Thourio

Thourio is located in the northern part of the prefecture of Evros, between Didymoteicho and Orestiada, near the bank of the Evros River. It is a big village with about 700 inhabitants and has shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, etc.

At the central square of Thourio dominates the Church of the Ascension of Christ. The church was built on the hill where is located the Primary School but in 1961 it was decided to be transferred to its current position.

During the Ottoman rule Thourio was a Turkish village called Urli and with the population exchange in 1922, it was inhabited by Greek Christians from various places, mostly Eastern Thrace. In Thourio came about 140 refugee families who were given land and clergy, that is fields for cultivation.

During the early years, the development of Thourio was based on land cultivation; however, trade and various crafts were later developed, until the 60s with the big immigration wave when almost half the population of the village left to countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.