It is impossible to tell in a few words about Thessaloniki. This city, located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, has long been unofficially called the capital of all of Northern Greece. About Thessaloniki, which was founded in 316 BC e., know many tourists who happily spend their holidays here.
The question of what to see in Thessaloniki does not arise here. You can just walk around the city and find more and more sights: spacious squares, majestic monuments, Byzantine temples, interesting museums. To see all the local attractions, you will have to spend a week or more in Thessaloniki. You immediately give your heart to this city with a rich history and promise to return here more than once.
TOP 10 attractions of Thessaloniki
Basilica of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Basilica of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki
The most magnificent temple not only in Thessaloniki, but throughout the country is the Basilica of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, erected on the site where the ancient Roman baths used to stand. In them, in 303, Saint Demetrius was deprived of his life. At first, a small church was erected here, which was later rebuilt into a three-nave church. In the 7th century it was destroyed by an earthquake and in its place a five-aisled basilica appeared, which is famous for its mosaics of the 8th-9th centuries. These images depicting the life of the patron saint of the temple during the Turkish rule were hidden under layers of plaster.
Until 1912, the Basilica of St. Demetrius was a mosque. After a fire in Thessaloniki in 1917, the temple had to be rebuilt. The basilica is now operational. Its main treasure is the relics of St. Demetrius, which thousands of believers come to worship.
White Tower
White Tower
The White Tower, towering in the most populous place - on the embankment, has long been the most recognizable architectural object of the city. It was built in 1430, by order of the Turkish Sultan Murad II, and was part of the fortification system of Thessaloniki. In the 18th century, it was turned into a dungeon where the guilty Turkish soldiers were kept. In 1826, a mass execution took place here, after which the tower was called Bloody for a long time.
Now the White Tower houses the Historical and Art Museum, which contains interesting artifacts from the Byzantine and Turkish rule. Weapons, icons and much more are kept here. You can also climb to the observation deck at the top of the tower.
Ruins of agora
Ruins of agora
The Roman agora is the remains of an ancient Roman city forum from the 2nd century AD. BC, which are located at the top of Aristotle's square. The place, which during the time of the ancient Romans was the economic, political, social and religious center of the city, is a terraced complex consisting of several objects. At the moment, one of the two Roman baths and a small theater, which was intended for gladiatorial battles, have been freed from the layers of the earth. This open-air stage is still used for its intended purpose: theatrical performances and concerts are held here.
The forum and theater are believed to have been in use until at least the 6th century. For a long time, no one knew about the Roman ruins in the center of Thessaloniki. They were accidentally discovered in the 1960s. It is now a popular tourist attraction.
Ladadika quarter
Ladadika quarter
Ladadika is located to the left of Eleutherias Square, near the port of Thessaloniki. For centuries, one of the most important markets in the city has operated here. There were numerous shops selling olive oil (“ladi” in Greek). It is because of this that the quarter got its name.
In the years leading up to the First World War, Ladadika, due to its proximity to the port, became a red light district. After the great fire in Thessaloniki in 1917, the Ladadika area was deserted. The period of decline of this quarter lasted until 1978, when the city was destroyed by an earthquake. After that, the restoration of the old quarters began. Ladadika got a second life. Most of the buildings of the 19th century have survived here, which have been carefully restored. In the evening, this quarter comes alive: bars, nightclubs, taverns and restaurants work here. During the day, you can walk along the narrow streets lined with low buildings, admiring the ancient architecture and beautiful lanterns.
Church of st. Sofia - Agia Sofia
Church of st. Sofia
The Church of St. Sophia is open only a few hours in the morning and in the evening - during services. It cannot be visited during the day because of the long siesta. This domed church, unusual from an architectural point of view, was built in the 7th century on the site of a 5th century basilica. The current church takes up less space than the early Christian basilica. Completion of this sacred building under the emperor Leo III, who in every possible way supported the iconoclasts.
In this regard, the church has a very laconic interior, which stands out:
- valuable frescoes painted during the restoration of the temple after one of the fires of the 11th century;
- dome and apse mosaics created between the 8th and 12th centuries;
- Byzantine columns with capitals dating from the 5th century.
Arc de Triomphe Galerius
Arc de Triomphe Galerius
During your vacation in Thessaloniki, you should definitely see a monument of the Roman era - the Arc de Triomphe of Emperor Galerius, built at the end of the 3rd century in honor of his victory over the Persians. The arch, built of large bricks, is located south of another architectural object of the same time - the Rotunda.
Previously, galleries adjoined the arch, through which one could get to the Rotunda and the Galerius palace. The arch itself was massive and consisted of two walls, the passage between which was covered with a dome. There were three more arched holes in the walls. Only one of them has survived, the western one, which until the last century was occupied by city buildings. At the beginning of the 20th century, the present Egnatia Avenue was much narrower than it is now. In width, it was limited by the Arc de Triomphe of Galerius, which was adjacent to residential buildings. Now the avenue has been expanded. The arch, whose stones are decorated with patriotic bas-reliefs celebrating Galerius's victory, stands on the sidewalk.
Rotunda
Rotunda
The Rotunda is the former mausoleum of Emperor Galerius, which remained unclaimed, for Galerius found his last rest in a tomb in the vicinity of present-day Sofia. The rotunda in Thessaloniki was erected according to the principle of the Roman Pantheon. In the 5th century, the cylindrical building with a hole in the roof was transformed into the Church of St. George. In the 16th century, the Ottomans turned this sacred building into a mosque. At the same time, a low minaret appeared over the Rotunda, which can be seen even now. This is the only minaret preserved in the territory of Thessaloniki.
Today, the Rotunda is a museum where tourists are shown old mosaics and wall paintings from the 4th century. Sometimes, on major holidays, services are held here, for which the whole city gathers.
Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is famous all over the world for its collection of artifacts from the times of the Macedonian kingdom. They occupy only one room here, but just in order to see these treasures, it is worth coming to Thessaloniki. All items dating from the Macedonian era have been found by archaeologists in the tombs of the Macedonian nobility. There is an extensive selection of jewelry made from precious metals. Skillfully made golden wreaths, where each leaf is so realistic that it does not differ from its prototypes, cause great admiration. It is interesting to see both the burial urns made of gold and the armor of the Macedonian commanders. In a separate display case there is a huge bowl called Derveni Crater, after the village of Derveni, where it was discovered. This vessel, created from bronze in 330 BC. e., decorated with images of Dionysus and Ariadne.
Aristotle square
Aristotle square
Thessaloniki has a lot of business cards. One of them is the huge central square of Aristotle, which is crossed by Metropolios Street, where buses arrive from different parts of the city. The square is flanked by slightly curved, representative buildings with marble columns supporting open galleries. These palaces were built in the Byzantine style in the 1920s and 1930s. The entire ensemble of the square was designed a few years earlier - in 1917. On the eve of this date, a great fire broke out in Thessaloniki, destroying the old quarters of the city adjacent to the sea. The place for the new square turned out to be free. The palaces surrounding the square are now home to fashionable hotels, the city's most expensive restaurants and fashionable boutiques. In front of one of these buildings is a statue of Aristotle. According to local legend, you need to rub your toe on his toe to get a little of his wisdom.
Vlatadon
Vlatadon
Rare tourists get to the Upper City of Thessaloniki, where the Vlatadon Monastery is located - an amazingly quiet and peaceful place, which is under the protection of UNESCO. It is the only monastery in Thessaloniki that was founded in the Byzantine era and is still active today. As one of the legends says, the monastery was erected on the site where the Apostle Paul preached and lived during his stay in the city. The monastery got its name in honor of the founding brothers - Dorotheus and Mark Vlatadov.
The monastery church was built in the middle of the 14th century. Its decoration with bright frescoes took place a little later - in the years 1360-1380. Since 1387, when Thessaloniki was occupied by the Ottomans, the church was transformed into a mosque. In 1979, a strong earthquake struck Thessaloniki, as a result of which Vlatadon was seriously damaged. It was restored and partially opened to tourists. The monastery has a large poultry house where peacocks are kept.
