Chalkida, the gateway to Evia is an ideal daytrip destination, just a stone’s throw away from Athens and loaded with a history stretching back over 3,000 years.

It felt like no time driving away from the capital and leaving behind its northernmost suburbs to reach Chalkida, whose suspended bridge, completed in 1993, connects the mainland and Evia, Greece’s second largest island.

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.

Chalkida, however, is not just an entertainment destination but a temptation to explore as well, blessed with a history, stretching back 3,000 years. Its influence in antiquity was wide reaching and its colonies spread all the way to Sicily and Italy. As other areas in Greece, it later fell to  a succession of rulers – Franks, Venetians, Ottomans and Germans.

Walking around the fortress area is a cultural and religious experience. The  buildings here have endured through the centuries, such as the old Aghia Paraskevi church and the 15^th century Emir Zade mosque, featuring an impressive dome.

The Karababa fortress, built by the Ottomans in 1684 as protection against the Venetians, is an imposing site on the mainland side of Chalkida from where I took my best panoramic pictures.

9:00 | SMELLS LIKE PIES AND HOT BREAD

The scent of freshly-baked bread emitted from the Baltas bakery has permeated the surroundings in this part of the city since 1919. It remains the oldest bakery with a wood-fired oven in Chalkida and produces fourteen different types of bread daily– amounting to 300 kg–  by the crack of dawn. A dilapidated grand old structure at the nearby corner once served as the municipal market which locals hope to see  renovated and revived one day.

Just a ten-minute walk from here, look out for the Mecca of pies, Loukas, a 33-year old workshop on Avanton St. It is easily  spotted because of the long queues overflowing onto the street. Some 20 different types of pies are made here. I enjoyed mine while strolling towards Antoniou Street, where I lit a candle at the Aghios Nikolaos church. During Ottoman times, the renowned Ursi mosque was located here.

[INFO | Baltas Bakery: Tel: (+30) 2221.022.228 • 49 El. Venizelou Ave. | Loukas: Tel: (+30) 22210.292.89 • 42 Avanton St. • 08:30-13:30]   

10:00 | ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

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.

The  museum’s delightful lemon tree garden is dominated by an oversized marble statue of a woman, as well as an arcade with Roman statues.. 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. The youth’s beauty will leave you dazzled. To recharge your energy levels head across the street to Passion for Life, a fresh juice bar serving 61 fruit and vegetable choices.

[INFO | Archeological Museum of Chalkida: Tel: (+30) 22210.251.31 • 13 El. Venizelou Ave. | Passion for life: Tel: (+30) 22210-261.91 • 14 El. Venizelou Ave.]

13:00 | SNAPSHOTS OF CHALKIDA FROM UP HIGH

The best panoramic shots of the city may be taken from the bastions of the fortress of Karababa. The weather was fine when I arrived here on foot, ascending the park steps at Fourkas hill. It is a quick route, a ten-minute walk through nature. At the end of the uphill stretch, beyond the Profitis Ilias church dating back to 1895, the western bastion of the fortress operates as an exhibition space.

A marble plaque that depicts Alexander the Great and a rare collection of Venetian Lions of St. Mark, which once decorated the castle’s walling and the Euripus Bridge, are stand-out items among the collection on show here.

The tomb of prominent Greek poet Giannis Skarimbas, who resettled in Chalkida, where he had spent most of his life, is located by the castle’s entrance. On the way down, a break for coffee or refreshments is ideal at the panoramic Xenia bar-café, commonly known as the Touristiko. The Hara Hotel, whose rooftop offers a sensational view, is located along the way.

[INFO | Karababa Castle: Tue-Wed: 8:00-15:00, closed on Mondays. | Xenia bar café, or Touristiko: Tel: (+30) 22210.246.16. | Hara Hotel: Tel: (+30) 22210.763.09 • 21 Karoni St.]

15:30 | FRESH SHELLS AND SEAFOOD

It’s not hard to find a good place to eat in Chalkida. Tsipouradika (assorted dish and drink spots mainly serving tsipouro spirit) are located all over the place. It is situated slightly out of the way yet worth tracking down for its quality.

Stenaki has been in business over the past 19 years, operating on a cobbled lane off Avanton St, wedged between two apartment buildings. It is open daily until 19:00. The establishment is run by Yiannis, who is at the market before dawn shopping for supplies for the kitchen, headed by his wife Evgenia.

Another worthwhile spot is Karanti, whose name is presumably derived from the word “guarantee”. This eatery represents a revival of old and authentic tsipouradika. It is run by three local women cooks, who prepare the seafood mezedes (assorted dishes) and offer ouzo as well as tsipouro (over 40 labels) to the sound of rebetika music.

For fresh fish from the day’s catch head to Thalami, located at the small picturesque port of Kourenti, To get there,  take the road leading to Kanapitsa. The mezedes here are well prepared, and the shells could not be fresher. The Piato restaurant is preferred by diners interested in creative modern cuisine. Its desserts are a top menu item, too. A post-meal stroll around the port is essential. The ambience is very island-like here.

[INFO | Stenaki: Tel: (+30) 22210.251.74 • 40 Avanton St. | Karanti: Tel: (+30) 6973.743.921 • Athanaton Square & Dikaiarchou St. | Thalami: Tel: (+30) 22210.744.42 • 78 Ethnikis Simfiliosis St. | Piato: Tel: (+30) 22210.866.91 • Ethnikis Simfiliosis St. & Drakopoulou]

19:00 | SIP WINE WHILE WATCHING THE SUNSET

Sunset in Chalkida, where the sky over the Euboean Gulf can turn strawberry red, is ideal for a glass of wine at Pantheon 1900, a wine bar with a well-stocked cellar. Pantheon, which has been in business for the last four years sporting an industrial chic look, has injected new life into the listed neoclassical building that houses it.

Located next to the Chalkida town hall, the building had been abandoned for many years. It was constructed in 1900, according to  the engraving  on its main metal pillar. During World War II, it was used as a base by the Gestapo, Nazi Germany’s secret police. In the decades that followed, up until 30 years ago, the building operated as a hotel, offering a limited number of rooms. Back to the present, the bar serves wines s from  all of the region’s wineries, as well as labels from all over the world, including French wine priced at 400 euros a bottle.

The food menu is comprised of trattoria-type dishes. Make sure to leave a little space for dessert. The calzone with nutella and mascarpone cheese is recommended. If this hour is still too early for dinner, consider an ice cream at Gelato Tartufo, one of Chalkida’s oldest ice cream parlours. Then, with ice cream in hand, cross the old bridge and head left towards the old train station, dated back to 1905 and located by the sea. The trains from here connect Chalkida with Athens and Piraeus port on a daily basis.

[INFO | Pantheon 1900: Tel: (+30) 22210.231.23 • 22 Voudouri Ave.| Gelato Tartufo: Tel: (+30) 22210.741.59 • 11 Ageli Goviou St.]