Discover the Top 10 attractions in Thessaloniki with Irro Charter

Top 10 attractions in Thessaloniki with Irro Charter

Thessaloniki is a Greek port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. Especially in the area of the upper town (Ano Poli) there are numerous testimonies from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman times. Among the ruins of the palace of the Roman Emperor Galerius from the 4th century is the rotunda, which was used as a church and a mosque. Much of the city center was destroyed by a major fire in 1917. In the following years of the 20th century, the city was rebuilt according to a modern European urban model.

Thessaloniki can be reached either by plane via Makedonia Airport. You can, of course, make your way through the city by public transport. However, if you would like to visit Thessaloniki in a more formal, comfortable and easy way, consider using our charter bus service. Coach Charter Europe has been involved in the tour bus industry for over 40 years. As a family-owned bus company, our goal is to provide exceptional charter bus rental services customized to your itinerary needs.

If you want to travel with your group, then a charter bus from Coach Charter Europe is the best way to get to Thessaloniki. Bus Company by Coach Charter Europe advises group managers to plan their time between visits wisely to handle itinerary points and to remain flexible for other tasks.

We welcome you to the top ten ideas on your next trip to Thessaloniki:

White Tower of Thessaloniki

1. White Tower of Thessaloniki

   Thessaloniki 's iconic landmark, the cylindrical, six-storey White Tower, appears on postcards and souvenirs, and is the sight that many people in Greece bring to mind when they think of the city. Put up to reinforce the eastern end of the harbour, the tower is right on the water and was constructed in the 15th century after Thessaloniki was taken over by the Ottoman Empire. With a diameter of 23 meters, the tower is 34 meters high and houses a museum on the history of Thessaloniki, designed by the Museum of Byzantine Culture. There is a multilingual audio guide to describe the exhibits, and you can scale them.

2. Archaeological Museum

   A priority for those coming to Thessaloniki, the Archeological Museum has archaic, classical, Hellenistic and Roman-era objects brought to light in the city and throughout Macedonia. There are discoveries from the 6th-century Ionic temple in the city, as well as the palace complex built by the early 4th-century emperor Galerius. There is also a reconstruction of the Macedonian tomb unearthed not far away.

3. Hagios Demetrios

   After Thessalonica 's patron saint Demetrius was martyred in the 4th century, a church was built on the same site. The early buildings here were repeatedly destroyed by fire until the new structure was built as a five-aisled basilica in the early 630s. The church is famous for its mosaic panels dating from the 630s to the 730s, depicting Demetrius with children and the founders of the church are rare examples of art from the period after the death of Emperor Justinian. The crypt houses the Roman bathhouse where Demetrius was imprisoned and destroyed, and was neglected during the Ottoman rule until the excavations after the fire in 1917. Since 1988, it has been an exhibition room, full of statues, capitals, vessels and slabs from the early , middle and late Byzantine periods discovered during the digs.

4. Aristotelous Square

   As good as any place to start a walking tour of Thessaloniki, Aristotle Square is on the waterfront of Nikis Avenue. This magnificent square was planned by the French architect Ernest Hébrard in 1918, but it was just a few decades until the square was lined with its present mansion blocks, which are now all listed buildings. Almost all of Thessaloniki 's public festivities (Christmas and New Year) as well as cultural and political activities and demonstrations are held on Aristotle Square.

5. Ladadika

   Behind the ferry port, a short walk from Aristotle Square is the historic district of Ladadika, with colorfully painted buildings, factories and warehouses on cobblestone streets with restaurant tables. One of the best places to go out in Thessaloniki, Ladadika used to be a chaotic shopping district, settled by many Sephardic Jews in the city: the word "Ladadika" comes from the shops that used it.

The Great Alexander's statue on a seafront promenade in Thessaloniki

6. Museum of Byzantine Culture

   In 11 galleries, this extraordinary museum maps the history of the Byzantine Empire with items gathered from all over Macedonia. These originate from all periods, from the establishment of the Empire by Constantine in the 4th century and the establishment of Christianity as a state religion, to its demise in the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. The museum's collection contains manuscripts, wooden icons, jewellery, fabrics dating back to the 4th century, seals, mosaics, wall paintings , sculptures, early printed books and contemporary paintings influenced by Byzantine architecture. There are also several beautiful examples of stonemasonry, such as inscribed stones and arches and church piers.

7. Rotunda

   At the turn of the 4th century, the Roman emperor Galerius ordered a rotunda and a connecting arch, an ensemble that joined his palace to the imperial precinct at the crossroads of the main axes of the city. This new imperial precinct was established as a new administrative center after the foundation of the Tetrarchy, when the Roman Empire was split into four independent kingdoms, making Thessaloniki a new city. The UNESCO-listed Rotunda is a mesmerizing space, with a dome 30 meters above the floor that was once crossed with an oculus like the Pantheon in Rome. The building was used as a pagan temple. Palaeo-Christian mosaics from the 5th century AD are newly restored on the walls.

8. Hagia Sophia

   Today's Hagia Shophia took on its modern architecture as long ago as the 8th century. It was modeled on its homonymous church in Constantinople, and from the conquest of Thessaloniki in 1430 right through to its liberation in 1912, Hagia Sophia was a mosque. The building is a sparkling piece of Byzantine architecture of the Middle Ages, despite some mishaps, including the fires of 1890 and 1917. After the second burn, the dome would not have been rebuilt until 1980. This is a mosaic from the 9th century depicting the Ascension, with Jesus raised by two angels and surrounded by the 12 Apostles and Mary. Above the iconostasis is another captivating image, from the 11th century, showing the Madonna with Child.

9. Thessaloniki Science Centre Technology Museum

   The most important science and technology museum in Greece is not far southeast of the city centre. In the main exhibition halls on the ground floor there are 40 interactive stations that allow children to get to grips with subjects such as optics, magnetism, telecommunications, electricity and mechanics, all in enjoyable and unexpected ways. These are paired with exhibits on the technical advancements made in Ancient Greece and the history of motor transport from 1918 to today, with cars from all ages.

10. Atatürk Museum

    Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the man who was to become the founder and leader of the new secular Turkish state, was born in this three-storey house on Apostolo Pavlou Lane, now part of the Turkish consulate. The house dates back to 1870 and is furnished with mostly original furniture and personal belongings such as clothes, food utensils, smoking paraphernalia, crockery as well as photos from various periods of Atatürk 's life. You can see the room in which Atatürk was born and find a pomegranate.

If you need an airport shuttle service or a full day charter bus service for your sightseeing tours, please feel free to contact us. Our Coach Charter Europe charter bus rental team will help you with any concerns you may have about hiring a tour bus. By hiring a coach with a driver from our Coach Charter Europe's bus service, you can have a high degree of flexibility when it comes to taking into account all the various aspects of your journey. We're going to be there every step of the way for you as a charter bus rental company.

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