The artistic Co-capital of Greece: Slow Travel Destination - Thessaloniki
Where Thermaic gulf colours Thessaloniki blue!
Thessaloniki is the co-capital city of Greece & the capital of Macedonia Region.
A modern city in the North mainland of the country, Thessaloniki prides itself on its rich cultural & artistic life.
With over 1 million inhabitants, Thessaloniki was declared as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle (2014, by Financial Times FDI magazine).
Thessaloniki or Salonica is a wonderful Slow Travel destination, amphitheatrically built around the Thermaic Gulf.
Its deep blue waters reflect perfectly the city`s lively colours.
Thessaloniki - Cultural Capital of Europe
In 1997 Thessaloniki was the Cultural Capital of Europe and in 2014 was selected as the European Youth Capital City.
Thessaloniki is inspiring and lively. There is a creative community in Thessaloniki where a large number of artists are living and working in the city.
Several live stage podiums are giving rhythm to the night, from traditional Greek music to rock `n roll and punk.
The city’s main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans and is to be found in the heart of the city.
This explains the liveliness of the Thessaloniki, 24/7.
Thessaloniki`s famous promenade begins central at the Port and ends at the East side of the city just where the Concert Hall is located.
One of the most popular streets of the city where locals and visitors walk or cycle, while a visit in the multiple café, bars and restaurants along the seaside guarantee an unforgettable experience!
Straight accross the Thermaic Gulf, when the skies are clear, you can admire the home of the Gods, mountain Olympos, which is revealing its glory.
The highest mountain of Greece offers a wonderful getaway only 80 km distance from Thessaloniki with several walking paths and breathtaking natural landscape beauty.
The stunning boulevard along the seafront is ideal to walk along or cycle, while multiple café, bars, restaurants & cultural hotspots promise an exciting city-brake experience for all tastes.
The Byzantine Castles of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki was founded in 316 BC by Kassandros who married the sister of Alexander the Great, Thessaloniki, and gave her name to the new city.
Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine.
An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki has a serious number of Byzantine monuments and fifteen monuments that are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Because of its geographical position, Thessaloniki has always been a multicultural center, a crossroad connecting Europe with Asia.
During the 19th century, Thessaloniki was modernized and through the proliferation of railways made the city the most important industrial center in the Balkans.
This is the reason why historians called Thessaloniki “California of the East”.
The city was fortified since its establishment, but the present walls date from the early Byzantine period, ca. 390, and incorporate parts of an earlier, late 3rd-century wall.
The walls consist of the typical late Roman mixed construction of ashlar masonry alternating with bands of brick.
The northern part of the walls adjoins the acropolis of the city, which formed a separate fortified enceinte, and within it lies another citadel, the Eptapyrgion.
The Upper Town (Ano Poli) promises street art masterpieces, the hidden secrets for all passionate photographers, local taverns and at the top of the upper city, the «Castles of Thessaloniki» shape the acropolis that enriches the city`s vibe with its golden lights since the Byzantines years, when the city was the second largest and wealthiest city.
Theater performances, street art exhibitions, open air cinema`s and ancient theaters complete a wonderful mosaic of cultural spots were the visitor finds certainly what he wishes for.
During the whole year long, Thessaloniki offers a variety of entertainment and cultural events, festivals, and affairs such as:
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