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Sightseeing in Thessaloniki

The White Tower is not just a reference point for the city, it is a place that you just must visit, especially if this is your first time in the city. Built in the 15th century, it was a part of the fortifications of Thessaloniki at the time. Go up to the top to take a photograph from its ramparts.

Continue your walk in the direction of the umbrellas, just a stone’s throw from the White Tower. You will find them outside the Royal Theatre, one of the finest buildings in Thessaloniki. If you can walk far then let your feet take you to the Thessaloniki Concert Hall at Nea Paralia (New Waterfront). From here you can admire the jewel of the city, while in front of you spreads out the whole of the dentilated Thermaic coast.

The impressive arch of Galerius (popularly known as the Kamara) is a famed meeting point (especially for those who have just arrived in the city) and along with the neighbouring Rotunda is among the most recognizable monuments in Thessaloniki after the White Tower. Built in the 4th century AD by the Romans and modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, the Rotunda is an imposing round building that was initially intended to be used as a mausoleum but was then converted into a Christian church dedicated to St George, only then to be converted into a mosque, while today is it is a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A little further down from the Rotunda you will find the Bezesteni Covered Market, the Ottoman market of Thessaloniki with its six lead domes which travellers in the 16th century talked of admiringly as it was considered the most beautiful market in the Balkans then. The travellers of today have the same view as the market still preserves the atmosphere of another era. Formerly a professional “house” for jewellery sellers and textile merchants, today it continues to house primarily textile vendors.

In the Upper Town (or the “kastra” as many calls it) you will take a journey through the history of Thessaloniki. Wander through its little lanes, against a backdrop that looks as though it has been taken from tales of the knights, take photographs of the gardens filled with flowers and enjoy your coffee and meze snacks in a traditional coffee house.

What you will not miss as you wander around Thessaloniki are churches and museums! Early Christian Byzantine churches are everywhere: Agios Dimitrios (St Demetrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki), Panagia Acheiropoietos, Panagia Dexia, Agia Sophia, the Metropolitan church (Holy Church of Saint Gregory Palamas) as well as the church of Panagia Halkeon are all just a few metres from each other. It is worth spending a little time to visit the crypt of Agios Dimitrios, which is located beneath the church and in which there are early Christian and Byzantine exhibits.

As for museums? The choices are many! Visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture (2 Stratou Avenue), the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art (154 Via Egnatia https://www.mmca.org.gr) which today houses over 2000 works by Greek and foreign artists, the State Museum of Contemporary Art (21 Kolokotroni St, Moni Lazariston, www.greekstatemuseum.com), “home” of the famous Kostaki Collection, one of the most important collections in the world! In the Archaeological Museum (6 M. Andronikou St) you will see exhibits that cover at least 200,000 years of history.

Excursions near Thessaloniki

The closest and most popular place to escape for those already in Thessaloniki is, of course, Halkidiki. Paliouri, Pefkochori, Afytos and Kallithea await to be discovered. Because, as the locals say, “there’s nowhere like Halkidiki!”

The Axios National Park, 15 kilometres from Thessaloniki, is one of the most important wetlands in Greece. It covers an area of 96 acres, which includes a variety of habitats – from farmland and meadows to saline soils and marshy areas. Thanks to its geographical position and the great variety of habitats, this area is an important biotope for many species of wild animals and birds.

Food and Entertainment in Thessaloniki

The nightlife of Thessaloniki has made the city famous the world over – it's not by chance that the National Geographic included the “bride of the Thermaic gulf” in its Top Ten cities in the world for their nightlife! The Ladadika district, the large venues and the big clubs keep the action going all through the night.

The coastal road of Thessaloniki (Nikis Avenue) is always a great choice for a coffee or a drink, even if in recent years the hotspots of the city have moved a few roads further up, to Mitropoleos Street and the roads that come off it.

When you are hungry try to walk up to Athonos Square just 2 minutes by foot from Aristotelous Square, where the little tavernas are lined up one next to the other, offering an endless choice of dishes and mezedes (small dishes). In the evening hours the parties of students give the area another vibe while in many of the little tavernas there is live Greek music.

In the same spirit, Bit Bazaar, north of Aristotelous square, is extremely popular with the younger crowd. Hidden within the intersection created by Olympou, Venizelou and Tositsa Streets, this atmospheric former refugee district in the evenings becomes a buzzing hive of activity with much drinking and entertainment. During the day, second-hand shops and antique shops are open in the square.

For your purchases, Tsimiski, Mitropoelos and Agias Sophias Streets are the shopping spots of Thessaloniki.

Don't leave Thessaloniki without having tried the famous bougatsa (with cream, cheese and mince) and without having packed into your suitcase some of the local sweets (triangle pastries, syrupy sweets, or tsoureki) made by one of the most famous patisseries in the city! In addition to being the “homeland” of the bougatsa and sesame bread ring, Thessaloniki is also the homeland of bougatsan, a hybrid sweet that is made from a croissant sliced down the middle and filled with whatever your mind can think of!

Getting from the airport to the city

Taxi, bus or rental car are the options for getting to the city centre, which is around 15 kilometres from the airport. There are many car rental agencies in the airport lounge.

Thessaloniki remains charming, vibrant and passionate every season of the year! Fly with Olympic Air and experience the magical breeze of the co-capital from up close!