Thessaloniki is Greece's second city and its most relaxed, a laid-back seafront metropolis where Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman layers pile up under a young university crowd and one of the best food scenes in the country. Ancient monuments sit casually between cafes and shops, so you rarely queue: the Rotunda, the Arch of Galerius and half a dozen UNESCO Byzantine churches are simply part of the street. Approach it slowly and by appetite. Start mornings with a warm bougatsa, spend afternoons climbing the lanes of Ano Poli, the old upper town that escaped the great 1917 fire, and reserve evenings for the long waterfront promenade of Nea Paralia and the meze-and-ouzo ritual in Ladadika or around the markets. The heart is flat and walkable along the sea, though the upper town is a steep climb. Sundays are quiet and many sights shut early, while summer empties the centre as locals decamp to Halkidiki. Eat where students eat, drink tsipouro slowly, and let the city set the pace.
A full, walkable day in Thessaloniki, free for everyone. Set your pace and start time.
Order it warm and cut into pieces, sweet with semolina cream or savoury with feta; it is cash only and best early before it sells out.
The climb is steep, so wear good shoes; the ramparts give the best free view over the city and, on a clear day, Mount Olympus across the gulf.
See the surviving 7th-century mosaics and the atmospheric crypt below; dress modestly and note the church may close for a midday break.
The restored glass-roofed hall is full of delis and meze bars; a good spot for a coffee or a cheeky ouzo before more sightseeing.
The two Roman monuments are a short walk apart; check the Rotunda's afternoon closing time as it shuts earlier than most sights.
Walk from the White Tower along the promenade past the themed gardens to the Umbrellas sculpture; sunset here is the city's daily ritual.
Small and always busy, so reserve; let them steer you toward the day's best meze and drink the tsipouro slowly.
The waterfront's cylindrical Ottoman landmark and city symbol, now a museum on Thessaloniki's history; climb the spiral ramp for a rooftop sea view.
A colossal 4th-century Roman domed rotunda later a church and mosque, still ringed by its minaret and lined with shimmering early Christian mosaics; check afternoon closing times.
The carved Roman triumphal arch locals call Kamara, a favourite meeting point where relief panels show the emperor's Persian victories; free and always open.
The vast basilica dedicated to the city's patron saint, with surviving 7th-century mosaics and an atmospheric crypt over his martyrdom site; dress modestly.
The grand seafront square that frames the bay, ringed by cafes under arcades; grab a table for the classic view down to the water at sunset.
The steep old quarter of timber houses and Byzantine churches that survived the 1917 fire; wander up to the ramparts for the finest panorama over the city and gulf.
Snug backstreet ouzeri near Aristotelous serving imaginative, market-driven meze and generous pours of tsipouro to a devoted local crowd; reservations essential.
Buzzing, no-frills ouzeri stacked with classic Thessaloniki meze, fried mussels and grilled octopus, best washed down with ouzo at communal tables.
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Greece