A modern town-gay, lively and full of motion, its culture, its closeness to
nature, its night-life are all vibrant with the rhythmic heartbeat of the town, epitomized
in the clock-tower in the main square, the meeting place for friends and acquaintances, a
symbol of strength in today s high-speed life.
"The town with the thousand colours". This is what a visitor
would call Xanthi if he strolled around its narrow cobble-stoned streets, its main roads
and markets and , tasted" the marvelous local products. This appellation would be
even more justified if he spent a morning at the open air market, full of local colour.
The Folkloric Museum of the Friends of Progress Association of Xanthi is
built in the center
of the old town. A notable expression of Thracian culture and tradition in an impressive
mansion. The houses of tobacco traders built in neoclassic style in the prosperous town of
Xanthl, once-famous for its tobacco in the interior of these houses (home of the Folkloric
Museum) the painted decorations on the walls and ceiling emphasize the aesthetic, economic
and cultural level of the town s residents. The subject variety, proportions and colours
in these excellent pieces of craftsmanship are the continuation and result of the ancient
technique and aesthetic tradition. It is a bond with the historical past and the customs
of the local residents. All these form a period of time when Xanthi was internationally
famous for the cultivation and processing of its tobacco from the middle of the 19th
Century to the beginning of our Century.
A thousand and one nights for the Xanthi visitor ; unforgettable nights,
steeped in rainbow
colours… A harmony in classical rhythm, traditional rhythm, spinning in a modern rhythm
... AII kinds of entertainment to suit all tastes - a focal point for the younger and
elder generations. Here the term passion (meraki)' is not simply lived, but celebrated.
Tranquil narrow streets that respect both the past and the present. Sounds of yesterday in harmony with sounds of today. A festival of the senses is offered to us by the colours and variety of the town
Xanthi : sunlight and moonlight spring fragrance and winter snow, tradition and history, present and future, a center of attraction which in the words of the poet :
" .. follows you in all the streets and neighborhoods you wander, in all the houses you tend, and you will always come back to her. … "
In 1850 approximately, we have the beginnings of the peak period of the 
town which created a
constantly developing culture. From the music and dance societies of Orpheus and Arion in
the beginning of the century to the plethora of contemporary cultural societies we have
the preservation of tradition and a symbolic and considerable bondage of past and present
which holds many promises. Throughout the year culture comes alive through lectures,
painting exhibitions, conferences, modern concerts and various film projections
Of special importance are the "Thracian Folkloric Festival"
during 
Carnival
and the "Old Town Festival" at the beginning of September. The
traditional and the modern co - exist peacefully in our town in the same way as the local
Christians and Muslims and they are expressed through art, culture and entertainment. From
the classical mandolins and choirs to the rock groups and from the traditional Thracian
dances to the modern rhythm of electronic music, our Xanthi writes its own history.
The wealthy period of the town started with the organized cultivation of
tobacco when the
large tobacco factories were built in the middle of the 19th Century. The trade with the
grade European centers of tobacco and the opening of Consulates by Austria, Italy and the
U.S A, gave a " European character" to the already developed town. One
would say that the economic and cultural success of Xanthi is embodied in both its tobacco
factories and the traditional - style mansions.
The
three monasteries which dominate the town from the surrounding mountains together with the
30 or so churches and chapels bear witness to the inhabitants considerable religious
sensitivity throughout the centuries. The Holy Monastery of Taxiarchon houses the
Ecclesiastical School of Xanthi. It is built on top of old Byzantine ruins and dates from
the mid- 19th Century. The Holy Monasteries of Panagias Archangelotissa's and Panagias
Kalamiotissas cling to the rocks above the river Kosinthos. The monasteries contain many
admirable holy works of art.
Traditional
architecture decorates magnificently the buildings of education, of religion and of art as
well as homes of town residents. The fine line that balances the neo-classical style with
the uneven ground on which it stands, is on view to the visitor' s searching gaze.
Relax and enjoy the fresh air, visitors and locals alike, in our parks which can be found everywhere, on level ground and even on the mountain slopes. They offer encouragement to passers-by with busy daily routines. Praise is due to the Authorities who planned them and facilitated the town' s residents as well as offering them a pleasanter and more humane outlook.