I arrived in Thessaloniki in the afternoon after spending a couple of days in Skopje.
I had very little time to see the city, so I couldn’t really do much. Basically I just grabbed my camera and walked from the station to the seafront, the sunsets in Thessaloniki are something worth admiring.
Thessaloniki, unlike Athens and its Acropolis, has rather little to offer to visitors besides its urban liveliness, its sunsets and a few archaeological sites. However, the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia is a transportation hub and acts as a crossroad mid-way between Athens, Istanbul and Bulgaria, so it is quite unavoidable for all travelers who visit the region.
Apart from its waterfront location and peaceful, movie-like sunsets, Thessaloniki is also known for its luxury shops ans upscale restaurants.
The main attractions in the city include the White Tower, from which the Sultan Mahmud II, ordered the murder of the Janissaries (an elite branch of the Ottoman army that had gained vast amounts of wealth and power). With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Greeks decided to whitewash the tower to get rid it of its dark history.
Currently the tower is again bare stone, but retains the nickname of White Tower.
The Arch of Galerius is part of an archeological site dating back to the 4th century, which includes a palace and mausoleum. The arch is decorated with reliefs of soldiers in battle and was erected in 303 to commemorate the victory of the Romans over the Persians.
Other attractions in the city include the Church of Agios Dimitrios and the Byzantine walls.
