Visit Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is a nice and friendly city. It seems to be in a process of update which will take long time to complete. Streets and seaside are friendly. There several things to visit. I think Thessaloniki is a good destination for a week end

Juan Maria Spain

We drove from Istanbul. 6-7 hours depending on customs. For a 4 day get away Thessaloniki and the cities in between Thessaloniki and the Greek-Turkey border are really nice. Would suggest spending 2-2.5 days in Thessaloniki and try to see Kavala or Alexandroupoli for a half day each. In Thessaloniki the city center is well enough to have a great time. Many nice cafe and bars to hang out. In the day time suggest walking around the city to see churches and ancient buildings. I definitely recommend seeing Ataturk House, very well preserved and educational. For dinner would suggest Palati restaurant for a great Greek musical entertainment.

Saffet Turkey

Thessaloniki is a vibrant and ambitious city, with lots of positive attitude in welcoming people and offering the best services. Lots going on in creative spheres - I came for the 8th Biennale of Contemporary Art and found the 25th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival happening at the same time. The museums in the renovated docks area are definitely worth a a visit and the longstanding museums of archaeology and Byzantium are curated imaginatively and organised to engage people in stories about the past. The city also has a very well deserved reputation for great food, which can be found in humble places offering great value for money - try around Athonos Square and immediately outside the centre; and the old-fashioned market such as Capani in particular are fantastic. Great walks around the bay. Everyone I met was proud of their city and deservedly so: they are friendly and welcoming. Perhaps a bit of an exception was the one taxi driver who had a good old time grumbling about the 'obscurity' of my destination; I told him I deserved a medal for putting up with him and he laughed. But you'll find that taxi driver in every city everywhere!

Anne United Kingdom

This is really impressive city. Everywhere you can find delicious food, coffee, ancient ruins. Nice to have rent car or other transport to visit national park on west part Thessaloniki and mountains on east/northeast part. I’m sure that I will visit this city again for longer.

Gałecki Poland

You can find buildings from the 19th century among buildings from the 60s and 70s, architectural styles similar to those of Buenos Aires, a strong but nostalgic contrast that takes you through various eras of history. You can also see classical styles with Greek architectural elements, eclecticism, neoclassicism, neo baroque and even Ottoman style buildings. However, I consider Thessaloniki the second Constantinople. Through the neighborhoods you can find churches from the early Byzantine period (and a lot of mosaics and byzantine art!) ,Roman ruins and of course impressive buildings such as Rotonda, Ag. Sofia, the city walls and the fortress. If the Byzantine Empire had continued to this day, it probably would have looked like the current Thessaloniki or Athens or other cities in Greece. A still very religious society (still the heart of Orthodoxy), a society with a strongly developed sense of commerce but also a very diverse society that strongly preserves its traditions. Compared to other Greek cities, Thessaloniki has preserved its architecture very well, the streets are not chaotic, everything is symmetrical and easy to remember. Most of the buildings keep the same height, most of the streets are quite narrow but very geometric (this may seem similar to the cities in Spain). So the city transmits a very urban and very comfortable Greek vibe, and is a suitable destination for those passionate about street photography and walks!

mihailvictor Romania

Honestly, it was a disappointment. The photos online show you a nice and clean city with some cool historical sights, whereas the reality is totally different. We could only enter the main church, the rest of the historical sights were closed. The city is full of buildings that seem to be falling apart at any moment, zero maintenance and dirtiness everywhere. Stray dogs and cats, not cared for, literally everywhere. We ended up feeding some stray cats because we just could not turn our heads away from that. If it wasn't for the food and some good jokes during the trip, I definitely would have not enjoyed myself there. 2 out of 10, I do not recommend visiting.

Kinga Belgium