Chalkida The Capital Evia
Chalkida is the capital of the chameleonic Evia island also called Eubea and in the past by the Venetians Negroponte. We find it just eighty kilometers from Athens, so much so that it is the Athenian's favorite destination for a weekend away from the metropolis.
A cultures crossroads and ideas and a rich booty for foreign conquerors in the past, today it presents itself as a modern cosmopolitan city as well as the administrative and commercial Evia center. It is separated from the mainland by the Evripos channel, where you can admire the unique tidal phenomenon that repeats itself every six hours when the currents swell and magically change direction after the water stops moving for eight minutes and remains motionless. Even today there is no specific explanation for this strange event, it is assumed that it is due in part to the gravitational attraction of the moon and in part to the difference in height between the sea in the northern part and the southern part of the gulf but in fact nothing has yet been confirmed. This curious fact is best seen from the old bridge (built in 1962) which has now become famous among the tourists who gather to admire this natural miracle.
The Evia island is connected to Mainland Greece with a beautiful bridge built in 1993. a true technological marvel with a length of 695 meters of which a third is suspended at a height of 36 meters, an amazing sight. Even the old bridge is still in use if you like, but the new one makes traffic much smoother and easier.
Needless to say, its origins are very ancient, the first trace of Chalkida is found in the Iliad and is also mentioned in the period of the Trojan War when the ships gathered in Aulis on the opposite side of the city before leaving for the long conflict. It was well known for its mining products, metalworking skills, purple and ceramics which were exported throughout the Mediterranean. In perennial struggle with the Eretria city south of Chalkida against which it had the upper hand thus becoming the capital, its prosperous period ended with the disastrous war with the Athenians who took possession of the island and expelled the entire dominant aristocracy putting the clergy as ruler. During the Hellenistic period, it became the fortress where the Macedonian kings managed to control Central Greece. Under Roman rule, it prospered again thanks to trade with the northern half of Greece. In the Byzantine era it took the name of Euripos and then changed to Negroponte with the Venetians arrival in 1209, the year in which it was conquered. As with all of Greece the Ottomans became Euboea masters in 1470 the rest is history. At the beginning of the 20th century Chalkida was divided in two, the ancient city on the bridge where some Turkish families and a large Jewish community until the Second World War, and the most modern suburb outside the walls occupied by the Greeks.
A lively and modern town where you can find all the comforts with many things to see such as the 17th century Venetian Karababa castle on the Kanithos hill on the Boeotian coast called Phourka where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the strait. With a typically Venetian shape, it has a wall with an elongated plan with a bastion to the north of reinforcement and a large tower. On the battlements are two 19th century Russian cannons. The peculiarity of the Karababa castle is the access to the tower from a labyrinthine corridor.
Worth seeing is the Archaeological Museum built between 1901 and 1902 which collects collections of finds from the first Helladic settlement and from the Manika cemetery from the 3rd century BC, bronze figurines and ceramics, Mycenaean statuettes, Hellenistic coins from Chalkis, Eretria and Karystos and sculptures of the Roman era. The highlight is the Antinous statue where the young man is crowned with ivy leaves and dressed in a leopard skin with a stick in his left hand with the sacred ivy Dionysus symbol.
The Red House, a beautiful historic building built in 1884 by the French architect Fleigs owned by the Mallu family, and still the House with the Statues built by the Eubean studies company in 1891, the Baroque style Town Hall and the Kriezoti villa a national hero who served as a leader during the Independence Greek War.
Of the eleven mosques that once stood in Chalkida only one has survived the events, the Emir Zade mosque (Turkish for son of Emir) on Kotsou Street built by the Turks in the 15th century. Rectangular in shape, it is covered by a hemispherical dome on the outside while it is octagonal inside. On the west side a gallery of columns and the revak (portico). To the southwest is the minaret which is no longer there today. Internally it preserves a Byzantine collection of sculptures and ceramics. In the Kastro district instead we find the Agia Paraskeki medieval church the patron saint of Chalkida celebrated on July 26 and August 2 with great celebrations. It dates back to the 14th century and was built by the Venetians in the Byzantine temple style.
And finally, for relaxation, its promenade where you can meet fishermen, street artists, vendors and many cafés where you can have a good coffee and enjoy a well deserved rest. As for the gastronomic offer, do not worry you will only be spoiled for choice among typical taverns offering excellent seafood and freshly caught fish as well as local delicacies and classic Greek cuisine. After dinner let yourself be swept up in the city lights and linger late at a waterside music bar.
Ah if you want you can also spend a day in one of the beautiful beaches of the capital, such as Souvala beach or Asteria beach or Crystal beach, but honestly they are not among the most beautiful, better to get lost in the city in search of hidden corners.