If you want an amazing holiday – Greece is the word.
Here we reveal the delights of the country’s dynamic second city, Thessaloniki. It’s rightly known for its city-within-a-city food market, but there’s so much more to experience and explore.
From dreamy beaches to top tavernas and from fascinating museums to brilliant bike tours, Thessaloniki has all the ingredients for a holiday to remember.
Beaches
There are some sand-sational beaches near Thessaloniki.
Just to the south is Peraia beach, which can be reached by bus and, if you want to sustain a nautical theme, by ferry. After you disembark, you’ll discover a mile-long strip of fine sand and a gently sloping seabed that’s shallow for about 150ft, so it’s great for kids.
Also connected to the city by bus is Agia Triada beach, a bit further south. It’s festooned with top tavernas and sun loungers, and boasts enticing crystal-clear water.
Continue along the coast for a few miles and you’ll arrive at Epanomi beach, which is long, lovely and laced with some great dining-out options.
The wonders of the White Tower
The city’s emblem is the 111ft-high White Tower on the waterfront – an unmissable landmark.
Built in the 15th century, the history of this former Byzantine fortress is fascinating, if gruesome. It was once used as a place of execution for convicts, giving rise to the chilling moniker the Tower of Blood.
In 1883 it became known as the White Tower after a prisoner whitewashed it in exchange for his freedom.
Since 2008 the Tower has housed an intriguing permanent exhibition on Thessaloniki over seven floors, covering its history from the age of its founding in 315BC to the present day.
The balcony at the top affords visitors terrific views of the cityscape.
Bike tours
Pedal power is the perfect way to peruse Thessaloniki – and there are several top tour companies to choose from.
English-speaking guides will take you to the city’s most fascinating sights – such as the iconic White Tower, the labyrinthine streets of Ano Poli, the mesmerisingly mosaic-y Church of Agia Sofia, the statue-studded Arch of Galerius and the restaurant-laden Ladadika district. And most of the tour companies cater for little ‘uns, too, with child seats available to hire.
A wheel-y great way to get under the skin of the city in double-quick time.
The famous food market
Mosey on over to the charming glass-roofed Modiano Market for a veritable feast of food stalls and bars.
Built in 1930 in central Thessaloniki next to Aristotelous Square and named after the architect who designed it – El Modiano – the Market encapsulates the vibrant spirit of the old city.
Inside you’ll find myriad merchants selling all manner of spices, cheese, fish, meat and vegetables.
The advice? Take your time, soak up the atmosphere of this glorious city-within-a-city and let the exotic scents fill your nostrils.
Magnificent museums
Culture vultures prepare to swoop, because Thessaloniki boasts several excellent museums.
There’s the Archaeological Museum, for instance, which is one of the largest museums in Greece. It contains masterpieces of ancient Greek art dating from prehistoric times to late antiquity. The Derveni Crater, an ornate vase dating to 330-320BC, and The Gold of Macedon exhibition, dedicated tο ancient Macedonian precious metals, are two of the highlights.
The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki is another must-see.
It’s housed in a rare city centre building – the former office of Jewish newspaper L’Independent – one of the few to survive the great fire of 1917 intact.
Jews have had a presence in Thessaloniki for 2,000 years and the museum traces that heritage with a fascinating collection of religious objects, rare books and material salvaged from the city’s Jewish cemetery and synagogues that were destroyed by the German WWII occupation.
The Museum of Byzantine Culture, meanwhile, contains a staggering 3,000 Byzantine objects in its 11-room 37,000-square-foot permanent exhibition, from mosaics to tomb paintings.
Sensational shopping
Thessaloniki city centre is heaven for those with the urge for a credit-card splurge, because it’s brimming with shops, from designer boutiques to major department stores.
The biggest shopping boulevard is Tsimiski Street, which is great for upscale clothing, electronics and jewellery.
Make a beeline from here to the likes of Mitropoleos Street, for more designer gear and stylish eateries, and Egnatia Street for top sports equipment.
Quality shopping is also ready and waiting in Pavlou Mela Street, Leoforos Nikis Ave, Ermou Street and the pedestrianised Agias Sofias Street.
And there are plenty of cafes to refuel in.
Tasty tavernas
You’re spoiled for choice for top tavernas in Thessaloniki, but one of the hottest of the city’s hotspots for them is the historic port area of Ladadika (which actually translates as ‘shops selling oil’).
In times gone by it was full of old tobacco houses, now it’s the place to go for a delicious dinner.
Other areas of the city renowned for rustling up top fodder include Ano Poli and Egnatia.
What’s on offer? Think steaks soaked in truffle oil, buttered shrimps, slow-cooked pork, the freshest of seafood salads and pizzas to die for.
And don’t forget dessert. Turkish delight and pistachio is a speciality.
An excursion to Mount Athos, where sea-ing is believing
The ancient clifftop monasteries of the Mount Athos peninsula, aka the Holy Mountain, have to be seen to be believed.
Many are perched on impossibly vertiginous spots.
One of the best ways of seeing them is by boat. After all, visiting the monasteries by foot can take some organising as special permits are required – and females, to ensure celibacy among the monks, are not allowed to get within 500 metres of the coast.
There are lots of tours available on a variety of vessels, from sailing ships to glass-bottomed boats.
Get there
The wonders of the Greek island of Thessaloniki can be reached from Gatwick Airport with British Airways, which has an extensive network of flights across Europe. Combine your flight with a hotel and car hire from British Airways Holidays to create a great-value getaway.
