It’s a crisp mid-October Saturday morning outside the Aghia Sofia metro station on Egnatia Street. A group of teenagers with skateboards and rollerblades have paused under the striking station canopy to snap photos of the Decumanus Maximus – the city’s main road in ancient times dating back to the 3rd century BC, uncovered during the station’s construction. These young skaters were probably not even born on July 1, 2006, when Thessaloniki’s largest infrastructure project began – the metro system, with a total investment of €1.5 billion. Now, with the much-anticipated opening date set for November 30, the city is on the brink of celebration.

For Thessaloniki residents, the end of this long wait is more than just a relief – it marks a return to a smoother daily life after years of disruption caused by construction. With the removal of worksites, the city is already starting to feel more functional and, dare we say, a little more beautiful.

But the excitement goes beyond aesthetics. The metro’s launch, even in its initial phase with 13 stations connecting the Central Railway Station to Nea Elvetia in the east, is fueling hopes of economic growth and an improved quality of life. Beyond transportation, the project has also unearthed significant archaeological discoveries, leading to plans for two new museums that will enrich Thessaloniki’s cultural offerings.

One of these will be housed in the redeveloped grounds of the old Pavlos Melas military base in the west and is expected to be completed by late 2025. Among its exhibits will be treasures from a late antiquity villa uncovered at Aghia Sofia Station. The second museum, with a budget of €40 million, will be built at Sintrivani Station, the “crossover” point where the metro and railway lines meet. Spanning 6,370 square meters over four levels, it will showcase a portion of the 300,000 artifacts discovered during the metro excavations alongside displaced antiquities. In essence, it will tell the story of the city and the various phases of the metro’s construction. The entrance of this museum, located on Egnatia Street near Aristotle University and the Thessaloniki International Fair, is set to become one of the city’s new landmarks.

The full operation of the metro in about 18 months, with a functioning extension eastward towards Mikra and five additional stations, is expected to significantly ease the city’s traffic woes. Complementing these efforts, the construction of the Flyover – a new elevated expressway linking the city’s eastern and western gateways – promises further relief. This project, which includes a 7.6 km elevated highway, slated for completion in 2027, is expected to serve 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

Major Interventions Shaping the City

The new traffic dynamics emerging from the metro and Flyover projects are setting the stage for a more pedestrian-friendly city center, making Thessaloniki more inviting for both residents and visitors. A prime example of this shift is the long-awaited pedestrianization of the second section of Aghia Sofia Street, one of the city’s most central avenues. The plan includes converting the stretch from Tsimiski Street to Nikis Avenue into a pedestrian-only zone, with a new square to be created in front of the city’s metropolitan cathedral. This will be the only pedestrian thoroughfare that cuts vertically through the heart of Thessaloniki, a concept initially met with skepticism. Many argued it would disrupt a key traffic artery; today, everyone enjoys strolling and shopping along this vibrant commercial strip.

“My goal is to link my mayoral term with the reclaiming and reimagining of public space. A city cannot truly thrive unless it’s sustainable and, of course, clean. Only then, combined with the completion of major infrastructure projects, can it become an attractive destination, first and foremost for its residents and then for visitors,” says Mayor Stelios Angeloudis. “In our first year, we prioritized sanitation and the revival of major urban revamp projects. For sanitation, we reorganized services to be more efficient, and increased bulky waste sorting points; we’ve also upgraded our street-cleaning fleet with new vehicles expected to arrive this spring. As for the revamps, we’ve kickstarted projects that had stalled or were mired in bureaucracy.” An example of this new momentum can be seen in the excitement over the appearance of street-cleaning crews on major roads such as Mitropoleos Street this past winter. Residents were so impressed they took photos that went viral on social media. Something similar is expected when the much-anticipated renovation of the Aristotelous Square area. Aristotelous Square, the second most iconic site in Thessaloniki after the White Tower, is undergoing a €20 million facelift. This includes the addition of both high and low greenery, but with the central section kept open, allowing unobstructed views – critical, as the original design by French architect Ernest Hébrard centered on maintaining clear sightlines to Mount Olympus.

At the same time, progress is being made on the tendering process for redesigning the Old Seafront – the promenade stretching from Pier A of the port to the White Tower. This popular walking path needs to be widened, as it often becomes congested. Meanwhile, the tendering process for the redevelopment of Dimokratias and Dioikitiriou squares is also advancing. These projects will breathe new life into critical areas of the city center. Bulldozers have already begun work as part of the redevelopment of the Papafi Stables. This project will create a modern multipurpose space, blending social facilities such as a shelter and a nursery with cultural and sporting amenities, including a municipal gymnasium and a library. The complex will also feature underground parking.

The Western Front: A City on the Rise

One of  Thessaloniki’s most rapidly changing areas is its west section. This stretch runs from Eleftherias Square, where a memorial park is being constructed to honor the 50,000 Thessaloniki Jews who perished in Nazi concentration camps, all the way to the new Holocaust Museum, currently being built near the Old Railway Station. This entire zone, which also includes Thessaloniki’s port, is witnessing a flurry of development. Kicking off this wave of transformation was the September launch of Hub 26, the city’s first large-scale bioclimatic business park, which has already attracted innovative companies, financial institutions and branches of multinational corporations, marking a significant shift in the area’s business landscape.

Directly across the street, the former Fix Brewery site has come back to life. Spanning 23,000 square meters, the redevelopment here is breathing new life into the old industrial complex through a blend of preserved and repurposed buildings alongside new constructions. The final result will be a modern, mixed-use complex with commercial, professional, residential and entertainment spaces.

Thessaloniki’s western gateway is also closely tied to the expansion of  Pier 6 at the Thessaloniki Port Authority and its connection to the A1 motorway. Although the project is progressing, the integration with the railway line is experiencing significant delays. Nonetheless, the port continues to be an important growth driver for the city. Last year, it recorded the highest container throughput in its history, handling 520,048 20-foot equivalent containers, while the newly inaugurated Alexander the Great cruise terminal welcomed 60,077 passengers in its first year.

A Cultural Renaissance

Alongside these infrastructure projects and targeted interventions accelerating Thessaloniki’s transformation, the city has experienced a cultural renaissance over the past two years. It seems to have found its rhythm again, with a robust cultural calendar throughout the year. A prime example is the 59th Dimitria Festival, one of the country’s longest-running cultural institutions, which this year fittingly embraced the theme of “Transformation.” Over five weeks (Sept. 19-Nov. 1), the city hosted a variety of events, from a performance by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra at the Rotunda to a lecture by French author Pascal Bruckner at the recently renovated Olympion, which also hosted the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Oct. 31-Nov. 10).

“In this year’s Dimitria,” notes Stefanos Tsitsopoulos, the festival’s artistic coordinator, “we sought to incorporate all corners of the city, highlighting its vibrant contemporary cultural scene – from dance and literature to music and gastronomy. We blended the classical with the fresh, the bold with the familiar, and youthful enthusiasm with institutional tradition. Together with other cultural events, the festival forms what we like to call the “Thessaloniki atmosphere’ of perpetual culture, where everyone can find something to be inspired by and to enjoy.” In addition to Dimitria, 2024 also saw the 20th International Electronic Music Festival (Sept. 18-22), which featured top artists such as French composer and superstar Cerrone and the revival of the Byzantine Week (April 20-27). This event featured Byzantine choirs, European choral music, recitals, and dramatic monologues held in UNESCO-listed Byzantine churches, which are some of the city’s most cherished cultural landmarks.

A key player in this cultural resurgence is MOMus (Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki), which comprises five museums – four in Thessaloniki and one in Athens. This year, for the first time, the MOMus-Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection hosted a Pablo Picasso exhibition (July 12-Nov. 10), in collaboration with the Museo Casa Natal Picasso in Malaga.

Beyond this, MOMus embraced 34 independent productions between 2022 and mid-2024, attracting over 154,000 visitors. It also expanded its educational initiatives, making culture more accessible to the broader community. One such initiative was an art therapy program for oncology patients. “Our goal was to become an integral part of the city’s life and a cultural reference point, and I believe we’ve succeeded,” says Epaminondas Christophilopoulos, president of MOMus. “In the last two years, we’ve tripled our ticket sales, multiplied private sponsorships, and upgraded many of our facilities. At the same time, we’ve hosted prominent international artists like the Kabakovs, participated in exhibitions across Europe and Asia, including the Shanghai Biennale, and developed an extensive educational program for all ages. Culture, after all, is for everyone.”

Looking ahead, one highlight will be the upcoming exhibition “Collective Threads: Anna Andreeva at the Red Rose Silk Factory” at the MOMus-Museum of Modern Art–Costakis Collection (Dec. 7, 2024-April 27, 2025). This exhibition focuses on applied arts, particularly avant-garde textile design, and pays tribute to the artist Anna Andreeva and the women’s collectives of Soviet-era productive art.

Thessaloniki’s cultural transformation, like the city itself, is a work in progress – constantly evolving, and layering new chapters onto its rich, historical tapestry.

Holocaust Museum of Greece

Anticipation is already building in Thessaloniki for the Holocaust Museum of Greece, construction of which is set to begin in 2025. Designed by an international collaboration of architects – Efrat-Kowalsky Architects from Israel, Heide & von Beckerath Architects from Germany, and Makridis Associates from Greece – this ambitious project aims to honor history while inspiring future generations. Architect Petros Makridis calls the project “an act of remembrance and respect.” He explains: “The Holocaust Museum of Greece is not merely an architectural endeavor; it’s a profound responsibility. It will serve as a bridge between the past and the future, resonating with all of Thessaloniki’s communities, a city historically shaped by migration and refuge.”

The museum will chronicle the history and cultural and economic contributions of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community, from their arrival after the Spanish expulsion in the 15th century to the present day. By the 19th century, the Jewish community had become not only the largest but also one of the most influential in the city, greatly aiding the city’s economic development and closely following the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. During this period, the city’s prosperity was remarkable. New ideas for construction techniques (such as the use of iron), urban planning (the creation of arcades with shops), the establishment of modern industries (including landmarks such as the Allatini mills), and trade were adopted.

A Space Where Architecture Meets History

The museum’s design is inspired by Thessaloniki’s octagonal monuments, such as those in the Roman-Byzantine Galerian Complex, as well as by the Tower of the Winds in Athens. The use of different materials in the Museum’s eight facades is a reference to the characteristic layering of materials in the historic walls of Thessaloniki and in many other preserved monuments. Seamlessly combining marble and concrete, the structure rises in three distinct sections, each representing a specific function. The design becomes lighter as it rises with perforated elements on the upper levels that allow natural light to filter into the building, creating a sense of weightlessness. These features also reinterpret geometric motifs from Sephardic architecture, combining historical allusion with contemporary innovation.

The museum, which will include six above-ground and two underground levels, will feature permanent and temporary exhibitions displaying both artifacts and photographs, as well as educational spaces and a multi-purpose floor that will host gatherings, ceremonies and lectures. Transparent elements on the ground floor will offer glimpses into other exhibition areas. The museum will also feature a café with outdoor seating and a gift shop, offering spaces for relaxation and reflection. In the garden, a Wall of Memory will stand as a quiet tribute to lives lost and stories remembered.

Safeguarding Memory Through Education

The exhibition materials are currently being developed in New York; they will include relics from Thessaloniki and other parts of the world, such as Russia and Poland. The public Research Archive Hall will contain archival items while also serving as a library. For scholars, a dedicated archive space on the second underground level will be an invaluable resource for study and research.