Alexandroupolis is a city in Thrace and the capital of the prefecture of Evros, with a population of more than 60,000 inhabitants and it is the largest city (in area and population) in Thrace and the wider region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. It is an important port and commercial centre for northeastern Greece. It occupies a strategic geographical position linking Europe with Asia.

Alexandroupolis is one of the youngest cities in Greece, founded as a simple fishing village in the mid-19th century. In ancient times according to Herodotus, the ancient city of Salis lay on the site of today’s Alexandroupolis. It was founded by settlers from the island of Samothrace and was part of the then Samothracian ‘pereia’, the coastal zone opposite the island. The area around Alexandroupolis, as well as the entire area from the Evros Delta to Lake Vistonida and the foothills of Rodopi, were inhabited by the Cicones. The Cicones were a Thracian tribe with whom, according to Homer, Odysseus and his comrades clashed on their return from Troy.

The city of Alexandroupolis is experiencing rapid rates of economic expansion. Its port and railway station are key centres for commercial transit trade. After the implementation of the Kapodistrian Local Government reorganisation plan and the inclusion of new villages, the Municipality of Alexandroupolis is emerging as an important tourist centre offering opportunities to combine coastal and maritime tourism, as well as a growing variety of spa and ecotourism experiences.