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Top 10 things to do in Thessaloniki: activities you can't miss out on!
A trip by SophieTzatchickieTop 10 things to do in Thessaloniki: activities you can't miss out on!
Greece's soulful second city – Byzantine churches and Roman monuments, a seafront promenade with its steel Umbrellas, the markets of Kapani and Modiano, rooftop bars over the gulf, and arguably the best food in the country.
Sigma Suites Hotel
A suite hotel in the old town, just above the city's waterfront heart.
9.9 Alternative places to stay
ThessalonikiDay 1
White Tower & Aristotelous Square
White Tower
Thessaloniki's iconic 15th-century Ottoman tower on the waterfront. Once a fortress and a prison, today it's a museum dedicated to the city's history. The view from the top across the gulf to Mount Olympus is the city's most photographed shot.
Nikis Waterfront & the Umbrellas
The seafront promenade is Thessaloniki's evening ritual – a long, car-free boulevard along the Thermaic Gulf, and the best stretch is the New Waterfront with Giorgos Zogolopoulos's "Umbrellas", the cluster of steel umbrellas standing in the sea. Time a slow walk here for sunset, with Mount Olympus floating on the horizon across the bay.
Aristotelous Square
Thessaloniki's grand neoclassical plaza, opening from Egnatia Street down to the gulf. Cafes and arcades line both sides; concerts, demonstrations and festivals all centre here. The morning coffee stop on any walking tour of the city.
Stin Taratsa
Stin Taratsa ("on the terrace") is exactly that – a rooftop in the centre for cocktails above the city, the kind of easy, stylish spot to start an evening. Come for the view over the waterfront and the warm Thessaloniki nightlife humming below.
ThessalonikiDay 2
The Rotunda & the Arch of Galerius
Rotunda
The Rotunda was built in 306 AD by the Roman emperor Galerius – a colossal brick cylinder, originally a temple or mausoleum, later a church and a mosque (hence the lone minaret beside it). Its sheer scale and the early-Christian mosaics inside make it one of Thessaloniki's most striking monuments, anchoring the Roman complex that runs down to the Arch of Galerius.
Arch of Galerius
The Arch of Galerius – "Kamara" to locals – is the city's great Roman landmark, a triumphal arch carved with reliefs of Galerius's victory over the Persians. It stands at the top of pedestrianised Dimitriou Gounari, a natural meeting point and the start of the short walk up to the Rotunda.
Holy Church of Demetrius
The 5th-century basilica of Thessaloniki's patron saint – burnt and rebuilt multiple times, today restored to its 7th-century footprint. The crypt holds the saint's reliquary; the upper church features rare surviving Byzantine mosaics.
Roman Forum
The 1st-century Roman agora at the heart of the lower town, sitting one level below the modern street. The bouleuterion (council chamber), cryptoporticus and small museum can be visited; the open archaeological site can be viewed from the railings at any time.
The Greek (To Elleniko)
A reliable, locals-loved spot for traditional Greek dishes a short walk from the White Tower. The Greek salad is genuinely the platonic version; the slow-cooked lamb is reason enough to book ahead.
ThessalonikiDay 3
Ano Poli & the Eptapyrgio
Ano Poli (Old Town)
Thessaloniki's UNESCO-listed Upper Town – the only district to survive the Great Fire of 1917. Cobbled lanes, Ottoman-era houses, Byzantine walls, small chapels and the best city views back down to the gulf. A taxi up, a long downhill walk back.
Eptapyrgio
Eptapyrgio – the "seven towers" – crowns the Upper Town, a Byzantine and Ottoman fortress built into the city walls and later a notorious prison. Walk up through Ano Poli to reach it and you get both the history and the best panorama in Thessaloniki: the whole city stepping down to the Thermaic Gulf.
Castra Bar
Castra is the rooftop the locals climb to in Ano Poli for sunset – an unfussy bar with an unbeatable view straight over the rooftops, the Rotunda and the gulf as the city turns gold. Get there before the light goes, order a drink, and watch Thessaloniki light up below you.
Mamaloulka
A Thessaloniki institution near the port – old-school taverna with seafood mezedes, ouzo by the carafe, and a clientele of locals who've been coming for decades. The right place to land if the cruise ship leaves at 9 PM.
ThessalonikiDay 4
Modiano Market & the Archaeological Museum
Kapani Market
One of the best open-air food markets in Greece. Tight rows of fishmongers, butchers, spice traders and produce stalls fill a maze of narrow streets behind Aristotelous Square. Best early – vendors start packing up by mid-afternoon.
Modiano Market
A historic indoor market – opened in 1922, restored and reopened in 2023 – that now houses some of Thessaloniki's most exciting new food stalls, tavernas and bars under its glass-domed arcade. Complementary to Kapani Market across the street.
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
The big draw of the museum is the gold of the Macedonian royal tombs (Vergina-era pieces, including Philip II's grave goods). Plenty of pre-historic, Roman and Byzantine material besides. A serious 2-hour visit; combine with the Byzantine museum next door.