Thessaloniki is Greece’s second-largest city and offers everything you need for a perfect weekend break. A waterfront setting, interesting historical sights, excellent restaurants and bars, plus nearby beaches and vineyards. Here are 10 ways to make your trip to Thessaloniki as memorable as mine.
1. Walk along the seafront promenade
I love a seafront promenade, and Thessaloniki’s Nea Paralia is a great one that wraps around the coast for miles. A good option is to start walking from the port, where there are several restaurants and museums, and follow it along to the White Tower. It was part of Thessaloniki’s defences before its walls were demolished and has become recognised as the symbol of the city. Inside are exhibitions in Greek (with a QR code to get a translation), but the real reward for the climb to the top are the views back along the seafront and around the coast.
Another reward we discovered here is that all of the cultural sites were free to enter during the last weekend of September. It was part of the European Heritage Days scheme, which many European countries participate in every year. Just past the tower is the Umbrellas sculpture, which was created when the city was the European Capital of Culture in 1997.
2. Explore Thessaloniki’s ancient sites
Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedonia, who named it after his wife Thessalonike. It was later conquered by Rome, whose emperor Galerius left the city with a collection of Roman monuments. Byzantine and Ottoman rules then followed, so modern-day Thessaloniki is interspersed with a wide range of interesting historical sights and districts. We followed a Lonely Planet walking tour, which took us from the seafront past the remains of Galerius’s palace (now surrounded by modern high-rise flats) to the impressive Arch of Galerius.
Just north of the arch is the Rotonda, originally designed as a mausoleum but never used and converted into a church. It later became a mosque, which explains the minaret next to the circular building. Inside are the remains of what must have been stunning mosaics. And when we visited, there was also a male choir who appeared to be rehearsing for a concert. The sound they made inside the cavernous interior was incredible.
3. Visit Thessaloniki’s impressive churches
The church of Ayia Sofia is the city’s official cathedral and well worth a visit. It’s topped with a dome that has a mosaic of Christ borne up to heaven by angels on a rainbow throne and ringed by 15 figures, including the apostles. Dating from the eighth century, it replaced an even older church, so across the road is the holy well of John the Baptist, which was part of that original church.
The massive Ayios Dhimitrios Greek Orthodox church is even more impressive than Ayia Sofia and has become the city’s de facto cathedral. It’s dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki and stands on the site of his martyrdom. It’s the largest church in Greece with marble columns and a series of mosaics on the columns either side of the altar. Under the church is a huge crypt, which contains the martyrdom of the saint and a fountain with seven columns and a collecting basin.
4. Climb the steep streets to Ana Poli
North of Ayios Dhimitrios, you start to enter Ana Poli, otherwise known as the Upper Town of Thessaloniki. This is what remains of the Ottoman quarter and has quite a different feel with timber-framed houses, winding cobblestone streets and lots of steps. It can be a bit of a steep climb, so some visitors prefer to take a taxi, but walking means you get more of a feel for the area.
On the way up, we stopped off at the 5th-century Unesco-listed Church of Osios David. It’s a small place but has beautiful mosaics. Then at the top, you’ll find Eptapirgiou, a road where you can see some of the city’s remaining ramparts. We also came across Vlatadon Monastery along here, which has various buildings, including a large shop and a terrace with fab views of the city.
5. Enjoy fabulous views from Castra Terrace
A little further along Eptapirgiou, we spotted Castra Terrace, an all-day bar where you can take a break and enjoy those incredible views of Thessaloniki. We popped in for a bottle of wine and then discovered it came with an excellent plate of cheese and meats. A perfect pit stop to recharge after our climb up.
After our wine and cheese stop, we walked a little further to the Trigonion, also known as Chain Tower. It was built in the late 15th century to help prevent invasions of the city and is the most impressive tower that was part of the city walls. From here, you can also see the Byzantine fortress Heptapyrgion and the beautiful Church of Saint Paul the Apostle.
6. Taste excellent wines at the Gerovassiliou Estate
One thing you might not immediately associate with Greece is wine making, but Thessaloniki is within easy visiting distance of many vineyards. You can book whole-day tours, but we decided to go by taxi to the Gerovassiliou Estate, which is only a 40-minute drive from the city centre. They offer a tour of the vineyard for €5 and a variety of tastings. We chose the TOPOS tasting of five Gerovassiliou wines exclusively produced from Greek grape varieties. Each was served with complementary aromatic ingredients from Greece, which significantly changed how the wine tasted once they were eaten. The estate is beautiful with some lovely art pieces scattered among the vines and the tour and tasting were both excellent.
7. Take a free cruise on the Klio Tiki boat
One thing you might always expect in Greece is sand, but Thessaloniki doesn’t have any beaches in the centre. However, there are several within fairly easy striking distance, and the regular ferry service that stops at the Port or White Tower is a good way to reach them. We planned to do this, but when the weather wasn’t very beach-appropriate, we spent the day in the city, including taking a free 30-minute cruise on the Klio Tiki boat. This also departs from outside the White Tower and is free if you buy a drink at the onboard Tiki bar. It’s a really fun way to get out on the water, and the drinks were good too!
8. Breakfast on Greek omelettes at Garçon Brasserie
Our hotel in Thessaloniki was MonAsty, which was really good. Welcoming staff, nice rooms, an excellent rooftop bar and the perfect location close to Plateia Aristotelous, the city’s main ‘boulevard’. But at €25, we thought the breakfast was way too expensive! Our favourite alternative spot for breakfast was Garçon Brasserie on the seafront. It’s on two levels, so the upstairs has great views. But most importantly, it has an extensive breakfast and brunch menu. On our first visit, I tried scrambled eggs with tomatoes and feta cheese, which were very good, but the next morning I had the Greek omelette, which was quite possibly the best omelette I’ve ever had!
9. Eat memorable dinners at great restaurants
Thessaloniki has developed a reputation for excellent cuisine and we had great dinners every evening. Rodi & Meli is a more traditional restaurant in Egiptou, one of the cobblestone streets in the historic and lively Ladadika area. Just around the corner from here is another great eaterie, Zithos, which has tables in the pretty square it sits in as well as outside the restaurant. For a more modern take on local cuisine, I’d recommend Mamalouka, while Kitchen Bar is another contemporary spot that overlooks the water at Thessaloniki Port.
10. Drink fabulous cocktails at Lena’s
There are also plenty of bars in Thessaloniki, but our hands-down favourite was Lena’s. It’s a small place, but Lena is a great hostess and the female bartender mixes some fabulous cocktails.
Another favourite was Ennea, the rooftop bar at the top of the MonAsty. The staff there also serve good cocktails, and it has great views. So it was an excellent place to hang out day or night, and only an elevator ride back to our rooms!
So that’s 10 reasons Thessaloniki proved to be an excellent destination for my annual weekend away with the girls, and why I’d recommend a visit there to make memories of your own.
For more posts about European destinations that are perfect for weekend trips or longer stays, visit the Europe section of my blog.