Sprawled along the waterfront, Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, is known as the Nymph of the North.
This is what Lonely Planet guide has to say:
“Thessaloniki is fuelled by optimism, hedonism and just a dash of chaos. Greece’s thriving second city has monuments and museums to thrill history-lovers, it is mostly walkable and has a more upbeat quality than the capital.
The centre is laced with historic sights, from the Byzantine walls threading its romantic Upper Town to the imposing Rotunda. This is a city where old and new cohabit wonderfully: the Arch of Galerius, an intricate 4th-century monument, overlooks the busy shopping drag of Egnatia, while Thessaloniki’s most famous sight, the White Tower, anchors a waterfront packed with cocktail bars. By night, the city reverberates with music and nightlife, powered by an excitable stream of international students and backpackers.”
Since its founding by Cassander as a prosperous Hellenistic city and up to the Ottoman occupation, it has taken advantage of its strategic position to grow into a multicultural urban centre.
After 1912, with the end of the Balkan Wars and its incorporation into the modern Greek State, Thessaloniki has been the second-largest city and port in Greece.
Source: thetoc.gr
Photos: ΜΟΤΙΟΝΤΕΑΜ/Vasilis Ververidis
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