Nine must-do highlights of Thessaloniki, Greece

Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, gave the world Greece’s best-known street snack – the souvlaki skewers and pita-gyro.

The restaurant

Olympos Naoussa

A UNESCO City of Gastronomy, expect to eat well in this town. Thessaloniki’s dining table shows influences from Turkey and Western Europe, and every empire with a presence here (Thracian, Hellenic, Byzantine, Ottoman – take your pick). When asked what the essential food of Thessaloniki is, chef Dimitris Tasioulas opts for mussels drawn from the bay the city sits on. And the best place to try them is his restaurant, Olympos Naoussa, the city’s top dining destination, formerly an art deco cinema. His dolma mussels (mussels stuffed with seafood risotto) are wondrous creations on an exciting fine-dining menu. See olymposnaoussa.gr

The promenade

Thessaloniki and its White Tower and waterfront.Credit: iStock

Thessaloniki – also known as Saloniki or Salonica – is a seaside town, and in the late afternoon sunshine, the esplanade of Greece’s second-largest city is packed with perambulators. The place to be seen strolling is the stretch between the grand Aristotelous Square and along the waterfront to the White Tower – a section of the city rebuilt in 1917 after fire tore through its heart. Join the flaneurs or take a seat in the waterfront bars and watch the picturesque booze cruisers on their 30-minute tours of the bay.

The icon

Credit: Getty Images

The symbol of Greece’s second city, the White Tower was built in 1430 as the Ottoman Empire took Thessaloniki into its fold, replacing an older tower built into the city walls, now demolished in this section. Bristling with cannons and narrow windows for archers, the tower has done time as a prison, a laboratory and a Scout hall. Now, the White Tower is a museum telling the city’s story since its founding, around 315 BC, with an exhibition on each floor. Follow the spiral staircase to the roof for spectacular views, especially at sunset. Open daily, entry costs €8 ($13) in summer, €3 in winter. See lpth.gr

The dish

Derlikatesen

Thank you, Thessaloniki, for giving the world Greece’s best-known street snack – the souvlaki skewers and pita-gyro, which has sliced meat in bread with tzatziki, to go. Traditionally made with pork, with chicken the default alternative, two of the biggest names in town are Derlikatesen and rival 22 Souvlakia, while newcomer Kyr Giorgis gets a guernsey for its locally sourced meat.

The hotel

The Modernist

The four-star The Modernist collaborates with local makers in its coffee, crockery and design. With a colour scheme of black on black, the inward-facing rooms are ideal for vampires; ask for a street-facing room. Don’t miss the generous breakfast spread, with such Greek essentials as yoghurt and honey, bougatsa and fetta, and ripe tomatoes, served on the rooftop cafe overlooking the Holy Monastery of Saint Theodora; it more than makes up for the seriously slow, bloody-minded lift. The street-level cafe serves great coffee and the front desk staff are gorgeously personable. A few steps from Aristotelous Square, there’s also a chic The Modernist outpost in Athens. See themodernisthotels.com

The breakfast

Bougatsa Bantis

Ah, bougatsa! Layers of filo pastry, hand-thrown to tissue-like thinness, are filled with custard and sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon to create the breakfast of champions. Little and long-lived, Bougatsa Bantis is a family-run bakery churning out both since 1969, and a top pick when looking for both in the city, says Greek-Australian chef Ella Mittas, whose family originates from near Thessaloniki. The classic Thessaloniki breakfast will set you back just €1.50 ($2.50).

The markets

Agora Modiano

Markets tell a city’s history, and two in this city have a long tale to tell. Thessaloniki’s oldest market, Kapani, is full of fresh produce, meats and also souvenirs and cafes (it is located on Vlali street and is also known as Vlali Market). Nearby, the whitewashed Agora Modiano is more polished. Built in the early 1920s, it reopened in December 2022 after a massive renovation, beautiful and brimming with 75 shops where you can dive into Thessaloniki’s rich food scene, with street stalls, guided tours and entertainment. See kapani.gr; agoramodiano.com

The day trip

Kourtis Winery with a view of Mount Olympus.

The home of the gods, Mount Olympus, is about an hour south of Thessaloniki, best viewed from the tasting room of Kourtis Winery, whose vines are planted at the deities’ feet. Set in the village of Rachi, experience a true farm-to-table experience at this family winery, just over an hour south of Thessaloniki. Book ahead for a spread of local, handmade meats, cheeses and breads to accompany their certified organic wines, including such Greek varietals as Assyrtiko, Xinomavro, and the indigenous Cretan grape Vidiano. See kourtiswinery.com

The drink

Home of the frappe.Credit: Getty Images

Only Greeks could make Nescafe taste so good: the country’s famed icy frappe was invented in Thessaloniki in 1957, and comprises instant coffee thrown in a shaker with milk and sugar, and served icy cold. Take a seat at any of the waterfront cafes or brasseries looking out to the Thermaic Gulf, in the narrow, cafe-heavy streets of Ladadika, or the busy streets around the Ottoman-era, Byzantine-style Yahudi Hamam, a 16th-century Jewish bath house (closed save for cultural events), and order your caffeine hit.

One more thing

Thessaloniki and Athens are connected by train, a five-hour direct journey that starts at $41, with several departures daily and first- and second-class seats available. Spot the beautiful little Greek Orthodox church in Thessaloniki’s train station. Otherwise, break for lunch at a cafe on any of the fine, tree-lined city squares of laid-back Larissa, another of the top 10-largest cities in Greece. The route is on the Eurail network. See eurail.com; hellenictrain.gr

The writer was a guest of Eurail.