Thessaloniki is a seaside city, a charming and vibrant modern metropolis. A city with a rich 2300 years history, yet providing a perfect environment for a lively students’ community. A place to admire a spectacular sunset from the locals’ most favourite hangout, its 5-kilometer promenade.
A not to miss destination for an easygoing city break, enjoying great food and deep diving into art and culture, a perfect meeting place for business travelers and event attendants.
Easy access & Connectivity
Strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, Thessaloniki connects easily to Southeastern Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.
Within easy access through highways form the land borders and only 14 km away from Thessaloniki Makedonia Airport, with an extended connectivity network serving year round numerous domestic and international destinations, Thessaloniki offers many solutions to visitors to arrange their travel.
Thessaloniki is a compact city, easy to stroll around the historical center, explore the colorful neighborhoods and relax on the waterfront.
If you feel comfort and at ease, you have reached Thessaloniki!
History & Culture
Thessaloniki is a city with a continuous history of 2.300 years, with traces and monuments of the Roman, early Christian, Byzantine, Ottoman and Jewish heritage.
The once mighty Byzantine Empire that ruled over the eastern Mediterranean for more than a thousand years is lost centuries ago, but the city of Thessaloniki still faithfully guards some of the most characteristic remnants. Today, visitors to the city have the unique opportunity to explore the Byzantine civilization through Thessaloniki’s mediaeval masterpieces, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 15 in total.
Museums and monuments, architectural landmarks and modern art installations, open-air archeological sites, old warehouses in the Thessaloniki Port Pier, create a charming blend of history and culture, merging east and west, traditional and modern, past and present.
A visit to Thessaloniki, a journey through time!
Gastronomy
A multitude of influences enriched Thessaloniki’s cuisine during the centuries with different products and cultures, eating habits and techniques, leading to delicious results. All kinds of travelers with different gastronomy expectations will meet their expectations in Thessaloniki.
Get acquainted with the great products of the Greek land, produced around Thessaloniki and the Thermaikos gulf, by visiting the colorful open markets in the town’s center. Taste local delicacies in the typical, traditional, casual eateries, “tavernas or mezedopolia”. A great tribute is given also to fine dining and executive seafood restaurants in unique locations, 5 star hotel’s terraces, gardens and balconies by the seafront.
Modern delicatessens, small specialty shops and new age wine & cocktail bars are created intensely by very well informed food & drink enthusiasts.
Thessaloniki, a foodie’s paradise ready to explore!
Climate
Typical Mediterranean with warm summers, mild winters and an annual average of 300 days of sunshine, the climate is yet another one of the advantages the city offers to the visitors. The generous touch of the bright Mediterranean sun and the gentle Aegean Sea breeze attract locals and visitors to the long waterfront all year round and invite them to enjoy the nearby beaches form late spring till early fall.
Modern City
Today, Thessaloniki is a lively, multicultural city that attracts young people, tourists, and international business. Culture and history are highly valued by our citizens, and creative and cultural projects and initiatives proliferate.
A stunning promenade by the Thermaic Gulf, with a much appraised internationally, award winning architectural design features the city’s modern facade to the sea. At the east end of the waterfront, Thessaloniki Concert Hall M2, designed by Arata Isozaki, fascinates with its imposing simplicity.
The city is also home of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus, a cultural institution intending to leave its mark on international modern and contemporary art, photography, sculpture and the experimental arts.
Thessaloniki is a city in transformation, a city that wants to be inclusive; locally oriented but with international partnerships and exchanges; and forward looking to address interrelated challenges and actions. A city that guarantees the well-being of its people and respects its natural resources.
Recreational Activities
Strolling down Nea Paralia, the locals’ most favorite hangout, is one of the best things to do in Thessaloniki.On the waterfront, you will find dog parks, picnic spots and even a skateboarding park, art works, benches for sitting and food stands. Safe and fun playgrounds are scattered in the parks and four-seat bikes to rent, as Thessaloniki is a family friendly destination. There is a designated bicycle path along the waterfront.
Enjoy a run by the longest running track of the city to get in the right mood and revitalize your mind and body. Pilates, Yoga, TRX, lovers have also found their ideal outdoors training spot here, enjoying the sea breeze and the great Mount Olympus views. Sailing, rowing and practicing SUP are very popular among locals and visitors.
Tip: Get fascinated by the famous Thessaloniki sunset and sail away in the gulf as night falls!
Festivals & Events
Thessaloniki is one of the best places to experience Greece’s vibrant culture. Where else in the country could you watch movies on a terrace during the summer, picnic in an archaeological site while listening to music and attend an Opera in a 15th century fort complex?
Thessaloniki is home of the Thessaloniki International Film and Documentary Festival, one of the oldest in Southeast Europe, attracting an audience of more than 80.000.
Reworks brings together music lovers from all over the world, transforming Thessaloniki into a contemporary music-breathing city every September. The annual line-up is a fantastic blend of electro, dance and house music, featuring stars like Nina Kraviz, David August and Jessie Ware.
Street Mode is an music, art, and sports festival, reaching more than 40.000 visitors every year, with a program that includes musical performances in 5 stages and more than 15 street culture events.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Thessaloniki invests in human talent, including skills, leadership and entrepreneurship. The city empowers citizens and community-led projects and it hosts institutions that align education and training to career paths.
The economy of the city supports existing and prospective local economic cluster activities and zones. Alexander Innovation Zone manages the Thessaloniki Innovation Zone, a complex project that aims to attract innovative companies, to capitalize the existing dynamics in research and innovative entrepreneurship and organize a favorable environment for further internal and external growth.
Thessaloniki is home to the country’s second largest export and transit port, and the nearest European Union port to the Balkans and Black Sea zone. The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), an international financial institution with headquarters in Thessaloniki, Greece, supports economic development and regional cooperation in the Black Sea Region.
Thessaloniki is also considered to have direct influence over the whole region of Central Macedonia, an area of an estimated 1.9 million inhabitants and has strong cultural and economic ties with its neighboring countries.
