodër, Albania, itself is a nice place to visit, there are plenty of things to do nearby. They include Rozafa Castle, Mes Bridge, and Lake Shkodër.
Set strikingly on the side of a tall mountain is Krujë, the scene of Albania’s national moment of glory. It was here that the legend of Albanian hero Gjergj Kastrioti, aka Skënderbej, was born.