Thessaloniki

From MyVacationsTo

Thessaloniki [1] is in the Greek district of Central Macedonia, and with about a million inhabitants is the second biggest city in the country.

Contents 1 Get in 1.1 By train 1.2 By plane 1.3 By car 2 Get around 2.1 Museums and Galleries 3 See 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 9 Get out 10 Consulates

[edit] Get in

[edit] By train

By nighttrain from Athens (Larissa station), about 6 h. Costs 20€-31€ (depending on the train), or about 50 if you want a sleeping compartment to yourself. Daily trains from Athens take 4h 15 min (intercity express trains), 6h(normal trains) cost about 50 euros first class. A very good option are the 501/502/503 trains, costing about 14 euros (11 for students and people up to 26) and take only 5h 45min. Unfortunately for smokers, smoking is banned in all but a few trains. The last train at night departs at around 01:50. There is also a night train (vagon lit) from Istanbul, departure every day at 20.00. It arrives 08.00 next morning and costs 48€. When you are under 26, you get a discount for 25 % on most trains.

To/From Skopje, - direct link: Skopje to Thessaloniki train is 20€ RT with young person discount, 20% more without. Train leaves for Thessaloniki at 3:10am or 4:00pm. Thessaloniki to Skopje train leaves at 9am or 7pm. Both trains take about 4 hours.

There are also direct train connections to Sofia (about 5 hours), Belgrade (12 hours), Budapest and Ljubljana (24 hours) via Zagreb (21 hours). But please mind: The trains from Ljubljana arrive usually more than two hours too late in Thessaloniki.

You can buy Balkan FlexiPass tickets for 50€ in the train station international office.

[edit] By plane

Thessaloniki has an International airport connected to Athens, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt, Dortmund (easyJet, starting may 31, 2007), Moscow, London, Paris, Vienna, Larnaca, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest. A flight from Athens costs (one way) about 80 euros - but if you book early, the two domestic airlines can offer tickets as low as 19 euros (without tax). There are several flights to Aegean and Ionian islands.

[edit] By car

From Athens about 5 hours (Highway) From Istanbul about 8 hours From Belgrade about 7 hours One of the burdens for visitors and inhabitants alike is finding a parking place, so be prepared to either spend a lot of time looking for a place or pay for space in the parking lot (starting from 4 euros/3 hours). Traffic congestion seems to be a problem nowadays, but generally fellow drivers and passers-by are helpful to show you the way if you're feeling lost.

[edit] Get around

If your goal is to get out to the airport, hop on bus 78. It connects the airport with the bus station ("Ktel"), passing by the train station ("OSE") and a ticket costs 0.50€ if you buy it from the kiosk (0.60 if you buy it from the automatic ticket vendor, exact change needed). It's about a 25 minute ride. You can take this same bus back from the airport.Now availiable bus and after 11pm, and isn't among the most frequent busses. A taxi ride from the city center costs about 10-12 euros - it's hard to find one during peak hours (7-8 am, 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm), so plan early!

[edit] Museums and Galleries

At the beginning of Tsimiski street there is a special area in the center of Thessaloniki where you can find many museums:

• Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum
• The Byzantine Museum
• State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki

Also

• Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
• Museum of Cinematography in Thessaloniki
• Thessaloniki Technology Park

[edit] See

Only the northernmost Byzantine walls of the city are still standing, the exception being what has now become the city's symbol - the White Tower, on of the original fortified towers and the only one on the seafront. The rest of the walls are in the picturesque old town (Upper Town) which offers a view over the bay. Take a walk along the enormous seafront promenade (about 12 km altogether) with views of the amphitheatrically-built city. See the Archaeological Museum and the award-winning Museum of Byzantine Culture. The international film festival is held in November,the international trade fair in September.

On no account should you miss the byzantine churches(St Demetrios, c. 200 AD and Agia Sophia, 600 AD, and the lovely smaller ones in the upper town), which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of them, the Rotonda, started life as a Roman building and is almost as old as the Pantheon in Rome. Also interesting are the Turkish fortification and the market place.

[edit] Do

[edit] Buy

One of the most cool stores in Thessaloniki is the new artistic bookstore called Bustart. Located in the center of the city (Grigoriou Palama 21), this culture oasis offers to Thessaloniki residents and visitors a wide variety of books and CDs all sharing a main theme: art, ranging from classic painters to photography, fashion and web design. The shop has partnerships with Europe's leading modern art galleries such as Tate Modern and Centre Pompidou.

[edit] Eat

For a morning or late-night snack, try Bougatsa pies: cream (sweet) or cheese (savoury) filling

Meat eaters can try out soutzoukakia: minced meat pellets either grilled (at the central market or rotisseries) or in tomato and cumin sauce.

Go for a meal in one of the many downtown ouzo restaurants (ouzeri) - some very good ones are Agora, Odos Aristotelous, Vrotos, and Bit-Pazar - and accompany your drink with a whole battery of small dishes - by far the best way to eat in Salonica. There are also some good similar Cretan restaurants: Myrsini and Apo Dyo Horia. Here, order raki rather than ouzo or tsipouro.

If you see "boiled vegetables' on the menu in wintertime, go ahead and order them- you'll be amazed at how good they taste.

Another typical winter salad is politiki, a combination of shredded cabbage and pickles.

Best winter dessert: baked quince

For those of you with adventurous tastes: go to Tsarouhas,preferably after a hard night's drinking, for a "patsas" (tripe) soup - a delicious way to prevent a hangover.

Restaurants mentioned: Agora - off Ionos Dragoumi Bit-Pazar: Prosfygikis Agoras (between Olympou, Venizelou and Filippou),a great place to eat "meze" and drink,usually many students prefer this place. Vrotos: off Athonos (which is also full of restaurants, but not as good) Odos Aristotelous on the street of the same name - most Salonicans know it as the "lepen" Myrsini: behind the theatre of the Etairia Makedonikon Spoudon (Macedonian Studies) Apo Dyo Horia: off Navarinou square (site of Galerius's palace). Taverna "Kamaras" near Rotonda,great traditional dishes.

For something more quick, you can taste the special crepes from many different places at Gounari street, next to Navarinou square. Also "Goody's" is the greek fast food restaurant chain. You will find classic hamburgers, pasta, salads, etc.

Many taverns you can find also in Ladadika neighbourhood, or in Athonos square (near Aristotelous and Egnatia street)

[edit] Drink

Retsina In winter: Tsipouro, a distilled spirit similar to, but usually better than, ouzo Northern Greek wines produced by Gerovassileiou, Babatzim and Yannis Boutaris

[edit] Sleep

Hostels: The Youth Hostel in Thessaloniki, situated in the city center (Alexandrou Svolou St.), is a fair choice for students and travellers on a budget. Beware however, it is sometimes closed for renovation work, so please contact them before you arrive in the city.

Hotels:

Strongly recommended is 'The Tourist Hotel' on Mitropoleos st, its right in the center, cheap, clean and welcoming. Everyone who lives in the city recommends it to travellers.

El Greco Hotel:3-sup star hotel in the center of Thessaloniki

City, 4 star

Luxembourg 3 star

Kinissi Palace 4 star

Olympia Hotel 3 star

Tobacco Hotel: on Aghiou Dimitriou street (formerly a tobacco warehouse), a 4-star boutique hotel

Queen Olga Hotel, east thessaloniki

Kapsis Hotel

Park Hotel: Great place, everything is new there. Firm beds, very clean. Good breakfast buffet and reasonable prices. Nice location, 15 minute walk to Ocean.

"Rex Hotel:" Cheap Hotel Opposite the train station towards the center. Only a 5 minute walk from train station. Not great, but adequate. Two-bedroom in peak season was 35€.

[edit] Get out

You won't wonder where to get a drink in a town with this many bars! Thessaloniki is by far the liveliest city in Northern Greece- maybe even the whole country. Most of the bars at the old seafront(Nikis ave.) and around, many of the tavernas are either downtown or in the old city(kastra). If you want to check out what the whole bouzoukia scene is all about, try Mamounia, at Vilka. You can find also a lot of night clubs, bars and restaurants in Ladadika, the neighbourhood with the old warehouses next to the port. The area where you will find many students is around Kamara, next to the University of the town with many small and simple cafe and bars.

If you will be in town during summer, you have to visit for a coffee or drink the small boats. You can find them right next to the White Tower and most of them every 2-3h are making a small trip (20-30') in the Gold of Thessaloniki.

[edit] Consulates

Thessaloniki is home to several consulates:

• Consulate of Albania: 10 Odysséos Street, Tel. 2310 546656
• Consulate of Australia: 46 Kifissías Street, Kalamaria, Tel. 2310 482322
• Consulate of Belgium: 4 Dodekanísou Street, Tel. 2310 538137
• Consulate of Bulgaria: 1 Abbot Street, Tel. 2310 829210
• Consulate of Canada: 17 Tsimiski Street, Tel. 2310 256350-1
• Consulate of the Czech Republic: 8 Plutarchou Street, Tel. 2310 266415
• Consulate of Chile: 6 Karólou Dil Street, Tel. 2310 237272
• Consulate of the Cyprus : 37 Nikis Avenue, Tel. 2310 260611
• Consulate of Denmark: 26 Komninón Street, Tel. 2310 284065
• Consulate of Finland: 7 Thessaloniki-Oraiokastro Road, Oraiokastro, Tel: 2310 697302
• Consulate of France: 8 Makenzy King Street, Tel. 2310 244030
• Consulate of the Germany: 4a Karolou Dil Street, Tel. 2310 251120
• Consulate of the Macedonia: 43 Tsimiski Street, Tel. 2310 277347-8-9
• Consulate of Hungary: 3 Fragkon Street, Tel. 2310 555049
• Consulate of Japan: 45 Fillipou Street, Tel. 2310 286390
• Consulate of Latvia: 34 Mitropoleos Street, Tel. 2310 277463
• Consulate of Lithuania: 8 Komninon Street, Tel. 2310 268110
• Consulate of Luxemburg: 26 Komninon Street, Tel. 2310 248065
• Consulate of Mexico: 311 Monastiriou Avenue, Tel. 2310 270206
• Consulate of The Netherlands: 26 Komninon Street, Tel. 2310 284065
• Consulate of Norway: 12 Makenzy King Street, Tel. 2310 526333
• Consulate of Peru: 192 Monastiriou Avenue, Tel. 2310 566737
• Consulate of the Philippines: 22 Dodekanisou Street, Tel. 2310 556161
• Consulate of Portugal: 3 Vassileos Konstantinou Street, Tel. 2310 228138
• Consulate of Romania: 16 Santas Street, Tel: 2310 340088
• Consulate of Russian Federation: 5 Dimosthenes Street, Tel: 2310 257507
• Consulate of Serbia: 4 Komninon Street, Tel: 2310 244266
• Consulate of Sweden: 26 Komninon Street, Tel: 2310 284065
• Consulate of Switzerland: 47 Nikis Avenue, Tel: 2310 282214
• Consulate of Spain: 9 Victor Hugo Street (Victoros Hougo), Tel: 2310 2310 515391
• Consulate of Turkey: 151 Agiou Demetriou Avenue, Tel: 2310 248452
• Consulate of the United Kingdom: 21 Aristotelous Square, Tel: 2310 278006
• Consulate General of the United States of America: 43 Tsimiski Street, Tel: 2310 242900