[10] Thessaloniki is located on the Thermaic Gulf, at the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. It is bounded on the west by the delta of the Axios.

Thessaloniki, the second city of Greece, is a lively university town where Byzantine churches rub shoulders with trendy bars and cafes. We cover the best things to do in Thessaloniki, from the breezy waterfront and cosmopolitan food scene, to layers of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history.

Thessaloniki is worth visiting if you love food and history, and you’d rather feel like a guest in a real city than a face in a crowd. This guide covers the best reasons to go and the downsides worth planning around.

Sprawling along the edge of the Thermaic Gulf, Thessaloniki is a seaside showcase of Greek history from ancient Roman and Byzantine ruins to the modern high-rises lining its beaches. Plus, after sundown, Greece’s cultural capital hums with some of the best nightlife options in the Aegean.

Thessaloniki is the Greek capital of Balkans, and the country’s gastronomic and cultural capital. The co-capital of the Byzantine Empire and the modern Hellenic Republic, today Thessaloniki continues to be a major center of Orthodox Christianity.

Thessaloníki is a city and dímos (municipality), Central Macedonia (Modern Greek: Kendrikí Makedonía), on the western Chalcidice (Chalkidikí) peninsula at the head of a bay on the Gulf of Thérmai (Thermaïkós). It was founded in 316 BCE and named for a sister of Alexander the Great.

So, when you mention Thessaloniki to Greeks, it’s no surprise that their eyes glisten with adoration. Greece ’s second-biggest city evokes emotions for a multitude of reasons.

Attractions, unique experiences, fun…Choices in Thessaloniki are numerous! Browse through our map and start planning your next trip to Greece’s second largest city.

Thessaloniki is a stately city. Distinguished by the White Tower on its waterfront and the castles of Ano Poli, it has for years been a crossroads of cultures and ethnicities.

Thessaloniki and its surrounding territory — the Kingdom of Thessalonica — became the largest fief of the Latin Empire, covering most of north and central Greece.