The archaeological site of Philippi is the whole reason to come. The ruins cover a wide flat plain at the foot of a low acropolis and split into two halves connected by the Via Egnatia: south of the road, the Roman forum and the great Basilica B; north of the road, the theatre, Basilica A, the early Christian octagon, and the prison cell where the Apostle Paul was traditionally said to have been held.
Allow two to three hours for the site, plus another hour for the on-site museum. The shallow stream of the Krenides outside the walls, conventionally identified as the place where Paul baptised Lydia of Philippi — the first European convert to Christianity — is a separate stop a short drive away.