Demirhisar was a kaza centre in the Sanjak of Serres before the Balkan Wars. In 1912, Sidirokastro was captured by the Bulgarians under general Georgi Todorov, but some months later it came under Greek control when the Balkan Wars ended. In 1915, during World War I, it came under the control of the Central Powers (Especially Bulgarians), but it remained part of the Greek state when the war ended (1918). In April 1941, after the surrender of the Roupel fortress and the German army's invasion of Greece, the Bulgarian army occupied Sidirokastro, as part of the triple Axis Occupation of Greece. The Bulgarians left in 1944 with the rest of the retreating Axis powers. Sights There are a number of sights to be found in Sidirokastro, such as the ruins of the Byzantine castle, the Agios Dimitrios church that is carved in rock, and the bridges over the Krousovitis River. The Issari Fort, built by Emperor Basil II. Standing 155 metres tall, it towers over the town's northwest side. The town owes its name to this fort: "Sidirokastro" means "iron castle" in Greek, as does "Demir Hisar" in Turkish. The wetland habitat of the artificial Lake Kerkini, created by a dam on the Strymon River. This singular habitat, protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, is Greece's natural frontier with Bulgaria. It is one of the richest fowl habitats in Greece: home to more than 300 species. The Sidirokastro Hot Springs have a temperature of 45 °C. They are just outside the town to the north, near the Strymon River railway-bridge, on a hill that has views of the area. Thousands of people go to these hot springs every year, both for recreation or therapy. There are more hot springs in Thermes and in Angistro. The town's greatest annual festival is on 27 June, celebrating the area's liberation from Ottoman rule in 1913. Mihalis Tsartsidis Folklore and History Museum Notable natives Georgios Katsanis, Greek war hero from 1974 Georgios Babalidis, Greek orderly of Macedonian Struggle Ioannis Christoglou, Greek lawyer and politician Nikolaos Gousios, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle Sotiris Konstantinidis, Greek footballer Blagoĭ Mavrov, Bulgarian pedagogue, lexicographer, artist, chairman of the Bulgarian Roerich Association (1930 - 1934) Petros Moralis, Greek politician, founding member of PASOK party Georgi Parvanov Vassilev - Gocho (Георги Василев), Bulgarian football player, striker Georgios Sotiriadis, Greek philologist and archaeologist Ioannis Tsintsaris, Greek weightlifter References Populated