Thessaloniki is slightly less known as a Greek tourism sight, but that does not remove its elegance and historic atmosphere. It is the second-largest city in Greece and the center of northern Greece, locating on on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and bounded by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. It has about 380,000 residents,  having over 1 million people in whole metropolitan area.

It was founded in 315 BC by king Cassander of Macedonia, and was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. City has many remarkable Byzantine monuments and the largest university of the Balkans.

What to do and see in Thessaloniki

The Church of Agios Demetrios

This Orthodox sanctuary is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki, which has been an UNESCO World Heritage since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Iconoclastic policies in 730.

The White Tower

White Tower is the most important landmark of Thessaloniki. The present tower replaced an old Byzantine fortification which was mentioned around the 12th century and reconstructed by the Ottomans to fortify the city’s harbour. It served as a notorius prison during the bloody Ottoman times. Today the tower houses the museum, which is  dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki throughout various periods.

Archaeological Museum

Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (Manoli Andronikou Street 6) has a remarkable exhibitions concentrating to history of Macedonia from prehistory to Roman times. Its collection shows ancient pottery, mosaics and paintings as well as metal artifacts and sculptures. Here is also Café Terra Antiqua and a gift shop.

Aristotelous Square

This biggest square of the city is a real social heart and it has many couzy cafés and bistros lining on it. The square is used for many cultural events, such as festivals and the annual Christmas and carnival celebrations. The Olympion Theatre cinema on the right side of the square is site of the annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

Recreation

Ladadika and Valaoritou districts are the centers of local nightlife with numerous restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

Shopping

• Tsimiski Street has many luxury boutiques and fashion stores. In the shopping center Plateia, located next to the Aristotelous square, there are several shops, cafés, restaurants, cinemas and a bowling room.
• Ianos bookshop in Aristotelous Square sells many kinds of books and art, and there are organized cultural events.
• Agias Sofas is a beautiful pedestrian zone, from which you can find several local brands. There are also lots of cafés.
• Near the sea, you will find the shopping streets Mitropoleos and Proxenou Koromila. From the first-mentioned you will find lots of local stores and design boutiques, and the last-mentioned is full of international brands.
• The shopping center Mediterranean Cosmos, consisting of 250,000 square meters, is one of the biggest in Balkans. From there, you will find local and international brands, restaurants, cafés, cinemas and several family attractions.
• From the shopping center One Salonica Outlet Mall you can get international clothes, footwear and accessories for the whole family.
• Mega Outlet is the biggest discount shopping center in Balkans, from which you can find 400 top brands with reasonable prices. There are 850 free parking spaces in the center.
• From Apollonia Politia you can get high quality cosmetics.
• In the shopping center Macedonia, located in the junction Pylaia – Halkidiki, there are 35 shops, cafés, restaurants and a cinema in the area of 140,000 square meters. There are 1450 free parking spaces in the center.

Photos: Wikipedia Commons with the CC licence / Tilemahos Efthimiadis, Marsyas, RekishiEJ, Alexander Klink