Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city of
Greece with population of over a million people. The city is considered to be
the capital of northern Greece. Thessaloniki residents call their favourite
city in different ways: a nymph of Thermal Bay, princess of Thermal Bay, City
of Love (Erotiki poli) and even “ftohomana” – in the sense of “nurse of the
poor”. Indeed, this city is equally comfortable and easy to use for all people
without exception, and also for its many guests and tourists: with its
developed infrastructure, it does not have “tourist” prices, because they are
focused on the needs and requirements of the urban population.
Infrastructure
The northern capital of Greece has about 12
hospitals and a large number of private medical clinics and doctors’ offices of
various specialisations. There are kindergartens, schools, high schools,
colleges as well as the largest in the Balkans Aristotle University and
prestigious University of Macedonia, which has economic inclination.
As with any Mediterranean city, the local population
like to have a good time. Casinos, cafés, bars, traditional Greek bouzouki restaurants
will not let you get bored throughout the year. Restaurants, taverns,
pizzerias, pancake and fast-food shops offer something for everyone’s taste.
Exhibition centres, theatres, concert halls and art galleries became the venues
for international festivals and cultural events.
The main public transport is buses and taxis.
Since 2014, Thessaloniki began operating routes of passenger boats connecting in
the summer season the city with its suburbs, located along the Gulf Thermal,
towards Halkidiki. In addition, the city has open-style tour buses and even
tourist train carriages (on wheels).
Steamboats depart from the port of Thessaloniki
to Athens, on the islands of Samos, Limnos, Lesvos and Chios. Trains make their
way from the railway station to many places within the country. There is
international airport “Macedonia” located at a distance of 10 kilometres from
the city.
Nature
The average summer temperature is +24°C and in
winter +6°C. In addition to the charming promenade overlooking Olympus and
Thermal Gulf with its leisure boats, you can visit the city zoo and just an
hour’s drive from the city you can find stunning beaches of Halkidiki.
If you decide to make a trip to northern Greece,
you will find a bear reserve, beautiful lakes and taverns in the mountains,
caves and geothermal sources. Going to the south, you will discover the ski
resorts of Greece: Kaimaktsalan, Vasilitsa and Seli. The distance to the
Bulgarian Bansko is 240 kilometres.
History and landmarks
Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC in the
ancient Hellenistic state of Macedonia, birthplace of Alexander the Great. The
founder of the city was the Macedonian king Cassander, who named the city after
his wife Thessaloniki, the beautiful daughter of Philip II and Alexander the
Great’s half-sister.
Due to its favourable location in the thermal
Gulf, throughout the history Thessaloniki was an important strategic point and
trade centre. Over the centuries, the city had repeatedly been destroyed and
all the surviving monuments belong to the Byzantine period. Among them, many
old churches under the protection of UNESCO: the church of Agia Sophia, Panagia
Chalkeon, Church of St. George.
The city centre has the arch of Emperor Galerius
and excavations of his palace. This Roman emperor was closely related to the
fate of Demetrius Solunsky, who was a revered martyr. Near the old Roman market
is the Basilica of St. Demetrius, where the patron saint of the city was
martyred, pierced with spears by Roman soldiers who were ordered to do so by the
imperial order.
There are Archaeological and Byzantine Museums,
as well as the Museum of History of the Jewish people, Ataturk House Museum (the
first president of the Turkish Republic), Military Museum, Museum of Cinema,
Museum of Modern Art and many others.
