Thessaloniki, also called Salonica, is located in the Northern part of Greece and is the capital of Macedonia Prefecture and is the second largest city in Greece, after Athens. In 315 BC, King Cassander of Macedon founded the city and named it after his wife, who was also Alexander the Great’s half-sister, Thessalonike. Her name means “Victory of the Thessalians”, honoring the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field , helped by the Thessalians that occurred with her birth.
Today, Thessaloniki is a modern town that welcomes millions of visitors every year. The town is connected to Turkey and the Balkans by railways. Also, it has an international airport and a port, making Thessaloniki a transportation hub for northern Greece.
The city is majoritarly famous for its ancient monuments, the intense nightlife, and its shopping possibilities.
When you travel to Thessaloniki, THE place to visit is the White Tower, facing the sea. Today housing the Byzantine Museum of the town, the tower was built in the 16th century by the Ottomans, it was used as a fort, then for a prison, and a meteorology laboratory.
The city is also well-known for its glamorous style, reinforced by numerous cultural events such as the International Trade Fair and for the International Film Festival in autumn.
Around Thessaloniki, with your rented car, you’ll find wonderful beaches and villages to visit. Very famous, Halkidi has some of the most beautiful crystal waters, and dreamy caves to make you feel like being on an exotic island.
In the municipality of Delta, you’ll find many outdoor opportunities around the estuaries of the Gallicos, Axios and Loudias Rivers. There are rare birds to observe, along with pink flamingos at Kalohori Lagoon, and discover water buffaloes in the natural shelter at the Gallicos River Delta. Eco-tourism is very common there, and in the Axios River Delta Information Center, located at Halastra town, you will be informed of maps with suggested routes.
There is also the Church of the Assumption of Mary, that exhibits the wooden Epitaph sculpture rescued by the refugees after the Asia Minor Disaster at Sindos Town. The Monastery of the Nativity of Mary Gorgoepikoos located at the Samli region of Nea Magnesia, is a famous pilgrimage of the miraculous Icon of Mary Gorgoepikoos painted in 1913 at Mount Athos by Russian artists, while the Temple of Saint Demetrius at Halastra hosts the crypt that served as an ammunition storehouse by the Greek fighters during the Macedonian Struggle.
Last but not least, you can buy traditional, handmade rustic products such as frumenty, Greek noodles, cookies, local desserts, jams and marmalades at the premises of the “Valmada” women’s agricultural cooperative at Anatolico town.
The staff of Selecta Rent a Car will be happy to provide you with useful information about the attractions and the routes you need to follow.