Thessaloniki

Understand

Once the biggest port of the Balkans, Thessaloniki is a city that has been conquered by many empires, with each one leaving its mark. One can find Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman buildings all throughout the city.

History King Philip II of Macedon, after a victory in the region of Thessaly, named his next daughter "Thessalonike" (Thessaly Victory). Cassander, a later king of Macedon, married her, and founded the city in her name in 315 BC. The city grew over time, becoming a major metropolis of the Roman Empire, and then the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople. During the Ottoman years a sizeable Jewish community formed in the city (at times even majority-Jewish), giving it the name 'The Jerusalem of the Balkans'. Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in Thessaloniki for over 400 years. During the 1923 Greco-Turkish population exchange hundreds of thousands of Christians arrived from Asia Minor and most of the Muslims moved to Turkey. The 55,000 strong Jewish community was eradicated during the 1941-1945 German occupation, with 2,000 remaining after the war.

Orientation

Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis to the east. The City Centre is bound by the waterfront, up the hill to Olympiados Street to the northeast, and the Byzantine-era city walls on the sides - Dimokratias Square to the northwest, the University campus and Thessaloniki International Fair to the southeast. Most commercial, entertainment and educational facilities can be found here, while it also remains a densely populated residential area. Most of this area burned down in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, and was rebuilt with a modern grid city plan of streets parallel and perpendicular to the coastline.

1 Aristotelous Square. The focal point of the city. The square is used for cultural events, such as festivals, the annual Christmas and carnival celebrations, and the occasional political rally. The Aristotelous Promenade, lined with cafes and restaurants, starts at Aristotelous Square and continues uphill to the Roman Forum. Other major perpendicular streets, starting from northwest, are Dragoumi, Venizelou, Agias Sofias and Ethinikis Aminis. If a street goes downhill, then it will lead you to the waterfront. The biggest parallel streets to the sea, starting from the sea, are Leoforos Nikis, Tsimiski, Egnatia, Agiou Dimitriou and Kassandrou. Ano Poli (Upper City) lies on the hillside up towards Mount Chortiatis from the city centre. This

Getting there

By train Thessaloniki is an important rail hub within Greece and it is quite easy to travel here by passenger trains. Hellenic Train operates up to six daily trains from Athens via Larissa. The journey used to take 4 hours, but after a huge flood that destroyed the central part of the line in 2023, it now takes around 5 hours. Restoration and improvement works are on the way and by 2025 the journey will again take 4 hours, possibly even lower. Additionally, there are trains from Alexandroupoli via Komotini, Xanthi and Serres in Western Thrace region. Regional trains connect with Florina, Kilkis, Kalampaka and several other cities in Northern Greece. Thessaloniki also has a suburban railway also operated by Hellenic Train that connects the city to Larissa via Katerini running multiple times a day and stopping at many smaller cities and villages that the Intercity Trains do not. There are normally staff at all major stations to facilitate transportation of disabled persons.

1 New Thessaloniki railway station (Νέος Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Θεσσαλονίκης, Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos Thessalonikis), Monastiriou St 28, ☏ +30 2130 121530. daily 05:00-00:30. (updated Jan 2020) 2 TrainOSE travel service (Thessaloniki TrainOSE travel service No. 4), 18 Aristotelous Str., ☏ +30 2130 121532, [email protected]. M W 09:00-18:00, Tu Th F 09:00-21:00, Sa 09:00-15:00, Su closed. Recorded information about train departures are provided by TrainOSE, call 1440 for domestic departures from Thessaloniki. (updated Jan 2020)

Discounts Ask for these discounts even if the TrainOSE employee does not mention them:

Children (ages 4-12) get a 50% discount. Youth under 26 and elderly over 65 get a 25% discount (not on ICE). Disabled people and their escort get a 50% discount. Groups get a 30-50% discount. Two-way trips also get a discount.

By bus Thessaloniki is connected via the intercity KTEL bus network with every corner of Greece.

3 Macedonia Intercity Bus Station (Υπεραστικού Σταθμού ΚΤΕΛ Μακεδονία), Giannitson 244 (In the westside of the city), ☏ +30 231 059 5400, fax: +30 231 054 4633, [email protected]. 4 Halkidiki Bus Station (Σταθμού ΚΤΕΛ Χαλκιδικής) (east side district of Pylaia). Terminal station for buses from Chalkidiki (Halkidiki). The station is served by bus line 45, which links the station with the Makedonia Bus Station and line 36, which links it with the Voulgari Bus Terminal. To reach the station from the airport, take bus 79 to IKEA, which is a major centre for bus line transfers. Next, take bus 36, which passes by the Cosmos Mal

Getting around

By metro

Thessaloniki has a single metro line with 13 stations that runs from the New Railway Station across the city centre and the southern and eastern suburbs to Nea Elvetia. The trains run from 05:30 to 00:30 except on Fridays and Saturdays when the last trains are at 02:00. The standard fare is €0.60 (which is purchased only with cash inside the stations). 6 Venizelou station (Βενιζέλου). This station is worth a visit in itself: the station contains an active archaeological site dubbed the "Byzantine Pompeii" and a mini museum showcasing finds so far, which delayed the opening of the line by over 10 years. (updated Jul 2025) A new line with 5 stations is planned to open in November 2025 and will serve the Kalamaria area.

By bus

OASTH is the city's bus company and runs a total of 85 different bus lines. Moovit or Rome2Rio mobile apps can be used to plan the journey and check the schedule on the go. Bus services usually operate from 05:00 until just after midnight.

Bus 50, the "cultural line", follows a figure-of-8 route past all the major tourist sights. There is an English speaking guide aboard, who provides you with maps and information. The whole route takes 50 min, and it departs every hour on the hour from the White Tower. Connection to the airport is provided by buses 01X (which runs as 01N in the night), and 02X (requiring transfer to the metro at Nea Elvetia). Night bus 01N runs from 22:00-05:00 every 30 minutes on average. Being the only public transportation option after 00:00 it is usually packed with people, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so don't count on it if you have a late night flight to catch. This being Greece, the bus drivers go on strike occasionally. Notices about strikes may appear (in Greek only, naturally) at the bus stops information panels.

Tickets Tickets can be bought at TheTA's ticket outlets, at machines on the buses, and in the OSETH App. Certain types of tickets (see below) are also available at various other sales points. Physical tickets come in the form of reusable paper chipcards ("ThessTicket"). Tickets must be validated upon every boarding (by tapping your chipcard to the validator or scanning the QR code in your OSETH App - if the validators aren't working, simply get on board). There are four types of tickets available (prices as of July 2025):

70-minute ticket (urban zone): €0.60; valid on all lines except 50, 01X, 01N, and 02X. 70-minute ticket (peri-urban zone): €0.80; valid on all lines except 50, 01X, 01N, and 02X. 70-minute ticket (special bus lines): €2.00; valid only on lines 5

See

The northernmost 1 Byzantine Walls of the city and parts of the eastern walls are still standing, as is the city's symbol, the White Tower. The rest of the walls are in the picturesque Upper Town which offers a spectacular view over the bay, especially in the late afternoon.

Roman ruins

When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy in 293 AD, Thessaloniki became the administrative capital of one of the four portions. Emperor Galerius commissioned an imperial palace and other structures.

2 Arch of Galerius (Arch of Triumph) (Egnatia and Dimitriou Gounari streets). The triumphal arch was dedicated in 303 AD to celebrate the victory of the tetrarch Galerius over the Sassanids. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 3 Palace of Galerius. €10. (updated Dec 2025) 4 Roman Forum (Ancient Agora). 09:00-16:00. Excavations and an interesting museum underneath. €10. (updated Jun 2019)

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments

As the "second city" of the Byzantine Empire, the city flourished during its early years, and was again revitalized in 1300s. This is reflected in the grandiosity of the religious spaces built during these periods, and in the richly-colored murals and mosaics that adorn their interiors. Despite the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Empire in 1430, the Christian monuments were not destroyed. While not all of these Byzantine churches survived the 1917 fire, 13 of the ones remaining (along with the City Walls and the Byzantine Bath) have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Entrance to the buildings is free, except for the Rotunda. The hours vary widely. The largest ones are open for much of the day, the smallest ones are closed much of the time. Mornings are your best bet.

5 Rotunda, St. George Square. Started life as a Roman temple of Zeus, built by Caesar Galerius, and is almost as old as the Pantheon in Rome. The monument has a diameter of 24.5 m and its dome reaches a height of 30 m. It was converted into a Christian church during the Early Christian era, and its interior was decorated with magnificent mosaics. However some inside frescoes are a work of the British artist Alexander Rossi (1840-1916). In 1591 the Rotunda was converted into a mosque, and a tall minaret still stands beside the monument. Frequent earthquakes from the early 7ᵗʰ century until 1978 caused several damage. The latter caused the destruction of the dome section. After being restored, the monument reopened to the public in 1998. €10. 6 Saint Demetrios (Agios Demetrios). Constructed in the mid-7th century on the ruins of a Roman bath complex, in honor of

Do

Cultural Route public bus tour (Line 50). OASTH launched a special “Cultural Route” to make the rich historical and cultural heritage of Thessaloniki more accessible. The bus departs from the White Tower for a 50-minute tour around the city's main historical and cultural monuments. The tour is supported by a telematics based audio-visual material (in Greek and English), as well as by printed leaflets (also in Greek and English). (updated Dec 2025) Walk along the 12 km seafront promenade. Go to the beach. There are frequent ferry services from the Port and White Tower to the sandy beaches of Peraia, Neoi Epivates (and some to Agia Triada) - expect a 40 minute trip each way. These have a range of bars and restaurants. Football: the city has three soccer teams playing in Super League, the top tier. - PAOK FC play at Toumba Stadium (capacity 29,000) 2 km southeast of city centre. - Aris Thessaloniki play at Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium (capacity 22,800) a further km south. - Iraklis were promoted to Super League in 2026. Their Kaftanzoglio Stadium (capacity 27,500) is 1 km inland from the White Tower. 1 Thessaloniki Concert Hall, "25 Μartiou" Str. (near the Posidonio Athletic Centre of Thessaloniki - Kalamaria). The venue includes a main hall of 1,400 seats, designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki and inaugurated on 2 January 2000. The Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra plays Italian Operas and works of Greek composers. (updated Feb 2016) 2 Waterland. A large water park near Tagarades Hill. Free bus service starting at the city centre. (updated Feb 2016)

Yachting Thermaikos Gulf is a challenging place for yachting and sailing. Many days there are strong North winds but with low waves making sailing a fun and joy for all sailors. There are three sailing clubs in Thessaloniki and world championships take place here every year. There are a couple of yacht charter companies renting sailing yachts.

Discovery Yachting, Thermaikou 21, ☏ +30 231 046 5269, +30 694 838 8098, fax: +30 231 046 5269, [email protected]. Bareboat charter or skippered sailing yacht, also night time tours. 3 Nautilia Yachting, Skiathou 2, ☏ +30 231 055 8192, fax: +30 231 055 8192, [email protected]. Licensed by the Greek National Tourism Organization, organizes skippered or bareboat yacht charters with a wide range of monohulls and catamarans for sailing. (updated Sep 2023)

Events World Naked Bike Ride. June. A celebration of Cycling, Environment, Body Freedom. (updated Dec 2025) 4 Thessaloniki International Fair. September. (updated Dec 2025) Thessa

Buy

Clothing Tsimiski is the main fashion street, which runs parallel to Egnatia Road and is southwest of it, with shops such as Zara and H&M. Proxenou Koromila and Mitropoleos, the next streets towards the water, also have shops. You won't find many bargains, but the shopping area is conveniently small and full of cafes when you get too tired. For cheaper clothing, check out Egnatia Road.

Books Books and maps in various languages can be bought in stores such as:

Ianos bookshop, Aristotelous Sq (in the city centre). Books & art-objects, cultural events. Maliaris-Pedia bookstore The Thessaloniki Book Fair is held annually in late spring.

Markets You can buy local food products, such as olive oil, sometimes at significantly lower prices than in nearby countries. For food specialities, go to Modiano Market and try the Terpsis and Omega delicatessens (the most famous is Kosmas, but it specialises in Asian food).

1 Modiano Market. The traditional central food market, with hundreds of stalls selling meat, fish, fruit, vegetables (sometimes cheek-by-jowl, an unnerving experience for North Americans), cheap clothes and shoes, flowers, herbs and spices, near Aristotele Square. The indoor portion is closed for an extensive renovation. It was supposed to reopen in 2021, but as of August 2022 the work is ongoing. The shops in the back alleys are still good for a wander. (updated Aug 2022) 2 Kapani Market, [email protected]. The city's oldest market, with a wide variety of shops. (updated Feb 2020)

Sweets and pastries Any Greek will expect you to bring back sweets from Salonica.

Chatzis. It is famous for its collection of Greek Asia Minor sweets (politika glyka) originating from Constantinople. Terkenlis. It is famous for its variety of "tsoureki", a sweet bread much like challah or brioche but containing spices too, covered and filled with several combinations of chocolates, creams, and nuts. (updated Jan 2022) Elenidis. It is considered the expert in "trigona" (triangles made of thin phyllo dough layers and filled with cream). Choureál. Very popular for its profiterole (updated Dec 2025)

Eat

Greeks consider Thessaloniki a gourmet city - but bear in mind that this refers to the excellent local specialities and cheap-and-cheerful ouzo taverns rather than to haute cuisine or a range of foreign restaurants. The latter are best avoided in Thessaloniki.

Try a crepe in one of the numerous crepe shops patronised by the student population at Gounari St, near Navarinou Sq. There are plenty of shops selling gyros. Usually there are pork and chicken gyros. This is the best calories per money option, since with less than €3 you get a meal that, although not that healthy, can keep you going for many hours. During the winter you can try roasted chestnuts (kastana in Greek) that are sold from carts. During the summer one can buy boiled or roasted corn on the cob that is sold from carts. Cost €1-2. You can try stafidopsomo, a small bread with raisins, or koulouri a donut-shaped small bread with sesame. You can find them sold in a bakery or on carts. Cost: €0.50.

For breakfast you can have a bougatsa, a type of cream pie, that Thessaloniki is famous for. You can accompany it with a cacao milk or coffee. For a carnivore's treat, try soutzoukakia: minced meat pellets either grilled (at the central market or rotisseries) and topped with chilli pepper flakes, or cooked in tomato and cumin sauce (Smyrna-style). For a late night (or early morning) meal try patsas (Tripe soup). Seafood: gemista kalamarakia (stuffed squid), mydopilafo (rice with mussels) or mydia saganaki (mussels in tomato sauce). A popular winter drink is hot sahlep (salepi), a creamy milk beverage. In the summer, drink frappé coffee, an iced coffee drink generally made from spray-dried instant coffee, water, sugar, and milk, the hallmark of postwar outdoor Greek coffee culture invented in 1957 in Thessaloniki International Fair.

Budget

Go for a meal in one of the many central ouzo restaurants (ouzeri). Accompany your ouzo or tsipouro with a battery of small dishes - by far the best way to eat in Salonica. Particularly good are the fava beans, octopus either grilled or in wine sauce and mussels (fried, or in pilaff, or with a hot cheese sauce, saganaki). If you see "boiled vegetables' on the menu in wintertime, you'll be amazed at how good they taste. Another typical winter salad is politiki, a combination of shredded cabbage and pickles. Many fast food options are found on the Dimitriou Gounari Street (between Rotonda and the sea). All these are in the city centre:

1 Evi Evan, Olympou 68 (Bit-Bazaar). A nice small place near the ancient market of Thessaloniki. Very cozy and nicely decorated

Drink & nightlife

Thessaloniki is by far the liveliest city in Northern Greece, maybe even the whole country. Most of the trendy bars at the old sea-front (Nikis Ave.) and around, many of the tavernas are either downtown or in the old city (Kastra). You can also find numerous bars and tavernas at Krini, an area in eastern Thessaloniki. If you want to check out what the whole bouzoukia scene is all about, try the clubs Pyli Axiou and Mamounia, at Vilka. You will also find a lot of night clubs, bars and restaurants in Ladadika, the neighbourhood with the old warehouses next to the port. The student area is around Kamara (the Arch of Galerius), with many cheaper cafes and bars. If you will be in town during summer, take a ride on the floating bars plying the harbour. Every 2 hr or so they leave from the White Tower area for a short evening trip (30 min) in the Gulf of Thessaloniki. They play mostly ethnic and alternative foreign music. A beer would cost you €3-7, an alcohol drink €5-10 and a coffee €2.50-5.

Among the most popular places to drink a coffee or a beer are:

Aristotle Sq (Aristotelous) - The most popular tourist cafés and bars lie in the central square of the city and the homonymous street. One can find quiet cafes or noisy ones usually preferred by the young. Breakfast is also served, some restaurants are also available. Nikis’ Av - The centre’s seafront avenue is full of cafeterias usually crowded around the clock, available for coffee in daytime and beer or drink at night. Proxenou Kroromila St - Parallel to the seafront Nikis avenue is Pr. Koromila street with some cafés and bars. Iktinou pedestrian - Another place in the city with cafes and bars and a couple of restaurants. A "street beer" culture has been created by locals and students. People buy beer from the kiosks and hang out on the surrounding benches. This is probably one of the most economic ways to drink some Retsina and socialize with locals. Ladadika district - At the west side of the centre lies the picturesque neighbourhood of Ladadika (meaning: oil stores). Named this way by the many stores selling oil arrived from the adjacent harbour. This district used to be notorious but has been renovated, and many stone build warehouses now host the most known nightclubs with all sorts of music including traditional Greek bouzoukia.

Aretsou - Aretsou is in the southeast part of the city, in the Kalamaria District. In the seafront Plastira Av. are restaurants which change to bars during night featuring loud music and hosting many young. Karabournaki - A place in Kalamaria district hosting delicate bars,

Sleep

Budget 1 Little Big House Hostel, 24 Andakidou St, ☏ +30 231 3014323, [email protected]. This is a new hostel in Thessaloniki run by a brother and sister who are hosts. They have five rooms in a reconstructed house, each room with private bathroom and kitchenette and big lockers. There is also a common room and kitchen, and a nice, cozy garden area with tables and chairs. Welcome drink, maps of the city, wifi and linens, tea and coffee, all free. Laundry and breakfast for €2. €17 for bed in 6-person dorm, €19 for bed in 4-person dorm. Backpackers Refuge, ☏ +30 698 3433591, [email protected]. Near the city centre (5-min bus ride) and the water front (7 min on foot) is well connected to the train station, bus station and the airport. 24 hr hot water, free linen, washing machine, kitchen, free city map, info available about Thess, and activities in northern Greece. Pick up and other transport options, free internet. Only a small capacity and advanced booking is recommended-staff is not present around the clock. 6 bed dorm €15. 2 Studios Arabas, Sachtouri 28 (Σαχτούρη 28), ☏ +30 697 381 7188. €11.50 for dorm. 3 The Tourist Hotel, 21, Mitropoleos St (Right in the centre), ☏ +30 2310 270501, [email protected]. 2-star hotel, cheap, clean and welcoming. Single, double or triple rooms. Free WiFi. Parking with an extra charge of €15 per day. €75 for a double room including breakfast. 4 Rex Hotel, Monastiriou 39, ☏ +30 231 051 7051, [email protected]. Cheap hotel opposite the train station towards the centre. Only a 5-min walk from train station. Not great, but adequate. Two-bedroom in peak season €60. Hotel Acropoli. Close to the train station. Clean but shabby rooms, most with a balcony. A triple costs €80 or €60 for a double. 5 Alexandria Hotel, 18 Egnatia St (there is a bus stop outside, buses link to train station, bus station and airport), ☏ +30 2310 536185, [email protected]. Check-out: 12:00. Bang in the centre of Egnatia Str., with easy bus connections. Friendly staff. Price includes private bathroom, A/C, WiFi, fridge and TV. Snacks and laundry for extra charge. €33 for twin room. (updated Feb 2016) 6 RentRooms Thessaloniki, Konstantinou Melenikou 9, ☏ +30 2310 204080, [email protected]. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. Travellers and backpackers hostel. Nice & clean rooms and dorms with balconies. Cafeteria garden for drinks and snacks near a green park. It is in city centre's university side, overlooking "Rotonda" UNESCO World Heritage Roman monument site. Cozy atmosphere and friendly staf

Go next

The suburb of Panorama is well heeled and has good restaurants, and spectacular views over Thessaloniki - especially at sunset. The classic trips out of Thessaloniki are:

Serres – The second largest city in Greece's Macedonia region and close to the Bulgarian towns of Melnik and Bansko and Pirin National Park. Kavala and Philippi – About 160 km east of Thessaloniki is Kavala, one of the most beautiful cities of Greece. The ancient site of Philippi is particularly known by Apostle Paul and the first Christian baptism in Europe.

Thasos – A green island with high mountains and wonderful beaches. You can visit the island on a day trip but its definitively worth to spent more days. There are ferry boats from Kavala harbor and Keramoti.

Chalkidiki peninsula – There are 500 km of wonderful beaches on the fingers of this peninsula, one of the main tourist destinations of Greece. Kassandra is where many Salonicans (and tourists) spend their holidays. Sithonia is the most beautiful place of Halkidiki both in landscape and beaches. In the summer, the Armenistis campground (Sithonia peninsula) stages concerts and other events. Mount Athos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This peninsula houses over 1,700 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. The visit is strictly controlled and only male visitors are allowed. Mount Olympus coast (towards Platamonas) – A very scenic region which has fallen out of favour with the trendy set but has lost no business - it is now mainly catering to tourists from Eastern Europe. Pella – The Macedonian capital during the time of Alexander the Great. Vergina – The spectacular site of the Macedonian royal tombs. Dion – A beautiful archaeological site near Mount Olympus. Prespa and Doirani lakes – Near the borders with Albania and North Macedonia, respectively, the Prespas especially offering an austere and evocative Balkan landscape and plenty of birdwatching.