Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. The city was founded in 315 BC by Cassander, the King of Macedon and named it after his wife Thessalonica, the sister of Alexander the Great. It is the Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and cultural center as well as a transportation hub in southeastern Europe. After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, it became a city of the Roman Republic. It grew to be an important trade-hub on the Via Egnatia and its commercial port is of a great importance for Greece. It was seized by Theodore Komnenos Doukas, the Greek ruler of Epirus in 1224 and was later recovered by the Byzantine Empire in 1246.

Area & Location: Located around the Thermaic Gulf, Thessaloniki covers a total area of 17.8 sq. km. Situated at 40 °38' Latitude North and 22 °57' Longitude East, the city has a population of 809, 457.

Tourist Attractions: Thessaloniki is often attracted by tourists from all parts of the world with its world famous architectures.

Transportation: The opening of a motorway in 1970 was an added advantage to the developing transportation facilities in Thessaloniki. The 9.6 km long Metro Network links the city with other parts of the country. The public transportation in the city includes buses.

The city is a major railway hub for the Balkans. Makedonia International Airport, having both domestic and international flights serves the city.

Hotels: Tourists who visit the city refresh themselves in its hotels, which provide quality service to the customers. They try to make sure that their guests are satisfied with their service. Holiday Inn Thessaloniki, Makedonia Palace Hotel, Golden Tulip Electra Palace Hotel, Mediterranean Palace Hotel, Kempinski Hotel Nikopolis Thessaloniki, Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki and Le Palace Hotel are the well-known hotels in the city.

Places of Attraction: White Tower of Thessaloniki is the landmark of the city. The Arch and Tomb of Galerius, The Church of Aghios Demetrios -the most important church in the entire city, OTE Tower, a TV tower -the center of the Thessaloniki Expo Center, The waterfront, Aristotelous Square and Byzantine walls of the Upper City are often attracted by the tourists. The famous museums in the city such as Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, State Museum of Contemporary Art and Thessaloniki Macedonia-Thrace Folklore and Ethnological Museum provide interesting facts. Crypt of Aghios Demetrios, Agia Paraskevi, Thessaloniki, archaic cemetery, The Arch and Tomb of Galerius, The extensive city walls, Trigonian Tower and the Castra area are the other remarkable spots in Thessaloniki.