Greek National Road 12
Encyclopedia
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Lachanas
Lachanas
Lachanas is a village and a former municipality in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lagkadas, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,779 . The seat of the municipality was in Xylopoli....
, Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
and Xanthi
Xanthi
Xanthi ; is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi peripheral unit of the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace.-History:...
. It also serves traffic heading towards the north, to the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
/Bulgarian
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
border. The road forms part of the Ε79
European route E79
European route E 79 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Miskolc, Hungary and ends in Thessaloniki, Greece, also running through Romania and Bulgaria...
route.
Information
The route begins as a highway from downtown ThessalonikiThessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, called "odos Lagkada" and runs diagonally towards the northeast. It forms interchanges with the Esoteriki Peripheriaki Odos (inner ring road) and the Eksoteriki Peripheriaki Odos (outer ring road) of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, with the later running as part of the A2
Egnatia Odos (modern road)
Egnatia Odos is the Greek part of the European route. It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of...
motorway and (GR-2
Greek National Road 2
The National Road 2 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace. It is often confused with the A2 Egnatia Odos, which is a motorway/freeway and is similarly numbered as .Parts of the road belong to european route E86....
).
It is then joint and with the A2
Egnatia Odos (modern road)
Egnatia Odos is the Greek part of the European route. It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of...
in its motorway section. The route continues towards the north entering the Kilkis Prefecture
Kilkis Prefecture
Kilkis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the city of Kilkis.-Geography:The mountains near Kilkis are Paiko to the west, parts of the western part of Kerkini to the northeast and Krousia to the east...
and passing through the northwestern Vertiskos
Vertiskos
Vertiskos is a village and a former municipality in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lagkadas, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,350 ....
mountains. The highway passes through Lachanas
Lachanas
Lachanas is a village and a former municipality in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lagkadas, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,779 . The seat of the municipality was in Xylopoli....
and then exits back out the prefecture. When it enters the Serres Prefecture
Serres Prefecture
Serres is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Serres. The total population reaches just over 200,000.-Geography:...
it goes through the Strymonas valley, passing near Strymoniko
Strymoniko
Strymoniko is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Irakleia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,755 ....
and bypasses Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
, after forming a junction with the GR-63
Greek National Road 63
Greek National Road 63 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Serres with Promachonas on the Bulgarian border....
. After this junction the road continues east through Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
and passes through Nea Zichni
Nea Zichni
Nea Zichni is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, of Central Macedonia region, Greece. Population 15,073 . Nea Zichni is also the name of the administrative seat of the municipality. Population 2,421 .-History:...
and the highway connecting Amfipoli. It enters a valley area and passes into the city of Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
, while for several kilometres is a joint with the GR-61
Greek National Road 61
Greek National Road 61 is a national highway of Greece....
. After Drama it enters a mountainous area for several kilometres, while after passing the Nestos River it enters Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. The road ends in Xanthi
Xanthi
Xanthi ; is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi peripheral unit of the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace.-History:...
.
The road from Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
to Sidirokastro is a motorway that is also numbered GR-63
Greek National Road 63
Greek National Road 63 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Serres with Promachonas on the Bulgarian border....
, the numbering system is not in use.
History
The highway was first paved in the 1920s and the 1930s, although it was not fully paved up until the 1950s. Between the 1990s and 2004, the southern and the northern sections were upgraded to a motorway, while the full length of the road up to SerresSerres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
is expected to be upgraded into a motorway too in 2012. The motorway will feature more tunnels, while it will also be nearly aligned with the rail line connecting Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
.
Places and Junctions
- ThessalonikiThessalonikiThessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
- Thessaloniki Bypass (GR-2Greek National Road 2The National Road 2 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace. It is often confused with the A2 Egnatia Odos, which is a motorway/freeway and is similarly numbered as .Parts of the road belong to european route E86....
, GR-16 and the GR-67Greek National Road 67The Greek National Road 67 is a highway or route that links the city of Thessaloniki with Nea Moudania and southern Chalkidiki... - Junctions with the old and the new GR-2Greek National Road 2The National Road 2 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace. It is often confused with the A2 Egnatia Odos, which is a motorway/freeway and is similarly numbered as .Parts of the road belong to european route E86....
or the Via Egnatia - Road to Lagkana
- LachanaLachanaLachana is a genus of moths in the family Lymantriidae.-Species:*Lachana alpherakii *Lachana kulu Trofimova 2008*Lachana ladakensis Moore, 1888*Lachana selenophora...
- Road to StrymonikoStrymonikoStrymoniko is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Irakleia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,755 ....
- Serres Bypass?
- Road to Chryso
- Nea ZichniNea ZichniNea Zichni is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, of Central Macedonia region, Greece. Population 15,073 . Nea Zichni is also the name of the administrative seat of the municipality. Population 2,421 .-History:...
- Second junction with the GR-63Greek National Road 63Greek National Road 63 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Serres with Promachonas on the Bulgarian border....
(Amfipoli - Serres - SidirokastroSidirokastroSidirokastro is a town and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sintiki, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is built near the fertile valley of the river Strymonas, on the bank of the...
- BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n border) - DramaDrama, GreeceDrama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
- First and second junctions with the GR-61Greek National Road 61Greek National Road 61 is a national highway of Greece....
(KavalaKavalaKavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
- Drama - Orvelos) - Bridge over the Nestos
- XanthiXanthiXanthi ; is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi peripheral unit of the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace.-History:...