Defying the economic crisis, Thessaloniki

Every time I return to the “second capital of the Greeks”, I find a city defying the economic crisis, Thessaloniki evolving you in its charm and its timeless beauty in an instant.

Thessaloniki amazes with its maze of winding ordered streets with clean pavement and palm trees lining up the avenues, with its countless coffee shops and taverns where you can find colleagues and friends and travelers chilling out during the hot hours of “siesta”, with the beautiful shore by the Aegean Sea.

Music sometimes rings from one Gyros shop or from a traditional restaurant and during the evenings, the streets are clearly lit and the port shines beautifully, reflecting its colors in the gentle dark waves of the sea.

Thessaloniki is a city with a very old history. It was founded in the year 315 BC on the site of an ancient site called Therme by Kassandros, the brother in law of Alexander the Great. Thessaloniki was sister to Alexander and wife to Kassandros and she gave the name to the town.

The Apostle Paul preached here and during the Byzantine rule, the city was a very prominent cultural center. It was invaded by the Turks in the 15th century and freed in 1912.

There is much to see in Thessaloniki, apart from celebrating a traditional evening in one of its countless restaurants. In the city center, you can visit Agia Sofia, the White Tower (Ippodromio), the Aristotelous Square – where you can admire the great man’s statue – and the amazingly vivid market place, in Kapani.

If you are into archeology also, Salonika is the place for you. You can visit the Palace of Galerius, the Roman Forum and the Roman Baths.

All these places can be visited in a tour provided by Halkidiki-Thessaloniki Airport Transfers, an amazing local transport service.