Thessaloniki becomes the second important city of the Byzantine Empire, next to Konstantinople, ornamented with numerous majestic and glamorous architectural works that display all forms of Byzantine art.

After this illustrious era, the enemies take over. But each time, after every catastrophe, Thessaloniki reexalts her splendor, dressed in her eternal garment of ancient and Byzantine glory.

The Modern City
Today Thessaloniki with its University and the International Trade Fair - a crossroad for peoples' friendship and collaboration - is a lively modern city bustling with life and movement.

Large avenues, parks and squares, lines of trees that frame commercial streets with showy shop-windows. Old houses, neoclassical buildings, modern dwellings. Yesterday meets today at old taverns, "ouzeries", restaurants next to hotels and luxury bars, "bouzouki halls" (Thessaloniki is the cradle of modern greek popular song, "rembetiko"), cinema halls, theaters and confectioner's shops that arrange their seats and tables on street pavements and squares.

Small family run taverns and basement pastry shops offer a delicious variety of famous Macedonian specialties, next to stalls of ice-cream sellers for busy passers by.

What to see in Thessaloniki ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

• The Palace of Galerius (300 A.D.) at Navarino Square.
• Roman Market and Theater. Ruins standing at the Law Court Square (Dikastiria).
• Roman Baths. North of the church of Agios Dimitrios.
• Nymphaion. An elegant nomopteral, circular building.

• Galerian Arch (Kamara) erected short before 305 A.D.
• The Rotonda, a domed building of early 4th century A.D., destined to serve as a Pantheum or as a Mausoleum for emperor Galerius.
• The Ahiropiitos (middle 5th century A.D.) and the cruciform church of Ossios David (late 5th century A.D.), the chapel of the Latomos Convent, are the two early christian churches that still stand in Thessaloniki. The Walls were erected during the time of Theodossios the Great to gird the city from Democracy Square of nowadays across Eptapyrgio up to the site later occupied by the White Tower, a work of the architect Sinan (first half of 16th century).
• Agios Dimitrios, was completely rebuilt in 1948 according the original plans. The church has been destroyed twice before by fire.
• The Crypt, the most easterly section of the Bath, is the place where St. Demetrios was imprisoned, tortured and buried.
• Agia Sofia (8th century) marks the transition from the domed basilica to the domed crusiform church.
• Panagia Halkeon, a cruciform church, was built in 1028 A.D. according an inscription of that era.
• Agia Ekaterini (13th century) is very well preserved externally, with traces of frescoes inside.
• Agii Apostoli (14th century) retains a rich decoration both externally and in the interior, dating at the time of the Byzantine Paleologos imperial dynasty.
• Agios Nikolaos Orfanos (14th century), 20 Irodotou Str.. tel. 213627 richly decorated with frescoes became in the 17th century the chapel of Vlatadon Monastery. Its form has been greatly changed since the time of its erection.
• Profitis Ilias was built in 1360 upon the ruins of a Byzantine palace by the monk Makarios Houmnos. The postbyzantine era has also left in Thessaloniki an important number of churches.

• HANTH Square, tel. 830538. Displaying sculpture of the archaic, classical and Roman periods. A special wing houses the impressive unique founding of Vergina.
• Ethnological and Popular art: 68, Vas. Olgas, tel. 830591 displaying costumes and objects of the last 250 years of Greek national life and culture.
• Museum of the Macedonian Struggle: 23, Proxenou Koromila Str. tel. 229778. Exhibits from the years of local national resistance 1878 - 1912.
• White Tower Museum: tel. 267832. An exhibition of the history and art of Byzantine Thessaloniki covering the period between 300 and 1430 A.D.
• Gallery of Fine Arts: 1, Nic. Germanou Str. inside the building of the National Theater, tel. 238601. Important works of Greek and foreign painters.
• Municipal Gallery: 162, Vas. Olgas, tel. 425531.
• Museum of the Crypt: Inside the church of Agios Dimitrios, tel. 213627 - 270008.
• Museum of the Society for Macedonian Studies: 1, Nic. Germanou Str. tel. 238601.
• Northern Greece Cultural Center: 108, Vas. Olgas Str., tel. 834404, 820240.
• Macedonian Center of Modern Art: International Trade Fair grounds, tel. 471545.
• Technical Museum of Thessaloniki: Thessaloniki Industrial Area, 2nd Street, Building no 47, tel. 799773.

The forest, rather a large park, and the sites of Hortiatis, Panorama and Oreokastro are worth a visit. A variety of fishermen's townlets as well as populous beaches with the names of Aretsou, Perea, Nei Epivates, Agia Triada, Nea Mihaniona, Epanomi, Asprovalta by the Thermaikos gulf can offer a special atmosphere and an unforgettable sunset. Little quiet tavernas will ensure a king's meal and a Greek God's drink for the evening: To your health! "Stin igia sou!".

Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece and the administrative centre for the north. Its history dates back more than 4000 years.

The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 316 B.C. on a site of old prehistoric settlements dating back to 2300 B.C., by Cassander, king of Macedonia, and was named after his wife, sister of Alexander the Great.

During the Byzantine era, Salonica, as it was then known, was the second city after Constantinople ( Istanbul), remaining so until its sacking by Saracens in 904.

It was restored to the empire in 1246, reaching a cultural Golden Age until Turkish conquest and occupation in 1430. Until just a few decades ago the city's population was mixed as any in the Balkans.

Besides the Turks, who had been in occupation for close on five centuries (and even Mustafa Kemal Pascha, today known as Kemal Atatuerk was born here), there were Slavs, Albabians and the largest European Jewish community of the period. In World War II when all but a fraction were deported to the concentration camps, in the worst atrocity committed in the Balkans.

Situated on the shores of the Thermaikos Gulf, Thessaloniki is divided in a modern area and the old town. The old town is where most of the sights are. In the old town it will be mostly Byzantine churches and buidlings that you are looking for. They are what Thessaloniki is famous for.

You can get glimpses of Old Salonica in the walled Kastra quarter of the city, on the hillside beyond the modern grid of streets. In the modern areas you will find examples of recent architecture, that are interesting enough if you are into that kind of thing.