Thessaloniki in 3 Days: History, Upper Town and Waterfront

Start at the carved Roman arch beside Egnatia Street. Its reliefs celebrate Galerius’s campaigns; the Rotunda stands a short walk north, making the two monuments a natural pair.

Step inside the massive circular Roman building for its surviving early Christian mosaics. Its later use as a church and mosque explains the mix of decoration and the minaret outside.

Walk west to the basilica of Thessaloniki’s patron saint. The mosaics and rebuilt interior show the church’s long history, with the crypt adding context to the Roman and early Christian site.

Continue to the excavated forum for the Roman square, odeon and vaulted galleries. The underground museum explains the excavations and the role this site played in the ancient city.

Finish beside the domed Ottoman bathhouse near the forum. Built in 1444, it is an exterior stop on this route; cultural events sometimes open parts of the former baths.

Walk down to the small Church of Hosios David, known for the early mosaic in its apse. The scale is very different from the large central basilicas, making this a worthwhile Upper Town visit.

Climb back towards the fortress above the old walls. Explore the fortifications and the former prison spaces for a view of the city’s defensive history and its more recent past.

Follow the eastern walls down to Trigonion Tower and the panorama over the roofs and Thermaic Gulf. Continue through the Upper Town lanes after the viewpoint, with time for a meal before descending to the centre.

Begin beside the waterfront tower, then climb through its exhibition on the city’s history to the roof. The seafront path leads towards the statue and museums that follow.

Walk east along the water to the equestrian monument. This is a short outdoor stop on the way to the museum quarter, with space to continue along the waterfront.

Make the first substantial museum visit for ancient Macedonia, including sculpture, goldwork and objects from burial sites. It gives the Roman monuments from the first day a wider regional setting.

Continue next door for mosaics, icons and objects from Byzantine daily life. The collection extends the story beyond the churches, with galleries devoted to buildings, burial customs and later art.

An alternative visit near the Rotunda to the house associated with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s birth. Choose it for Ottoman Thessaloniki and the early life of the founder of modern Turkey.

Choose this museum for the city’s Sephardic community and the devastation of the Holocaust. It adds essential context to Thessaloniki’s history and fits the central day in place of another indoor stop.

Add a walk through the broad square between the central streets and the waterfront. Its arcades and sea-facing terraces offer a good evening finish after the first day’s historic monuments.