A day trip around Thessaloniki

As part of our trip to Greece, me and my friends decided to visit the city of Thessaloniki, which was one of the most ancient cities in Greece. It was found around the third century before the birth of Christ by Kind Cassander of Macedon and was named after his wife Thessalonike, who was a sister of Alexander the Great. Later in time, the city of Thessaloniki became the capital of the republic of Macedon, which was a Roman province. That is how Thessaloniki became the wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire and was also one of the biggest cities and most developed at the time.

During the early Christianization of the population of the Roman Empire, Thessaloniki became one of the first cities to allow it and build churches and basilicas, so that the people can worship their God. It kept on developing itself and was considered one of the most important ports in the empire. However, there were many attacks by the Avars and Slavs, and later by the Arabs that wanted to overtake the city and the port. Eventually, the city was besieged by the Ottomans who took the control and made it one of its main ports for exporting commodities from Greece and the Balkan countries. However, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the city was returned to the Greek people and became part of Greece again.

Nowadays, Thessaloniki is a huge city in the north of Greece and is located in the municipality of Central Macedonia. It is also known by the Greek people as the “second capital”, as the city is so big and full of people that it truly looks like a capital city. Thessaloniki is a culturally diverse city, as it was influenced quite a lot while it was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

When I visited Thessaloniki, it was unbearably hot, but thankfully there was a cool breeze all the time in the city, so we could go out and enjoy the sun during the day. However, we had to use lots of sunscreens and hide under the shadows of the trees, so we don’t get burned. Also, I would suggest that you bring lots of water with you and hydrate regularly.

How to get to Thessaloniki?

There are many ways to get to Thessaloniki, depending on where you are travelling from. Since we are living in Bulgaria, it is quite easy for us to go there by car. However, if you are living far away, it will be best to go there by plane. Most of the low-cost airlines are operating there and you can find very cheap flights to Thessaloniki for around twenty euros or less.

If you happen to go there by plane, you can easily go to the city center by catching bus 78, which we caught when we were travelling from Thessaloniki airport to Georgia. The price of the bus ticket is two euros and the ride takes around forty minutes.

What to eat while in Thessaloniki?

While I was in Thessaloniki I tried a couple of meals while we were on the go and exploring it. One of them was the Greek moussaka, which was made with minced meat, potatoes and eggplant. No matter where I ordered it, it was quite delicious and I would suggest you try it. Usually, a Greek moussaka would cost around seven to ten euros, so it is not that expensive.

Another dish I tried while I was in Thessaloniki, was the famous Greek gyros, which was a Greek type of wrap. Usually, it was filled with chicken meat and fresh vegetables to which they added garlic sauce. The price of gyros would vary depending on where you get it from, but it should not be more than three or four euros.

What to visit in Thessaloniki?

There are lots of things that a person can visit in Thessaloniki, but one should also have enough time to do so. Thus, since we decided to spend one day exploring the city we visited the most famous landmarks that were quite fascinating. Below I am sharing with you which landmarks we have visited along with some useful information that I have learned along the way.

The Church of Saint Demetrios

The church of Saint Demetrios was the first place we went to visit while exploring Thessaloniki. The first church on that place was built around the fourth century over the ruins of a Roman bath. However, with time the church was renovated and changed quite a lot, so the church of Saint Demetrios does not look like the first church built on that place. The locals are quite fond of the church, as it is dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki, Demetrios.

From the outside, the church looks quite old and is covered in red bricks, with which most of the basilicas were built ages ago. However, on the inside, the church is renovated and has a big iconostasis in the middle of the church along with lots of icons and religious paintings hanged on its walls. The church of Saint Demetrios is a very beautiful church with lots of valuables inside and it should be visited for sure.

The Church of Saint Panteleimon

Then, we headed on our way to find the famous Rotunda of Thessaloniki, but on the way to it, we saw the church of Saint Panteleimon. It was built in the thirteenth century and was dedicated to Saint Panteleimon. However, during the Ottoman occupation in the sixteenth, the church was turned into a mosque, until the liberation of the city. On the outside, the church looked like most of the churches built in the Byzantine Empire. Even though it was turned into a mosque, there is no trace of that.

The Rotunda

Eventually, we found the famous Rotunda of Thessaloniki, which was a huge round building. To enter the Rotunda of Thessaloniki we had to pay an admission fee of two euros, which was a symbolic price for what we were about to see inside.

The Rotunda of Thessaloniki was built in the third century and was used as a place for worship by the Romans. In addition to that, it was part of an imperial complex built for the emperor of Rome. The Rotunda is considered as being one of the oldest religious buildings and even though it was a temple, later it was turned into a Christian temple. That is why inside of the Rotunda there were lots of frescoes that were very well preserved and were even covering parts of the thirty meters high dome of the Rotunda. Along with that, there was a cross and a small altar next to it. Outside of the three was the path, which was used by the Romans to go to the other parts of the imperial complex.

However, at some point, during the Ottoman occupation, the Rotunda was turned into a mosque, but this did not damage it so much and most of the frescoes have survived through the ages.

The Arch of Galerius

A couple of steps away from the Rotunda was the prominent Arch of Galerius, which was built around the third century. The main reason for building it was the victory of Rome over the Persians. The arch is quite impressive, especially with the carved victorious scenes into the rock that are visible even today. One of the most famous scenes carved into the arch is Emperor Galerius who is attacking his enemies.

The Arch of Galerius, reminded me quite a lot of the Arch of Constantine in Rome, but it was not so massive and made out of marble. It was also not so well-preserved and lacked lots of details. However, it was still fascinating to see such an old monument still standing in the center of a modern city like Thessaloniki.

Just a bit further from the Arch of Galerius was the Navarinou square, which was previously part of the imperial complex in Thessaloniki. There we saw lots of the remains of Galerius’ palace that was built there but did not withstand the time.

The White Tower of Thessaloniki

Then, we walked to the coast of Thessaloniki, where we saw the notorious White Tower of Thessaloniki. It was a round tall building that was overlooking the port of Thessaloniki and part of the city. The White Tower built around the fifteenth century and was used mainly as a prison and fortification. The White Tower was part of the defensive system of the city and was responsible for keeping its port safe.

Eventually, we decided to go up the White Tower, which had an admission fee of four euros and waited for about half an hour in a huge line of people. Due to the heat at that time, we decided to skip going inside and went on our way around the coast of Thessaloniki.

The statue of Alexander the Great in Thessaloniki

A bit further from the White Tower was the statue of Alexander the Great riding his horse Voukefalas. Alexander the Great was one of the most prominent personas of the ancient world. He was born in Macedonia and was the son of the kind there, which helped him learn from the best philosophers from that time like Aristotle. Due to his extensive knowledge and a sharp mind, he managed to conquer all the lands in the Far East, as well as Egypt. He was truly an extraordinary person. Thus, it is no wonder that there is such a huge statue in Thessaloniki with him.

The Center of Thessaloniki

Right after visiting the statue of Alexander the Great we went to the Umbrellas by Zongolopoulos, which were a famous attraction in Thessaloniki, as lots of people were taking pictures there. It was a nice art installation, as the umbrellas looked as if they were flying, so it was quite nice to see it.

Then, in the evening, we went to the Aristotelous square, which was the heart of the city and the nightlife. There were lots of cafes, restaurants, shops and pubs where you could get a drink and enjoy the warm breeze coming straight from the sea, which was walking distance from the square. Thus, we decided to enjoy some time in the bars there and watch the sunset at the port of Thessaloniki.

Honestly, even though it was very hot that day in Thessaloniki and humid, I enjoyed my trip there very much, as I learned a lot about the ancient Romans and how smart they were in those harsh times. It was quite fascinating to see that most of the buildings they built are still standing and some of them look almost untouched by the time. Amazing!

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