On our way to Thessaloniki. We traveled here from Halkidiki which we talked about in our previous story. Starting from Polychrono there are around 100 km to drive and from the Kassandra exit you have a highway so you can get to Thessaloniki pretty fast from that area.
Once you arrive here you will notice that is a quite interesting city. There is an alternation of huge and very tight streets, tall hills and sea. If you are driving you will definitely make use of a hill start assistance. But let’s see what can we visit in Thessaloniki.
Church of Saint Dimitrios
Our first stop was at the Church of Saint Dimitrios, the Patron of Thessaloniki. Located on the top of a few steps and having a robust design, this church will overwhelm you with it’s image. If you go inside you will not regret it as this place full of history is extremely beautiful. We say that is full of history because it is built on the site of some old roman baths, it has been turned into a mosque, it was nearly destroyed by a fire and you can find out even more on the site. Under the church there is the Crypt that we did not managed to visit but the legend says that the saint himself died here. The entrance is free so there are no excuses to miss visiting this place.
Nikis Avenue
Nikis Avenue is a long street right next to the sea and near the Port of Thessaloniki. You can enjoy here in the day a walk, admire the boats leaving the port and the beauty of the Aegean Sea, but you definitely need to come here at night. We enjoyed it the most after the sunset because of the changes that happen here. The whole place becomes a huge party zone, filled with restaurants, bars, clubs and people ready to have some fun. We had a break at one of the restaurants here and enjoyed a great octopus.
Also the view changes, lights everywhere, from the boats on the sea, from the clubs near you or from the buildings placed on the coast. Near the White Tower you can find people selling warm goods, like peanuts or pistachio. We enjoyed some great warm peanuts, some of the best we ever had.
Near the White Tower you can also find boats you can get in for 30 minutes – 1 hour trips by the coast of Thessaloniki. But, there is more. The boats have bars on them, something like bar-boats. The entrance is free as long as you get at least one drink so you can have a good time on the sea, enjoying your favorite cocktail and the coast lights of Thessaloniki. Make sure you check their schedule first as the places are limited and there are lots of people interested.
The White Tower
You probably noticed us mentioning The White Tower. Located near the Nikis Avenue and by the sea, the tower makes the Thessaloniki seafront even more beautiful. Representing another piece of city’s history, the tower was built in the 15th century and is probably the most commonly known monument here. Unfortunately we did not managed to enter inside because the late hour, but we found out some useful information that might help you.
You can find out more about the city’s culture and history from the museum inside and you can enjoy the view from the roof which we understood is amazing. In summer, they open at 8 AM and close at 8 PM, so if you manage your time better than we do you can make it, and the ticket costs 4 Euros.
Ouzeri Tsinari
Asking the locals where we could eat some great Greek food, they recommended us Ouzeri Tsinari. Located in Ano Poli, the only area of the city that survived the fire in 1917, we understood that this tavern is one of the oldest in Thessaloniki. About the area, we have some practical advice. The streets are extremely tight, so if you come here with a car leave room for enough time to find a parking spot. We’ve lost around 20 minutes searching for one.
Another thing is that this area of the city is not very popular between tourists, so it is not crowded. However, we came at night and we found ourselves on some tight, dark, lonely streets, surrounded by old buildings. It can get a little creepy but you are perfectly safe here. The food at the tavern was quite good, but we cannot say it was one of the best meals we’ve had in Greece. The cost was around 15-20 Euros each.
The tavern looks like it’s really old. A small building, with very thin walls and some square shaped windows make you feel like you traveled back in time. It looks nothing like a tavern you could find on the Greek islands and you might not want to get it at first sight but you will have a unique experience in this place.
The Old City Walls
The Old City Walls are great if you want to enjoy a panorama of Thessaloniki. You can find the walls at the intersection of Ano Poli, Sykies and Agios Pavlos areas. We’ve been there at night (yes, we love night city panoramas) and we’ve found some bars where you can have a drink or even eat. All of them are built in such manner that you can enjoy the city view, so your only worry should be to find the table that provides the panorama you are looking for.
After we had our drinks we asked the bartenders for more places for sightseeing. One of the recommendations was right next to us. The Old City Walls. Here you can climb the walls (not sure if this is legal 🙂 ) and you can find an even greater view of Thessaloniki, since the walls are higher than the bars next to them. Not much that you can do here except viewing, so after some time we left.
Heptapyrgion
Other recommended place we found out about from the bartenders for sightseeing was the Heptapyrgion. We will warn you that, at least in the night, the place feels a little creepy. With the car you can get until the gates, that’s where you start walking. So you find yourself in the middle of the night in front of an old fortress with gates made of steel and no idea where to go. We’ll help you with that. To the left, make a left turn. After a short walk next to the fortress walls you will find the place we’re talking about.
A great open space, next to the corner of the building, and the beautiful city lights of Thessaloniki unveiling in front of you. We will admit it, at first we were a little scared. Alone, in the middle of the night, next to an old fortress and hearing voices from all around the place. But don’t be scared, there are not ghosts 🙂 . The place is filled with hidden spots where teenagers have a good time. You can’t see them but you can hear them. They were the voices we were hearing.
Panorama Hill
For this last recommendation you really need a car if you are doing this by night. It’s a tall hill next to Thessaloniki but it’s not close. We drove for around 30 minutes to get there.
Maybe you will expect to find a wild area, like we did, with lots of trees and animals, but no. The place is filled with houses and villas. Is more like a residential area. The view is amazing at every corner of the street but we found it pretty hard to find a place to stop and enjoy. We’ve found an open terrace near a house or restaurant, not sure what was it, but we’ve entered for a few minutes and took some pictures and watched the panorama of Thessaloniki. You would like to know that on this hill, even if it’s full of buildings, the wild animals are not missing. We’ve found a pretty large dog without no one to watch him and even a fox, so be cautious if you’re on foot.
We’ve also heard about Mount Chortiatis that would be nice to visit but the hour was late and we were tired. Even if we did not managed to go there, we hope that you will and see what the locals are talking about.
That would be all about our vacation to Thessaloniki. We hope that you’ve found these informations useful and we will come back with more stories from our vacations.