City Scenes: Thessaloniki Caught on Camera

Pantelis Tsompanis | November 25th, 2025

Where dusk, movement, and memory meet, Thessaloniki’s waterfront transforms into a vivid, living urban story.

A Magical Meeting Point

Every evening, as the sun sinks below the horizon, Pier A at Thessaloniki’s port comes alive. The pier, whose former warehouses now serve as Thessaloniki International Film Festival venues, has become a beacon for residents seeking a touch of cinematic magic in their own lives. They often find it here, too, thanks to the waterfront’s unique atmosphere and ever-changing light.

In the Light of Dusk

As twilight falls, the park near the YMCA takes on a new glow. Mount Olympus seems almost within reach as shadows grow longer and the lights along the seafront begin to sparkle. The statue of Alexander the Great, framed in part by a row of shields and Macedonian long spears, has stood here proudly since 1974. Today, with skateboarders gliding across the marble that surrounds it, the statue and the scene form a reminder of the city’s timeless balance between past and present.

Urban Balance

Every day, joggers and walkers fill the promenade of the New Waterfront, exercising or strolling along its six kilometers. Since its completion in 2013, Thessaloniki’s residents have taken pride in this landmark urban redevelopment, where a swath of greenery skirts the sea, creating a harmonious space in which to relax, stay fit or simply connect with the city’s coastal rhythm.