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The modern city center of Thessaloniki is the area near the sea. There are plenty of interesting things to find, including ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, post-Byzantine churches, and Ottoman buildings, but this post will focus on a few of the other places to visit.

 

Nikis Avenue

The most obvious place to start is to walk on the seaside promenade along Nikis Avenue (Leoforos Nikis). It runs from Eleftherias Square (Plateia Eleftherias) south to the White Tower. Along it are several cafés, bars, and restaurants.

Leoforos Nikis in Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikis Avenue
Leoforos Nikis looking towards Lefkos Pyrgos in Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikis Avenue looking towards the White Tower
A café along Leoforos Nikis in Thessaloniki, Greece
A café along Nikis Avenue

 

Aristotelous Square

The main square of Thessaloniki is Aristotelous Square (Plateia Aristotelous). It’s a wide open area flanked by regal buildings with many with outdoor cafes on the ground level. The square was designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard after a terrible fire in 1917 that leveled a significant portion of the city, but wasn’t constructed until the 1950s. It’s especially nice around Christmas time.

Plateia Aristotelous in Thessaloniki, Greece
Aristotelous Square
Plateia Aristotelous at Christmas in Thessaloniki, Greece
Aristotelous Square at Christmas

A pedestrian street called Aristotelous leads away from the square and is lined with more regal buildings. It ends at Egnatia.

Aristotelous in Thessaloniki, Greece
Aristotelous
Aristotelous in Thessaloniki, Greece
Aristotelous

 

Dikastirion Square

Across Egnatia from Aristotelous is Dikastirion Square (Plateia Dikastirion), where it’s possible to find the Roman Forum, a Byzantine church, and an Ottoman hamam. There’s also a statue dedicated to Eleftherios Venizelos, an important Greek leader in the early 20th century.

Eleftherios Venizelos statue in Thessaloniki, Greece
Eleftherios Venizelos statue

 

Tsimiski Street

Crossing Aristotelous a block from Plateia Aristotelous is Tsimiski Street (Odos Tsimiski). This tree-lined street is one of the busiest in Thessaloniki and features several high-end shops.

Tsimiski Street in Thessaloniki, Greece
Tsimiski Street
Odos Tsimiski in Thessaloniki, Greece
Tsimiski Street

 

Agias Sofias Square

Another important square is Agias Sofias Square (Plateia Agias Sofias). The Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia is located there along with the Longos Mansion (The Red House). The mansion was built in 1926 for a textile baron from Naousa and is said to be cursed.

Longos Mansion in Thessaloniki, Greece
Longos Mansion

You can also find a statue of Chrysostomos of Smyrna. Chrysostomos was the bishop of Smyrna. He was murdered by a mob when the city was sacked by Turkish forces in 1922.

Statue of Chrysostomos of Smyrna in Thessaloniki, Greece
Statue of Chrysostomos of Smyrna

 

Fanarioton Square

There are a lot of monuments and statues scattered throughout Thessaloniki, but one of my favorites is at Fanarioton Square (Plateia Fanarioton). It depicts a Cretan warrior.

Cretan warrior at Plateia Fanarioton in Thessaloniki, Greece
Cretan warrior at Fanarioton Square

 

Markets

A great experience is to visit the markets of Thessaloniki, which date back to the 12th century. Kapani, or Agora Vlali, is the traditional market where several different goods can be found including clothing, jewelry, souvenirs, and religious goods. It covers a huge area between the streets of Egnatia, Ermou, Venizelou, and Aristotelous.

Kapani (Agora Vlali) in Thessaloniki, Greece
Kapani (Agora Vlali)
Kapani (Agora Vlali) in Thessaloniki, Greece
Kapani (Agora Vlali)
Kapani (Agora Vlali) in Thessaloniki, Greece
A street through Kapani (Agora Vlali)

Agora Vatikioti is where meat, fish, and produce can be found. The main strip of the market is down a covered Odos Vatikioti. It’s located on the other side of Aristotelous from Kapani.

Agora Vatikioti in Thessaloniki, Greece
Agora Vatikioti
Agora Vatikioti in Thessaloniki, Greece
Agora Vatikioti

 

Museums

On my three trips to the city, I decided to focus on the archaeological sites, churches, and Ottoman monuments, but there are several museums of note. Among them are the Museum for the Macedonian Struggle, the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, the Museum of Byzantine Culture, and the Archaeological Museum. I would like to visit all of them on a future trip.

Museum of the Macedonian Struggle in Thessaloniki, Greece
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki, Greece
Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki
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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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