Greece's second city for importance and extent, Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander, King of the Macedonians, who gave the name of his wife, as well as sister of Charlemagne, Thessalonica. It was built on the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement, Therme, born due to the strategic location, and its cultural and commercial importance increased during the entire period of the Byzantine Empire, when it was more famous of Athens. It has often been invaded and used as a fortress by different peoples, thanks to his position, even during the two world wars of the twentieth century.

Walls of Thessaloniki

Photo flickr.com - ccrrii

MONUMENTS AND CHURCHES OF THESSALONIKI
Thessaloniki shows to the visitor all its Oriental charme, with many monuments, museums and archaeological sites.
Several interesting churches, beginning with the Cathedral of St. Dimitrios and Agios Dimitros, a large modern church dedicated to the patron of the city.
Also important is the church of Saint Sophia, an eighth-century building, which had a story similar the one of the cathedral of Constantinople; it became Muslim during the Ottoman domination, then revert to being Christian in the early twentieth century. Inside you can admire several frescoes and mosaics of high value.

Small but very special is the church of Osios David, that hosts a beautiful mosaic titled "The vision of Ezekiel."
Among the most famous and visited monuments in Thessaloniki there is a medieval fortress, located just above the old town, rich of narrow streets and very impressive houses.
From the fortress there is also a magnificent view over the city.
The oldest monument are the Arch of Galerius, a construction of 1700 years ago, and the nearby roundabout, which is probably a mausoleum. You can then make a visit to the Roman baths and all the Roman quarter.

Another symbol of the town is the White Tower, that during the Turkish occupation was used as a prison, It is located on the modern waterfront it deserves at least a sunset stroll. The tower was originally red but was repainted white after being freed from the Turkish domination to remember the innocent victims of the Ottoman reign.


CULTURE IN THESSALONIKI
The cultural offer is quite large, especially regarding the several museums. First of all there is the Archaeological Museum which owns antiquities from different historical periods.
Amongst the other museums there are the Museum of Ethnology and Folklore of Macedonia and Thrace, the Macedonian Struggle Museum, the Technical Museum and Gallery of Fine Arts
In Thessaloniki there are also several theaters, including the National Theatre of Northern Greece, where events are offered to suit all tastes.
Last but not least is the International Film Festival, hosted in the port city since 2001, where there is also the Museum of Cinema.
Finally, the famous University.


GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THESSALONIKI
The architectonic characteristics of Thessaloniki are strictly connected to the fire which destroyed almost completely the town in 1917.
The reconstruction was forbidden until a modern project, born from the hands of the french architect Hébrard, was presented, that turned it in a city with a European flavor, but without its former oriental charm.

Apart from the vitality of the city, full of commercial and shopping areas, restaurants, pubs and other, gastronomy is renowed item.
Thessaloniki is in fact regarded by many as the Greek capital of gastronomy, with recipes from the Roman, Turkish, Hebrew and Spanish tradition, referring to all those populations who for one reason or another passed through this city.

The climate is typically Mediterranean and very hot, even if moving just slightly to the north in mainland becomes inmediately continental, a situation that justyfies contrastant climatic phenomena over the year.
English is fairly widespread in the city and is also easy to find several people who speak Italian, thanks to the strong influx of tourists and the proximity to Italy.
 

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