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For lovers of ancient Greece Thessaloniki is a great place to visit! It’s the second largest city in the country and is the capital of Central Macedonia, and it’s located on the coast of the Thermaic Gulf, part of the Aegean Sea. There are UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore as well as a far more modern side to Thessaloniki too.
Hagia Sophia
Not to be confused with the monument in Istanbul, Thessaloniki’s Hagia Sophia is actually based upon that great building, though it doesn’t have quite the same size and grandeur as its namesake. Still, as religious buildings go this one is impressive, and old; it was built in the 8th century and now forms part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki, which together make a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hagios Demetrios
Hagios Demetrios is another of the churches included within the World Heritage Site and although the façade of this church is somewhat plain, it has an unembellished beauty. There’s been a church here since the 4th century AD, but over the following few hundred years it was often destroyed by fire. Today’s church dates more from the reconstruction that took place between 629 and 634 when the church was substantially enlarged. Between 1493 and 1912 it was a mosque, and then again in 1917 during the Great Fire of Thessaloniki it was damaged once again. Renovations actually exposed hidden artefacts, and these and more can be seen in the attached museum.
The White Tower
The churches are important for Thessaloniki, though one of the most recognised landmarks is the White Tower. Standing on the waterfront, the tower was built by the Ottomans after 1430 and used as fort, then later a garrison, and also a notorious prison. Many prisoners were executed here so when Thessaloniki became part of Greece in 1912 the Greeks whitewashed it perhaps in an attempt to cleanse the tower of its past.
Flights to Thessaloniki
The Thessaloniki International Airport "Macedonia" (airport code: SKG) is the busiest airport in the country, and one of the largest. There is a public bus service for the half hour ride into the city from the airport. Being such a busy airport there are any options hen it comes to flights to Thessaloniki from the UK, though surprisingly only a couple of airlines offer direct flights. These are EasyJet, Ryannair and British Airways. There are also alternatives if you’re happy with a connection en-route. You can stop in Athens on a flight to Thessaloniki with either Olympic Airlines or BMI. Air Berlin also has a flight that will take you via Nuremberg.Thessaloniki Tourist Attractions
Founded in the year 315BC, Thessaloniki really is an ancient city, and it’s had a long and important history. The city’s nickname is ‘the co-capital’ not because it shares any rights with the modern capital of Greece, Athens, but because it was the co-capital of the Byzantine Empire with ancient Constantinople (nowadays called Istanbul). It’s amazing that after all these centuries Thessaloniki is still recognised for this title. What’s also amazing is that there are so remnants left from those ancient times that can still be seen here in Thessaloniki today.Hagia Sophia
Not to be confused with the monument in Istanbul, Thessaloniki’s Hagia Sophia is actually based upon that great building, though it doesn’t have quite the same size and grandeur as its namesake. Still, as religious buildings go this one is impressive, and old; it was built in the 8th century and now forms part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki, which together make a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hagios Demetrios
Hagios Demetrios is another of the churches included within the World Heritage Site and although the façade of this church is somewhat plain, it has an unembellished beauty. There’s been a church here since the 4th century AD, but over the following few hundred years it was often destroyed by fire. Today’s church dates more from the reconstruction that took place between 629 and 634 when the church was substantially enlarged. Between 1493 and 1912 it was a mosque, and then again in 1917 during the Great Fire of Thessaloniki it was damaged once again. Renovations actually exposed hidden artefacts, and these and more can be seen in the attached museum.
The White Tower
The churches are important for Thessaloniki, though one of the most recognised landmarks is the White Tower. Standing on the waterfront, the tower was built by the Ottomans after 1430 and used as fort, then later a garrison, and also a notorious prison. Many prisoners were executed here so when Thessaloniki became part of Greece in 1912 the Greeks whitewashed it perhaps in an attempt to cleanse the tower of its past.