Why go now?
Greece's relaxed and profoundly historic second city is both the
gateway to some fascinating parts of northern Greece and a
worthwhile destination in its own right. Thessaloniki is more
accessible from Britain this summer – with easyJet's new route from
Manchester offering excellent weekend connections to add to the
existing services from London.
Touch down
The main airline is easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyJet.com), with
five weekly flights from Gatwick and two from Manchester. BA (0844
493 0787; ba.com) competes from
Gatwick four times a week, while Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) flies
thrice weekly from Stansted. The airport is 15km south-east of the
city.
Bus 78, an express service, departs from the airport every
half-hour or so, covering the 30-minute journey to town for a
reasonable €0.80. If you don't want to wait for a direct bus, then
take the next one to Ikea (Greek for Ikea, the homeware store) and
change to any northbound bus; €0.90 including transfer.Buses run to
the main railway station (1), calling at several stops in the city
centre. Returning to the airport, the city's complicated one-way
system and building works for the new Metro mean it is difficult to
find the right stops – locate the most convenient one before you
need to head home.
Get your bearings
Thessaloniki sprawls around an arc of coastline at the top of
the Thermaic Gulf. The main area of interest to visitors is along
the shore between the ferry port (2) and the city's emblem, the
White Tower (3), and in the area that rises inland from here to the
ancient city walls.
The city is walkable, with cheap buses and efficient taxis
offering respite from the heat.
Official tourist information is a problem, especially at
weekends; the main tourist office (4) on Tsimiski opens only 9am to
3pm, Monday to Friday, while the kiosk (5) in Aristotle Square
looks permanently abandoned. Only the airport tourist office opens
on Saturdays (9am-2pm).
Check in
The best address in town is the five-star Electra Palace Hotel
(6), with a commanding presence over Aristotle Square (00 30 2310
294 000; electrahotels.gr). Summer rates online are
outstanding value, with opulent doubles for €110 including an ample
buffet breakfast.
A seafront alternative with boutique style and superb views
across the gulf can be found at the Daios (7) at 59 Nikis Avenue
(00 30 2310 250 200; daioshotels.com). Chic doubles are available
for €115 to €135, with breakfast and complimentary mini-bar.
For three-star, old-school hospitality in a good location, opt
for the Hotel Luxembourg (8) at 6 Komninon Street (00 30 2310 252
600; hotelluxembourg.gr); €80 doubles with
breakfast.
Day One
Cultural morning
Start early at the 34m-high White Tower (3), where no more than
75 visitors are allowed at any one time (8.30am-3pm daily except
Monday, free). Its present name arose in the 19th century when a
convict whitewashed the tubby 15th-century fortification in return
for freedom. It has now reverted to its original honey-coloured
stone. Nearby, the splendid archaeological museum (9) at 6 Manoli
Andronikou Street (00 30 2310 830 538; amth.gr; 8am-3pm
daily; €6) is also best seen early before the crowds. The grounds
are strewn with classical fragments and elegant sarcophagi, while
inside are finds from the Royal Tombs at Vergina, 80km south-west
of Thessaloniki. The pottery and jewellery are particularly
fine.
For a couple of euros more, you can buy a combination ticket
that includes the adjacent Museum of Byzantine Culture (10) (same
hours), which has some notable icons.
Window shopping
The main shopping street is Tsimiski, with the Plateia Mall (11)
at the centre. For specialist and independent stores, browse
Smyrnis Street (12), where original crafts and charms are on sale
in 7wishes at No 7 (00 30 2310 227 117), and cutting-edge design in
the 2nd FLooR architectural showroom (00 30 2310 266 931; 2ndFLooR.gr),
confusingly displayed in its ground-floor shop.
The main city market is Modiano (13), which sprawls across a
couple of city blocks and is full of life until around noon from
Monday to Saturday.
Lunch on the run
You can put together a picnic at the market (13), or opt to join
the queue at a Thessaloniki institution: Papadosiako (14), on the
corner of Tsimiski and Aristotle. It serves wraps, sandwiches and
sweet cakes – plus excellent ice-cream.
Take a view
Even if you are not staying at the Electra Palace Hotel (6), you
can go to the top floor for a coffee in the open-air roof terrace –
with views across the gulf as far as Mount Olympus on a clear day.
Not all of
Thessaloniki's many fine views are from high altitude: for a
sea-level prospect, walk east to the port (2) and look inland to
the urban embroidery draped across the hills.
Take a hike
From the ferry port (2) head inland – pausing to see if the
waterside Olympic Museum is open (hours are erratic). Head away
from the sea along the café-strewn street of Katouni (15) and
through the narrow lanes of the old Turkish quarter around Vilara
(16). Head south-east along Ermou, with some handsome
mid-20th-century structures, to Agia Sofia (17) – an always-busy
church with 8th-century roots and a fabulous dome.
An aperitif
Proto Patoma (18) occupies the first floor of an Art Nouveau
building at Tsimiski 19 (00 30 2310 223 331; protopatoma.gr). For a swift ouzo in the
company of locals playing dominoes, try Café Diogenis (19) just off
Agiou Dimitriou.
Dining with the locals
Thessaloniki has lots of great-value restaurants. One of the
best locations is Mangio (20), on the corner of Nikis and Smyrnis
(00 30 2310 263 730). The upstairs terrace faces south-west, so you
can take in the last of the sun while enjoying good taverna
fare.
Day Two
Sunday morning: go to church
Start the day at the viewing platform at the Kastra (21), the
ancient citadel, which you can reach on bus 22 to Tsitsania or bus
23 to Platanos. From here, the city unravels beneath you towards
the sea.
Walk west beside the wall to the first theological location of
the day: the Vlatadon Monastery (22), with a tiny chapel (7.30
-11am and 5.30-8pm) amid modern structures.
Then head downhill, following the sporadic signs to the Temple
of Osios David (23), open 9am-noon and 6pm-8pm daily (but not
Sunday evenings). Peek inside to see the vivid 12th-century
frescos.
A walk in the park
Keep heading downhill towards through the straggle of lanes. The
father of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, was born in Thessaloniki
before the wholesale population transfers that saw many Turks and
Greeks change places. His birthplace is the well-guarded Turkish
Consulate (24) at Agiou Dimitriou 151. It is closed for
renovations, but you can visit the gardens.
Walking straight towards the sea, you encounter a couple more
open spaces: the vast Rotunda (25), shaded by trees, and the tiny
Church of St Panteleimon (26) that stands in a pretty garden in the
city.
Out to brunch
Over at the port (2), the exuberant Kitchen Bar (00 30 2310 502
241) serves salads, grilled meat and elaborate desserts all day,
every day, at outdoor tables that line the quayside.
Take a ride
One of Greece's more unusual transportational phenomena is
Thessaloniki's free harbour cruise. Frequently through the day and
evening, motor boats dolled up in the manner of ancient triremes,
depart from the waterside adjacent to the White Tower (3) for
one-hour tours of the harbour. The understanding is that you will
buy a drink or two during the voyage; coffee is €3, a glass of wine
€6.
Icing on the cake
Where other cities have ordinary squares, Thessaloniki has two
astonishing sets of ancient ruins planted in the middle of the
city. To the north, the foundations of the Roman Agora (27) fill
Dikastirion Square; 1km to the south in Navarinou Square (28), the
Arch of Galerius, celebrates victory over the Persians in 279AD –a
nd is planted amid the ruins of a palace. Opening hours are short
(8am to 3pm, Monday and Thursday only), but you need not get close
up for the sense of antiquity enduring so spectacularly amid
modernity.
VIEW GALLERY
