Thessaloniki Sightseeing

“Σαν τη Θεσσαλονίκη δεν έχει!”

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece after Athens, and it is also the capital of Northern Greece and Macedonia. Why visit Thessaloniki? If you ask a local what they love their city for, what do you think they will say? Will they provide you with a list of sightseeing landmarks of Thessaloniki? (Spoiler alert: it’s very long.) Will they sing an ode to the city's architecture and favourite spots? (If so, the ode is well-deserved.) Those are possible scenarios, but most probably the answer will be: “Σαν τη Θεσσαλονίκη δεν έχει!”, as in “there's no other [city] like [this in the world].” It may sound pretentious, but when you experience this city yourself you will attest the statement is very true.

When to visit Thessaloniki? One of the beautiful benefits of the city is that the best time to go is all-year round, so just pick a date. Thanks to its location by the sea, the air of Thessaloniki is fresh and invigorating.

As for the food, you must have heard that Greek cuisine is a treat. It’s also considered a prime example of a healthy diet. With lots of vegetables, seafood, meats and cheeses, aromatic herbs, splendid olive oil, it caters to any taste, vegan or not alike. When in Thessaloniki, try patsas (tripe soup). If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss bougatsa (custard pie with phyllo) and loukoumades (Greek honey doughnuts).

See the city that has seen it all

Over two thousand years of its history, Thessaloniki has lived through a plethora of cultures, epochs, civilisations, each leaving its mark of the face and soul of the metropolis. It's a city with unique, vibrant atmosphere embracing millennia of history and modernity.

The capital of the ancient kingdom Macedonia, the capital of the Roman province and the city of the Emperor, the cultural capital of Byzantium,  the Ottoman bastion, the “Mother of Israel” and the birthplace of the Turkish democracy, modern youth capital of Europe — Thessaloniki is all that and so much more. 

The architecture is vivid and diverse: Christian Orthodox churches, ancient monasteries, Byzantine towers, minarets, buildings in neo-classic and modern style. Thessaloniki vows and lures you in to submerge in its atmosphere. It makes you feel at home, even if you live thousands of kilometres away.

Where to go in Thessaloniki? Of course, there are must-see places: the Byzantine walls of the Upper Town, the White Tower, The Church of Saint Demetrius (Hagios Demetrios), the Roman Forum, Arch of Galerius, statues to Alexander the Great and on Aristotle. By the way, the city is named after Alexander the Great’s sister. It was her husband, Kassandros, who founded the city in 315 BC.

But back to present day. Apart from these most impressive, postcard landmarks, there are lots of spots with character that tourists usually miss. But you don’t have to if you book the excursion with us. No, we won’t share our precious finds publicly, but we can give you a sense of what we offer if you contact us.