Guide of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second most important commercial and financial city in Greece and is located in the Macedonia region. The city has many museums, churches and remarkable artistic heritage, as well as having a lively nightlife thanks to the numerous bars, taverns and restaurants. Thessaloniki is situated at the bottom of the Thermaic Gulf surrounded by two rivers and a natural harbour that since ancient times, has been a place of passage and commerce for Thessaly and Macedonia.

History

The city and the port have always been very linked and Thessaloniki flourished and declined depending on the ruling populations over the centuries, who have either increased or decreased the development of the port trade. The city is on the slopes of Mount Olympus and separates Macedonia from Thessaly; this location had significant historical importance and was one of the most important cultural and commercial hubs in antiquity. Cassander founded Thessaloniki in 315 AC, the king of the Macedonians and the city became politically important enough to be considered a second capital, on a par with Byzantium itself.

Places to visit

Its millennial history is reflected in the monuments and architecture in the city. even today it is still evident that the city is made up of multiple layers of history and civilization that are intertwined. There are the medieval walls, Roman and Byzantine monuments, Cathedral of St. Sophia, the Mausoleum of Galerius, some mosques and finally, the Venetian citadel that dominates the city. However, Thessaloniki doesn’t just have a glorious past, today it is alive and modern it is very important to the rest of Greece in terms of commerce and has nightlife, shops and many university students. The symbol of the city is the White Tower, located above the port; it is a symbol of the liberation of Thessaloniki from the yoke of the Turks and a monument to the victims of the Ottoman domination.