|
| Thessaloniki |
| The Bride of the Thermaic Bay |
 |
| The White Tower on Thessaloniki's waterfront is the city's trademark. |
Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece with a population of around one million is one of the oldest cities in Europe and, many people in Greece think, the most beautiful large city in the country. Thessaloniki hugs the far end of the Thermaic Bay (thus, the Bride of the Thermaic Bay) and it is defined by its relationship with it.
It was founded circa 315 BC, on a site of old prehistoric settlements dating back to 2300 BC, by Cassander, King of Macedonia, and was named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great. Since then, Thessaloniki has become the leading city of Macedonia and its most important commercial port.
In Roman times it was visited by Saint Paul, who preached the new religion here, and who later addressed his two well-known letters, the oldest written documents of Christian literature, to the Christians of Thessaloniki.
In Byzantine times Thessaloniki became a cultural and artistic centre second only to Constantinople in the whole empire. It was home to a long line of prominent Byzantine scholars, among them the monks Cyril and Methodius who were sent to Russia to teach christianity to its Slavic peoples and invented the cyrillic alphabet.
Thessaloniki fell to the Ottoman hordes in 1430, 23 years before Constantinople, and was liberated in October 26, 1912, the anniversary of its patron saint, St. Demetrius. While under Ottoman rule, the city became the birthplace of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who, in 1922, led the victorious Turkish counter-attack against the Greek armed incursion deep into Asia Minor that resulted in the uprooting of the 2,300-year-old Greek settlements from the area and the establishment of a secular regime in Turkey.
Thessaloniki today is a bustling commercial city that dominates all aspects of life in northern Greece and is fast becoming a commercial and administrative center of the Balkan region. Although its citizens tend to carry a sizeable chip on their shoulders about almost everything that comes from Athens (a Chicago vs. New York or Milan vs. Rome kind of rivalry), Athenians generally do not reciprocate and, like most everyone else, think of Thessaloniki as this romantic megalopolis in the north, with great food, beautiful women, and breathtaking sunsets.
The city is a cultural hub second only to Athens. Among the numerous noteworthy monuments are the Roman Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda, the Byzantine churches, such as Saint Demetrios, Panagia Acheiropoiitos, Agia Sofia, Saint Nicholas the Orphan, the Vlatadon Monastery and dozens of others.
Large sections of the Byzantine city-walls are still standing, together with one of their main bastions, the well-known, harborside White Tower.
The city is famous for its food and its night life all over Greece. The food is heavily influenced by the culinary traditions of Asia Minor and Thessaloniki, since many of the refugees of the war of 1922, that ended the three thousand year-old Greek presence in Asia Minor ended up and settled here. Almost anyone of the hundreds of little taverns and restaurants that dot the city offers first class food at good prices.
The nighlife is centered around Aristotelous Square, with all the cafes and bars that line the streets, and the Ladadika district in the winter and the area around the airport in the summer. The Mylos complex, out in the western suburbs of the city, near the highway that leads to Athens, is another mainstay of the city's nightlife. |
| The Highlights |
- Oval Aristotelous Square, with beautiful buildings and nice coffee shops lining its sides.
- The coastal pedestrian pier extending from the White Tower to Kalamaria.
- The Archeological Museum.
- The Ladadika district, behind the commercial harbor, at night.
- The mezedes restaurants, serving local specialties, around Aristotelous Square and the fish restaurants in Nea Krini and Kalamaria.
- The pastry shops.
|
| We Recommend |
- Early breakfast at Aristotelous Square, just as the city wakes up.
- Strolling along the coastal pedestrian way just before dark.
- Having lunch at one of the mezedes restaurants anywhere in town and dinner at one of the fish restaurants in the eastern suburbs, during the weekend.
- Having lunch at one of the fish restaurants in the eastern suburbs and dinner at one of the mezedes restaurants anywhere in town, during weekdays.
- Visting the historical sites, the Byzantine churches, and the museums.
- Spending a warm summer afternoon lying by the pool of the Makedonia Palace hotel.
|
| We Do Not Recommend |
- Driving during rush hour.
|
|
| Useful Information |
| The country code for Greece is 0030 (from the US and Canada: 01130). |
| Hospital |
| Thessaloniki has several General Hospitals that offer comprehensive health care: AHEPA General Hospital (1 Kyriakidis Street, 2310 993 110-1), G. Papanikolaou General Hospital (Exohi, 2310 357 602), Papageorgiou General Hospital (Eukarpia, 2310 693 000). |
| Foreign Press Outlet |
| Some of the newstands around Aristotelous Square and the White Tower carry foreign press. Also, the mini shops at the lobbies of the major hotels. |
| Bus Depot |
| The bus depot is by the train station, on Egnatias Street. |
| Car Rental |
| There are international car rental agencies at the airport and on the stretch of the waterfront that extends from Aristotelous Square, all the way west to the harbor entrance. Eurorent (1 Agelaki Street, 2310 286327, info@e-eurorent.gr, www.e-eurorent.gr) is a local agency with a countrywide presence. |
| Bank |
| Thessaloniki is the second largest Greek city and there are banks everywhere. Most of the Greek banks and some foreign ones, including Citibank, have branches on busy Tsimiski Street, the commercial center of the city. Opening hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 2 pm, and Friday 8 am to 2.30 pm. |
|
