DESTINATIONS — GREECE & CYPRUS
No stone unturned
IN THESSALONIKI HOURS
Forget Athens. For a city break
steeped in history, Thessaloniki is a sure thing, says Ian Taylor
hessaloniki may not spring to mind as a classic city-break destination or an unmissable part of a beach and tour package to northern Greece. Yet the country’s second city is both. It boasts a beautiful setting, rich history and terrific food – and possibly the best nightlife in Greece. It’s busy and bustling, but the city is barely on the tourist map despite the deserved popularity of the beaches of nearby Halkidiki. When the Greek National
T
Tourism Office took a party of Greek specialist operators and agents to Thessaloniki earlier this year, hardly anyone sold the city. All were bowled over by it. After all, how many cities with a population of just over one million have 14 Unesco World Heritage Sites – only two fewer than England?
The city is no longer off the beaten track. British Airways flies
four times a week from Gatwick, and easyJet daily from Gatwick and three times a week from Manchester.
The city, sometimes still referred to as Salonica in English, sits on a wide bay north of Halkidiki. Art and architectural treasures include Roman, early Christian, Byzantine and Ottoman, and its unique cultural heritage draws on a rich Jewish history.
In the 20th century, Thessaloniki was transformed – both physically, by a fire that razed two-thirds of the city to the ground, and culturally. The creation of modern-day Turkey at the end of the First World War saw a violent exchange of population, with millions of Greeks and Ottoman Muslims forced from their respective homes, which changed the city overnight. The German occupation during the Second World War saw all but a handful of Thessaloniki’s 65,000
Jews sent to their deaths in concentration camps.
A consequence of this history is that a visitor fairly stumbles over historic sights. Yet Thessaloniki is far from sombre – it boasts great food, streets and markets full of life and entrancing culture.
DAY ONE 09.30: Stroll down the bay-side promenade to the White Tower – a 15th-century Ottoman structure, formerly a prison and now the City Museum. Climb the tower through a succession of interactive exhibits covering prehistory to the present day. Just be sure to pick up an audio guide as little is in English.
11.00: Head away from the sea into the Old Town, through the twisting lanes of the Kastra district with its centuries-old houses and tiny churches dating from the early years of Christianity, until you reach the city walls. Parts of
ASK THE EXPERT
Thessaloniki has a vibrant city life and a fantastic promenade.
The food is amazing, there is a good choice of hotels and so many excursions. I can’t see a downside – it’s a fantastic place to sell. I would recommend it for students, but it isn’t hilly, so it is also suitable for older people and groups. You could book it as a twin-centre with Halkidiki. Elizabeth Bhatia, Olympic Holidays
these date from the fourth century and offer marvellous views over the city and out over the bay to Mount Olympus.
24 July 2014 —
PICTURES: THESSALONIKITOURISMASSOCIATION; SARAHMURRAY; GNTO_GROZOUDIS
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