Photogalleries
Has Tessaloniki's symbol, the White Tower, always been white? Balkan Travellers.com answers
Greek octopuses' sad but delicious story - read the article from the culinary section of Balkan Travellers.com
Keen on a day trip in the vicinity of Thessaloniki? Try Meteora, which offers unearthly view of 700-metre high natural stone pillars, crowned by monasteries. Read the travelogue of Balkan Travellers.com
A Mystic Judeo-Mislim Sect Has Ruled Thessaloniki for Centuries, and, in a way, still does...
Curious what Thessaloniki looked like some 100 years ago? Check out Veli Radev's website with old photographs from the town.
5° (High: 5° Low: 2°)
The Mediterranean climate of Greece’s second largest city makes its summers hot and its winters mild and rainy. Thessaloniki is worth a short trip from anywhere on the Balkans during the winter, as a way to escape the glum and cold on the rest of the peninsula, but it is most pleasant during the spring and autumn months. The Dimitria cultural festival, which includes music, theatre, dance and fine arts events and which has become somewhat of an institution for the city, takes place between September and December every year.
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By Air
Thessaloniki’s international airport, Macedonia, is located 15 km south of the city centre. Direct flights connect the city to many Western and Central European capital and major cities, including Amsterdam, London, Milan, Vienna, Munich, Berlin, Prague and Budapest. There are also domestic flights to Athens and some of the Aegean and Ionian islands, which are relatively cheap if booked far in advance. There are currently no intercontinental flights to Thessaloniki but visitors from such destinations can reach the city via Athens.
By Rail
Thessaloniki’s main rail station is located at a short walking distance from the city centre and the harbour. The city is a major transportation hub in the Balkans. Trains run to a number of domestic and Balkan destinations and tickets are reasonably priced. The train to Athens takes about 6 hours. There are also direct, frequent and relatively timely rail connections to Skopje (4 hours), Sofia (6 hours), Belgrade (12 hours), Istanbul (12 hours) and Zagreb (21 hours).
By Road
The road network in Greece is significantly more developed and better maintained that that of the rest of the Balkans. Reaching Thessaloniki from the Balkan capitals is easy by car and bus and many people opt for short getaways. The E75 links Thessaloniki to Athens (5 hours) and the E85 – to Sofia (4.5 hours). Istanbul is 8 hours away by car and Belgrade is 7 hours away.
Where to stay
Most of Thessaloniki’s accommodation caters to business travellers and, as such, budget options aren’t widely available. Because of the trade fair and the festival in the fall, hotels sometimes increase their prices during that time. Many of the affordable hotels are clustered around the southwestern end of Egnatia street, but this area could be quite noisy. A quieter option is provided around Syngrou and between the Eleftherias and Aristotelous squares.
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Hotels Three Stars
A three-star hotel located right in the heart of Thessaloniki, the El Greco is close to the train station, the port, the business and shopping centre, the Helexpo International Exhibition Centre and other important spots.
Read more...Where to eat
Thessaloniki offers many gourmet options, referring not so much to the haute-cuisine, posh restaurants but rather to the great food served in the regular Greek taverns, including countless mezedhes and grilled meat and fish.
BALKAN CUISINE
You can't help being suspicious about the Greeks if you ever see how they treat their octopuses. The scenes of violence you can witness along the 16,000 kilometres of Greek
Read more...
The Modiano market offers an array of delicacies and can surprise you at night with fantastic, improvised concerts of gypsy brass. The sweets such as the plaited sweet bread tsoureki and the baklava, are also not to be missed. The cheese-filled phyllo pastries are a nice breakfast or midday snack. Try also one of the numerous bakeries, which extrude heavenly aroma from constantly baking vanilla and cinnamon cookies.
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Travel News
The first New Year’s gift of 2009 to the citizens of many Balkan countries has come in the form of the season’s first significant snowfall, blanketing large areas in Macedonia, northern Greece, Serbia, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Albania.
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