The ornate walls are still rich with decoration Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Artįor art lovers, the contemporary Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (154 Egnatia Street) displays some 2,000 works by Greek artists. The most impressive-and largest-is Bey Hamam (“bath of paradise”), built in 1844. The Ottomans built many Turkish baths (hamams) in Thessaloniki during five centuries, although they've now fallen into disuse. A five-minute stroll southeast from the Trigoniou Tower brings you to one of the finest, Agios Pavlos (Church of St. Thessaloniki is also blessed with stunning churches.
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Some 500 yards to its west, the 16th-century Vlatadon Monastery may interest history buffs for its rich archive of documents dating back centuries. The eastern walls slope down to the well-preserved Anna Palaiologina gate and circular Trigoniou Tower, from atop which you’ll have a panoramic view over Thessaloniki. On the upper slopes, at its eastern end, the Kastra-a 15th-century castle citadel-stands sentinel above the city and is today a cultural center. Built over several centuries, it is enclosed within a stone circuit wall, originally with a four-mile circumference and dating back to 390 BCE. This is the most picturesque part of the city, with narrow streets that rise to the ancient Acropolis, or Eptapyrgio. The Αno Poli (Old Town) neighborhood is one of the few areas to survive the 1917 fire. Here are some other highlights not to miss: Ano Poli & Kastra And when night falls, the waterfront zone of Ladadika is the place to be for its many bars, tavernas, and nightclubs.
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The city is walkable, but for an even better perspective, take advantage of Thessaloniki's free harbor cruise. Arcing around the gulf like a scimitar, you'll find the city's main draws here in a radius around the White Tower monument, and in the inland area around the ancient city walls. Much of the city is modern (rebuilt following a 1917 fire), including a sleek New Waterfront. Mountains border the city to the north and east, and the azure waters of the Gulf of Salonika run up to its southern edge. Historically compelling and architecturally stunning, the entire city is UNESCO listed as an Open Museum of Early Christian and Byzantine Art.īut there’s more to Thessaloniki than architectural gems-its setting is also striking. Thessaloniki Church of Agios Pavlos, Thessalonikiįounded in 315 BCE, Thessaloniki was an early center for Christianity in the Roman Empire-second only to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire-and an integral part of the Ottoman Empire (1430-1912 CE) until Greek independence. If this region whets your appetite for more classic Greece, see our list of the other best places to visit. One festival follows another, and after sundown, the party never ends (National Geographic named it one of the world’s top 10 nightlife cities). Then there's the party-Thessaloniki never sleeps. It's also a foodie gastronomic destination and rivals Athens for culture. The dynamic city of Thessaloniki is a historic destination too, featuring ancient sites spanning the Roman to Ottoman Empires. Don’t miss the fascinating archeological sites at Pella and Vergina, and be sure to visit Athos, the “monk’s republic,” with its 20 monasteries, many perched on cliffs overlooking the sea. It's the famed land of Alexander the Great-king of Macedon. That's to say nothing of the stunning beaches on the Halkidiki Peninsula. But don't stop there-you'll find many mountains to choose from, draped in pine-forests and sloping down to valleys peppered with lakes and medieval villages. Want to hike among ancient gods? Then head to Mount Olympus (9,573 feet), Greece’s highest peak and the mythological home of Zeus & Co. Extending across the panhandle of northern Greece, the mountainous region of Macedonia combines every attribute that makes this ancient nation so appealing.
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