Thessaloniki Audio Walk 🎧 Cultural landmarks and hidden gems of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is one of the most fascinating and multicultural places in Greece. It was founded by the Macedonian King Cassander and named after Alexander the Great’s half-sister in the early 4th century BC. And over the centuries, it has been occupied by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. It also housed one of the oldest and largest Jewish communities in Europe. As well as taking you to landmarks and monuments from these periods, this walking tour – designed to be enjoyed in full or in part – introduces you to the museums, markets and neighbourhoods of this larger-than-life city, known for its vibrant spirit and delicious food scene. The White Tower, UNESCO-protected Byzantine churches, remains of the Galerius Palace Complex and Roman Forum, and Ottoman mosques are just some of the historical landmarks, while museums include the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Jewish Museum. You will also be introduced to contemporary landmarks, such as the Umbrellas installation, Modiano Food Market and the buzzing Ladadika district.

Highlights include

• The White Tower
• Aristotelous Square
• UNESCO-protected Byzantine churches
• Galerius Palace Complex & Roman Forum
• The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
• Modiano, Kapani and other markets
• Bey Hamam and Hamza Bey mosques
• Jewish Museum
• Ladadika district

Thessaloniki through the centuries

• 316 or 315 BC: Founded by King Cassander of Macedon, who named the city after his wife and half-sister of Alexander the Great
• 168 BC: Roman occupation, during which Thessaloniki becomes a key Roman port and a stop on the Via Egnatia, enhancing its commercial and military significance
• Late 3rd - Early 4th Century AD: Reign of Emperor Galerius as Caesar and later Augustus in Roman Tetrarchy, during which he builds the Galerius Palace Complex
• 324–1430: Byzantine era, in which Thessaloniki thrives as the most important Byzantine city outside Constantinople. Landmark churches, including Agios Dimitrios (7th century) and Agia Sophia (8th century), introduced
• 1383-1430: First Ottoman siege followed by brief period of Venetian rule
• 1430: Conquest by Sultan Murad II sees Thessaloniki become part of the Ottoman Empire for 500 years, introducing Islamic cultural influences and new architecture, such as White Tower and Hamza Bey Mosque (Alkazar)
• 15th–20th centuries: Following the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain, Thessaloniki develops a vibrant (mainly Sephardic) Jewish community, continuing the city’s legacy of housing Romaniotes Jews since antiquity
• 1912: Thessaloniki is liberated from Ottoman rule and incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
• 1917: Great Fire of Thessaloniki destroys 70% of the city and prompts a regeneration project by French architect and city planner Ernest Hébrard
• 1943: 96% of 55,000-strong Jewish community sent to Nazi concentration camps
• 1960s–1970s: Thessaloniki experiences significant growth and becomes a hub for industry, trade, and education in the region
• 1988: Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, including several early Christian and Byzantine churches, are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• 1997: Thessaloniki named European Capital of Culture