Thessaloniki-guide
THE HISTORY OF THESSALONIKI
The second largest city in Greece, with a population of around one million, Thessaloniki is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded in 315 BC by Cassander, King of Macedonia, on the site of a prehistoric settlement dating from 2300 BC. Cassander named the city Thessaloniki after his wife, the sister of Alexander the Great. During Roman times, the apostle Paul came to Thessaloniki to preach the new
religion. In the Byzantine era, Thessaloniki was second only to Constantinople as a cultural and artistic centre of the empire. It was the birthplace of many leading members of the Byzantine intelligentsia, including the monks Cyril and Methodius. Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430, 24 years before Constantinople, and was liberated on 26 October 1912, on the feast day of its patron
saint, Dimitrios.
THESSALONIKI TODAY
Thessaloniki hosts many high-profile cultural and commercial events, including the Documentary Film Festival (March), the International Trade Fair (September), the Film Festival (November). Its latest acquisition is the Thessaloniki Book Fair.
THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
(November)
Forty-six years now the International Film Festival of Thessaloniki takes place in Thessalonica every November. In 1992 it took a new ambitious turn hoping to become a meeting point for new film-makers worldwide, to establish itself as an important cinematic event in the Balkans so as to constitute the primary
place at which Greek exhibition and nomination would occur. Beyond its schedule, which consists of The International Competition Section, Independence Days , Panorama of Greek Cinema , Balkan Survey Section, and The Nominations parallel to and in the frame of the festival exhibitions, concerts and many
other events which in one way or another are related to the field of film take place. At the same time, special honorary evenings for Greek and foreign actors and directors take place and prizes are given to them fortheir contribution to the field as a whole. Amongst those who visited Thessalonica were: John
Casavetis, Jules Dasen, David Kroneberg, Alexis Damianos, George Tzavellas, Tonia Marketaki, Kristof Kislofski, Nani Moretti, Mihalis Cacogiannis, Frieda Liappa, Bernardo Bertolucci, Grigoris Grigoriou, Arturo Ripstein, Takis Kanelopoulos, Francis Ford Copolla, Irene Papa, Dinos Dimopoulos, Manouel de Oliviera, Dinos Katsouridis, Anies Varda, Harvey Kaitel, Fay Danaway.
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
(March)
Newer than The International Film Festival of Thessaloniki, The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Images of the 21st Century was first organised in March 1999, founded to provide not only the audience, but also Greek and foreign creators with an annual event which would be of an international status
and range. The experience acquired during past years, based on the audience’s interest (approximately 15.000 spectators per annum) as well as the en masse participation of important personages of the
field from Greece and abroad, proved the need for such a festival to be established. The festival widens its scope inquality and in quantity every year by proposing films from all around the world. Dedications
to the works of creators which have already taken place in the frame of the festival are: Joris Ivens, Johan van der Kenken, David and Albert Maysels, Werner Herzog, Bruce Weber, Monika Treut.
THESSALONIKI SONG FESTIVAL
After eight years of absence, in 2005 the Greek Song Festival revived as the institution that began in 1959. It was ongoing unit 1997 in Thessalonica. The organisers’ goal, the common goal of both the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation and The Thessaloniki International Trade Fair is the nomination of
authentic songs, musicians, and singers as happened in the past. It is worth mentioning that from The Greek Song Festival many renowned singers became known, such as: Stavros Kougoumtzis, Nadia Constandopoulou, Giannis Bogiatsis, George Hatzinassios, Dionysis Tsaknis, Christos Nikolopoulos, Manolis Lidakis.
THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
T
he Thessaloniki International Trade Fair was established in 1925 as a place for trade fairs. Its first exhibition took place in 1926. Since then it has become the most important economic and political event of Greece as well as of the wider geographical area of southeastern Europe. For many decades the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair has given opportunities to businessmen, manufacturers, tradesmen,
representatives, sellers, exhibitors, visitors and others to communicate, to co-operate, to challenge one another and simultaneously contributes to the strengthening of ties between all the above, not only on a personal level, but also on a governmental one (specially in the Greek neighbouring countries). The approximately twenty branch fairs that take place in The Thessaloniki International Trade Fair are organised by HELEXPO.
THESSALONIKI BOOK FAIR
(May)
Today, Thessaloniki has become host of the Thessaloniki Book Fair. During its third organisation, the fair presents the richness of Greek as well as foreign book production, not only to the experts in the field, but also to the wider public sphere and contains a variety of parallel fairs with the generous contributions of Greek and foreign writers, workshops, seminars as well as space devoted to young readers in so doing. In 2005 contributors included: 150 Greek and foreign publishers from 18 countries (The United Kingdom, France, Russia, Algeria, Italy, Serbia…)
WALKING AROUND THESSALONIKI:
FIRST WALK
Tritis Septemvriou to Ethnikis Aminis
Time: Around 15 minutes
A gateway to the historic centre of Thessaloniki, this area is home to some of the most important museums – the
Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Byzantine Civilisation –as well as the White Tower, Aristotle University, the University of Macedonia and the International Exhibition Centre, where the Thessaloniki book fair is held.
Walking past the Third Army Corps towards the city centre, you’ll see the Museum of Byzantine Culture on your left. An imposing building designed by Kyriakos Krokos, it was opened in 1994. On permanent display are frescoes, mosaics, icons, marble architectural fragments, entire Early Christian tombs, precious ecclesiastical ware vessels, items of personal adornment, everyday utensils, as well as tools used in varioustrades from the Byzantine era until the 19th century. The museum boasts an excellent
cafe and restaurant. Open Monday 10:30-17:00, Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 08:30-15:00.
2, Leoforos Stratou street, tel.2310 868570.
Practically next door is the Archaeological Museum (6 M. Andronikou Street, tel. 2310 830538). On display are Archaic, Classical and Roman sculpture, vases and other exhibits found in Central Macedonia and
Halkidiki. Opposite is the International Exhibition Centre, home of the official Greek exhibition organization, founded in 1925. The centre covers 180,000 square meters and every year hosts the International Trade
Fair and another 20 trade events, including the Thessaloniki book fair. The centre, which is dominated
by the OTE telecommunications tower, also houses the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art. Established with donations from Alexandros Iolas and Freanz Geeierhaas, the museum has more than 1,500 paintings, sculpture, engravings and photographs by Greek and foreign artists. Among them are
Oppenheim’s Explosions, Warhol’s engraving Alexandra, Finoti’s bronze Man, and works by Greek artists such as Takis, Kostas Tsoclis, Yiannis Bouteas, Dimitris Alitheinou, Giorgos Lazongas, Alexis Akrithakis,
Pavlos-Zoumbouli-Grekou, G. Tzivelou, Opi Zouni and Paniara.
Open Tuesday to Saturday:
10:00-14:00, 18:00-21:00,
Sunday: 11:00-15:00.
There’s a café here too,
If you feel like a break after visiting the museum. To the north of the Fair is the campus of Aristotle University, the largest state university in Greece. Set in grounds of 43 hectares, it has nine schools and
more than 50,000 students. North of the campus is the Tellogleio Foundation, founded to house art works donated by Nestor and Aliki Telloglou. The varied collection includes vases, Persian miniatures, examples of Arab and Chinese art, as well as paintings, engravings, ceramics and sculpture by significant Greek and European artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Open Mon-Tue-Thu 09:00-14:00,
Wed-Fri 09:00-21:00, Weekend 10:00-18:00.
159a A. Dimitriou Street, tel. 2310 2247 111.
At the corner of A. Dimitriou and Tritis Septemvriou Streets is the Sports Museum. Founded in 1998, it was recently moved to this new location
Open Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00. Sun closed.
As you walk from the fair towards the shore and cross in front of the historic YMCA building, you can see the city’s symbol – the White Tower (tel. 2310 270008). It is a defensive structure, probably built shortly
after the Ottoman Turks took the city in 1430. It has been used as both a sentry post and a prison. The tower got its present name in 1890 when Nathan Geuledi, a prisoner, whitewashed it in exchange for
his freedom. It is now a museum and its collections include sculptures and frescoes. At the corner of Ethnikis Aminis and Alexandrou Svolou Streets is the Main Municipal Library which has a wide-ranging
collection of books, periodicals, newspapers, maps and posters
as well as music on vinyl and CDs, slides, CD-ROMs and DVDs.
SECOND WALK
Ethnikis Aminis to Paleon Patron Germanou
Time: about 10 minutes
The remains of the Galerius complex on Dimitriou Gounari Street make this part of the city look like an open museum.
As you walk west along Egnatia Street, you will see the Rotonda and the Arch of Galerius on your right. The Arch was built in 305 BC to celebrate the victory in 297 BC over the Persians by Caesar Galerius, one of four tetrarchs during the reign of Diocletian. It was located at the intersection of two roads, one on the site of what is now Egnatia Street, the other at left angles to what is now Dimtriou Gounaris Street. To the south, the Propylaea marked the entrance to the palace grounds. A monumental road lined with columns reached north from here to the entrance of the Rotonda. The Arch of Galerius was the most impressive of its type in the world. It has become a meeting place and a rallying point for strikes, demonstrations and other events. There are many good cafes and ouzeri around the arch. The Rotonda is one of the oldest surviving monuments in Thessaloniki. Its many changes of name and use – from Roman temple to Christian church to mosque and back to a church again – explain the architectural changes and additions made over the course of 16 centuries. The foundations were laid around 300 AD, though for what purpose the building was intended has not been determined. Some scholars say it was the mausoleum of Galerius or a temple. Built along the lines of the Pantheon in Rome, it has walls 6.30 meters thick, made of stone and reinforced in places with tiles. It is 9.80 meters high, with tiled arches and A dome.
The Rotonda was turned into a church in the fourth century and contains some of the oldest known Byzantine frescoes. South of Egnatia Street, on Navarinou Square, you can see the remains of the Palace of Galerius. The first attempt to ascertain its boundaries was made in 1939. The palace,which covered an area of some 150,000 square meters, is believed to have reached east as far as the city walls, south to
the port, north to the Rotunda and west to an undetermined point. Excavations conducted in the
1950s-60s uncovered the atrium with its peristyle, corridors, rooms and mosaic floors and, to the southeast, the Nymphaeum, the Octagon and its antechamber.
The marble arch with the portrait of Galerius was in a niche in the eastern stoa of the peristyle thatled south to the sea. Exactly opposite, in what is now Ippodromio Square, was the Hippodrome, of which nothing
has survived. The square is now a meeting place for young people and for fans of the good food to be found at restaurants such as Cooking and Liopesi.
THIRD WALK
Paleon Patron Germanou Street to Aristotelous
Time: about 15 minutes
This is the heart of Thessaloniki, with most of the shops, countless cafes and restaurants and many of the most significant monuments. Don’t miss it, even if you only are only in town for a day.
Walk west along Alexandrou Svolou Street (formerly Prinkipos Nikolaou Street) to the famous church of Aghia Sophia. This imposing basilica was built in the seventh century as a copy of its namesake in Constantinople. Inside the church you can view its marvellous mosaics and the decoration of the dome.
Directly opposite, in the church of Aghios Ioannis Prodromos, are the remains of a Roman nymphaeum.
Iktinou Street, one of the city’s most frequented pedestrian zones runs from here across Tsimiski Street, with its manyshops and business, and down to the waterfront. Attractions include cafes such as Tiffany’s
and restaurants such as Peran, with its Constantinople-style cuisine. On Tsimiski Street, taste a traditional sesame bread ring, and do some window shopping at the attractive boutiques on Proxenou Koromila Street. On Aghia Sofia Street, just above Egnatia Street, is Ahiropiitos, one of the oldest and most important early Christan churches, the only one in Greece that to have survived intact. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it takes its name – “untouched by hands” – from an icon of the Virgin that was said to have been painted without human intervention.
The church, which boasts striking mosaics, was built in the sixth century with columns brought from the Propontus. Continue west to Athonos Square, just below Egnatia Street. In the morning, this web of pedestrian areas is home to a small fruit and vegetable market and furniture shops. In the evening, it becomes a vast taverna, with tables and chairs set out by the proprietors of little restaurants. Continue to Aristotelous Street, right in the city centre. This main road, which starts at Egnatia Street and continues to Nikis Avenue on the waterfront, is the sole example of what Thessaloniki would have looked like if the Hebrard committee’s town plan had been implemented. After the fire of 1917 that raged for 32 hours, devastating much of the city centre, a committee headed by French architect and archaeologist Ernest Hebrard recommended rebuilding the city along European lines. In fact, the arcades on the road were based on the plan for the Rue de Rivoli in Paris.
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Turn right and continue to Egnatia Street, where you’ll see the statue of Greek statesman Eleftherios Venizelou. To the right are the Bey Haman or Paradisos Baths. The hamam was built in 1444 by Sultan
Murat II, and older Thessalonians remember the baths, which were in operation until 1968. To the left of statue is the church of Panaghia Halkeon, built in a cross shape by the Chief Sword-Bearer Christoforos in 1028. It took its name from the coppersmiths’ workshops in the area. At the end of Aristotelous Street, between Olympou and Filippou Streets, is the Ancient Agora, the administrative centre of Thessaloniki in
antiquity. It was found during excavations conducted in the1950 and 1960s in preparation for the construction of a new court building. A little further north on Aghiou Dimitriou Street is one of the city’s most important monuments, the church of Aghiou Dimitriou. It was built above a smaller church in 413 by Leontios, Eparch of Illyricum, in honour of Dimitrios, later to become the city’s patron saint. The basilica was damaged repeatedly, but some mosaics, icons, the crypt, part of the Roman baths, a baptismal font
with chrism have survived. Behind the church are two Ottoman monuments, the Alatza Imaret and the Geni
Haman, the former now an exhibition space and the latter an entertainment centre.
FOURTH WALK
Aristotelous Street to Dodekanissou Street
Time: About 15min
This walk explores the aroma of the East in Thessaloniki. Covered markets for food and spices, arcades with general stores, and the pedestrian streets of Ladadika give the city a different air.3}
Walk west along Aghiou Dimitriou Street to the Diikitirio, or Adminstration building. Built in 1851, it now houses the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. It faces a large square known as Ta Marmara, or Marbles. When the municipality started work on an underground car park on the site, the excavators turned
up a huge first-century house that was probably the base of the Roman Eparch of Macedonia. Further down Venizelou Street, Bit Bazaar is on your left. Here, on Prosfigikis Agoras Square, is the city’s flea market. At night, small tavernas and bars givethe square a festive atmosphere.
To your right on Egnatia Street is the Alkazar, also known as Hamza Bey mosque. The covered area and the courtyard of the mosque were used for many years by the Alkazar cinema, and the arcade was made into a row of shops. As you continue towards the waterfront, Bezesteni is to your right on Venizelou Street. A covered market for fabrics, Bezesteni was built in the late fifteenth century. Clustered around it are small restaurants and tavernas. Kapani, the city’s oldest market, with food and retail outlets in traditional two-storey buildings, is in the block bounded by Aristotelous, Egnatia, Venizelou and Ermou Streets. A little further on, in the block bounded by Aristotelous,7}
Ermou, Vasileos Irakleiou and Komninon Streets, is the closed market of Modiano, built in 1922 by the engineer Eli Modiano. Here you’ll find spices and herbs with the aroma of the East, organic food shops, and little tavernas serving traditional dishes. Try Myrovolos Smyrni and Meat Me, with its contemporary spin. As you leave Modiano, you’ll see the famous Louloudadika on Vasileos Irakleiou. This was the
Yahudi Hamam, named after its location in what was then the city’s Jewish quarter. The bath was closed after the city was liberated in 1912, and after the fire of 1917 it was used to house small shops. Now it comprises a row of louloudadika, or small flower shops, which give the area its special colour. Walk down Komninon Street and turn into Tsimiski Street towards Ladadika. The city’s wholesale business was conducted here, but after the disastrous 1917 fire only the ladades – the oil sellers – remained. Now refurbished, the area is full of restaurants likeZythos, Tram and Kioupia, night clubs, and hotels such as the
Capsis Bristol. Also here, on Katouni Street, is the Museum of Ancient, Byzantine and Post- Byzantine Musical Instruments. An exhibition of 200 musical instruments traces the musical history of Greece over 4,000 years. At the water front you’ll see the port, south-eastern Europe’s natural gateway to the sea and
one of the biggest trading posts in Greece. Lodged in Apothiki A at the port are two museums. The Museum of Photography is the only one of its kind in Greece (Hours: Tue to Fri: 11:00-19:00; weekend: 11:00-21:00; Mon closed. Tel. 2310.566716). The Cinema Museum, founded in 1995, has a collection of old films, movie cameras, photographs, posters and publications (Hours: Mon-Fri9:00-15:00, weekend closed. Tel 2310 508398).
OUTSIDE THE CITY CENTRE
(To the east)
THE FOLKLORE AND ETHNOLOGY MUSEUM OF MACEDONIA-THRACE
Was founded in 1970. It is housed in the "Palio Kyvernio", a typical example of early twentieth century architecture. The museum’s collection of 15,000 objects includes local festive costumes, woven and
embroidered trousseau items, tools, household implements, furniture, woodwork and metalwork, folk musical instruments and shadow theatre puppets.8, Vassilissis Olgas street Hours: Everyday except
Thursday 09:00-14:00
A bus from Mitropoleos Street or the waterfront, or a taxi from the city centre will get you there in no more than 15 minutes.
THESSALONIKI SCIENCE CENTER AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM
The Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum (formerly the Technical Museum of Thessaloniki) is a non-profit cultural and educational body that began operating in 1978. It introduces the public to science and technology and is active in the field of technical culture. It has a planetarium.
6th kilometre of Thessaloniki-Thermi highway, tel. 2310 483000
OASTH bus 66 from theHarilaou Street terminus will drop you right outside the centre. A taxi will get you there faster, in about 20 minutes.There is the Mediterranean Cosmos shopping centre nearby.
(To the west)
MONI LAZARISTON COMPLEX
Built in 1886 by the Brothers of St Vincent de Paul, it became known by the name of their headquarters at the church of Saint Lazare in Paris. The Lazaristes first came to Greece in the late 18th-early 19th century to care for the poor and educate the clergy and propagate Catholicism. After being used for various purposes, the building became a cultural venue in 1997. Opposite is Les Lazaristes Hotel, which has a fine restaurant. Les Lazaristes, 21 Kolokotroni street, Stavroupoli.
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STATE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
The museum is in the northwest wing of the Lazaristes complex in a specially designed space of 3,000 square meters. It has another exhibition space at Pier 1, Warehouse B1 in the port. It usually exhibits items from its permanent collection, the Kostaki collection, with works by artists including K.Malevich,
V.Tatlin, V.Kandinsky, El Lissitzky, L.Popova, O.Rozanova, N.Udaltsova, A.Rodchenko, S.Nikritin, I.Kliun, G.Klutsis, I.Chashnik, K.Ender, A.Drevin, I.Kudriashev, A.Sofronova and K.Vialov. 21 Kolokotroni, Stavroupoli, tel.2310 589140-42
Open: Mon-Fri: 11.00-19.00,
Sat-Sun: 11.00-17.00
Go down Lagada Street to Kolokotroni street, which runs at a right angle to the main entrance of Pavlou Mela barracks.
OASTH buses 18, 27, 38 and 56 stop on Lagada and bus 34 stops right outside Moni Lazariston.
MYLOS-VILKA-FIX
The Hatziyiannakis Mylos dominates the Behtsinar, ‘garden of princes’, area between the commercial
railway station and gate 14 of the port. Built in 1924, the flourmill went out of operation in 1986 and has been a multipurpose entertainment venue since 1991. It is used for performances of music and theatre, art
exhibitions and other artistic events. You’ll find cafes restaurants and live music here.
56 A. Georgiou Street, tel. 2310-551838, 551836, 525968, 516945 mylos@mylos.gr
It is close to the city centre. Take OASTH bus 31 or a taxi.
In the same area is VILKA, once a jute, linen and cannabis factory, it is now a leisure centre with cafes, restaurants and shops.
21 A. Georgiou Street
It is close to the city centre. Take OASTH bus 31 or a taxi.
Nearby on 26th Oktovriou Street is the old Fix brewery,which was founded in 1893 and closed in the 1970s. Now it is home to live music, bars and clubs. It is close to the city centre. Take OASTH bus 31 or a taxi.
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THE UPPER CITY
The upper city is the northern-most and highest part of the city, with a panoramic view of Thessaloniki. You can get a sense of what the city’s architecture was like before the fire of 1917, with alleyways, small squares and houses in the Balkan style. The upper city starts just above Aghiou Dinitriou and reaches to
the walls of the Acropolis and the corresponding Byzantine Walls, which were built under Theodosius the Great (fourthcentury AD). Repaired many times to withstand the barbarian invasions, they have
survived almost intact. At 64 Eptapyrgion Street, beside the gate in the wall, is Vlatadon Monastery founded in 1351-1371 by the monks Dorotheos and Markos Vlatis. The frescoes date from 1360-1380. It is a working monastery and is answerable directly to the ecumenical patriarchate in Istanbul. For an unforgettable evening, try the cafes and ouzeri in Tsinari Square. If you’re lucky, a small band will be playing and the party will go on till morning. Aghios Nikolaos o Orfanos, is a Catholic monastery, built in the
14th century by the Serb abbot Milutin, who also painted the frescoes (20 Irodotou Street). At 7 Timotheou Street is Osios David or Moni Latomou, dating from the fifth century. In the dome of the church is an extraordinary fifth century mosaic, preserved from the Romans and the iconoclasts under a protective piece of leather, and later, during Turkish rule by a thick layer of plaster, under which its was discovered by chance in 1920. At the highest point of the city lies the Eptapyrgio, and Gendi Koule, immortalised in song by the rebetes. In 1890 the fortress on the acropolis was made into a prison, which closed in 1989. A taxi or OASTH bus 23 takes around 20 minutes.
Outlying suburbs To the east are the old seaside villages of the Thermaikos Gulf that have now become suburbs. Especially in summer, Peria, Epanomi, Neoi Epivates, Aghia 7 Timotheou Street is Osios David or Moni Latomou, dating from the fifth century. In the dome of the church is an extraordinary fifth century mosaic, preserved from the Romans and the iconoclasts under a protective piece of leather, and later, during Turkish rule by a thick layer of plaster, under which its was discovered by chance in 1920. At the highest point of the city lies the Eptapyrgio, and Gendi Koule, immortalised in song by the rebetes. In 1890 the fortress on the acropolis was made into a prison, which closed in 1989.
A taxi or OASTH bus 23 takes around 20 minutes.
Outlying suburbs To the east are the old seaside villages of the Thermaikos Gulf that have now become suburbs.Especially in summer, Peria,Epanomi, Neoi Epivates, AghiaTriada and Mihaniona are popular destinations for afternoon getaways for the Thessalonians. To the west, Kalohori and the Axios are attractive alternatives for a short trip and a meal.
It takes 20-30 minutes by taxi from the city centre. The OASTH bus takes twice as long because you have to change at the IKEA stop.
EXCURSIONS
Halkidiki and Mount Athos The largest summer resort in northern Greece, Halkidiki has golden beaches, a
crystal clear sea and lavish greenery that reaches to the water’s edge. Each leg of the peninsula has its own character. Kassandra, being closest to Thessaloniki, was the first to develop as a residential and
tourism centre, though not always uniformly. It has an abundance of hotels and restaurants. Sithonia boasts a wilder beauty and is suited to quite escapes. The villages are less cosmopolitan and there are still
some deserted coves. The third leg is Athos, a selfgoverning monastic community cut off from the world. It dates from the eighth century. Tradition has it that the blessed Virgin visited Athos when she was sailing from Cyprus with John the Evangelist and was forced to come ashore at the point where Iviron Monsastery
was later founded. The Virgin was so impressed by the unique landscape that she asked Jesus to give her the peninsula. Since then it has been called the Garden of the Virgin and no women have been allowed to
set foot there. Considered to be the centre of Orthodoxy, it has 20 monasteries containing priceless treasures.
If you wish to visit Mount Athos, telephone the Pilgrims’ Office in advance to get a diamonitirio or entry permit.
Tel. 2310 833733, 2310 861611
It takes about 45 minutes to reach the first villages of Halkidiki. For information about KTEL bus service for
Halkidiki call 2310-316555
VERGINA
Finds excavated by Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos in 1977 enabled him to identify the city of Aiges, the capital of Macedonia in antiquity. He found a series of intact tombs under a hill. One of them belonged to Phillip II, father of Alexander the Great, and is considered one of the most significant archaeological finds of the century A roof was built in 1993 to enclose and protect the royal tombs. The temperature and humidity are kept at steady levels to preserve the frescoes. The treasures include the gold
larnax that held the bones of Phillip and the impressive golden oak wreath he was wearing. With 313 leaves and 68 acorns, it weighs 714 grammes.
Tue-Sun: 08:00-15:00, tel. 2331092347
Vergina is about an hour from Thessaloniki.
For information KTEL buses for Pellas Prefecture call 2310595435
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DION
Ancient Dion, in the foothills of Mount Olympus, was the site where the ancient Macedonians worshipped the gods of Olympus. Excavation began in 1928 and continued at a faster pace by Professor Dimitrios
Pantermalis in 1973-1988, revealed that Dion was a holy city for the Macedonians in antiquity. Among the finds are the temples of Demeter, Iisis, and Dionysus, the Asclepium, roads with ships, a cemetery, the city walls, a Hellenistic and Roman theatre, Roman baths with many sculptures, the Odeion, and an early Christian basilica outside the walls. Many of the finds are now on display in the Archaeological Museum
in the village of Dion.
The archaeological site is open daily 08:30-13:00.
Ion is about an hour from Thessaloniki. For information about KTEL buses for Pieria Prefecture call 2310595428.
THE ISLANDS
The islands of the north Aegean such as Samothraki, Thasos and the Sporades ? are easy to reach from Thessaloniki.Samothraki, famed since antiquity, is an island of great natural beauty, blessed with
rich vegetation, deserted beaches with coves and springs. Take the bus or train to Alexandroupoli and the ferry from there to Samothraki. Thasos, known as the emerald island, is the northernmost Greek island. It is favourite destination for visitors from northern Greece and elsewhere with its abundant vegetation, pine forest and olive groves, pristine sandy beaches and sparkling sea. Ferries go to Thasos from Kavala and
Keramoti, which you can get to by car or bus. The four Sporades, off the coast of Pilion and northern Evvia, have lavish vegetation, superb blue seas and are cater to all tastes in holidays, from cosmopolitan to peaceful.With more than 60 beaches, Skiathos is popular for its natural beauty and its cosmopolitan style. Skopelos, between Skiathos and Alonnisos, is the second highest level of tourist development in the Sporades. Its villages have been listed for preservation, Skyros is the largest of the Sporades and is
famed for its superb sandy beaches and the beauty of the capital, Hora.Alonissos is a quiet island of great natural beauty. It is home to the only sea park in Europe dedicated to the protection of protect the Monachus monachus monk seal, a species in danger of extinction. The perfect place for a quiet relaxing holiday.
The Sporades are accessible from Thessaloniki by ferry in summer or from Volos. Skyros is also served by ferries from Kimiin Evvia.
I really like this city, it has a bit of everything. Beaches in the long summer, mountains and snow in the short winter, cool bars and excellent food. It's well worth a visit!