In Pictures: Scenes from Thessaloniki Caught on Camera

Pantelis Tsompanis | November 27th, 2024

Thessaloniki offers serene seafront strolls, iconic landmarks like the "Umbrellas" sculpture, and lively evenings on Aristotelous Street filled with music.

Walking as Therapy

A stroll along the promenade can, according to those locals who walk or exercise every day along the city’s six-kilometer seafront, work miracles with your mood. The promenade has transformed the people’s appreciation of the sea by providing stunning views of the Thermaic Gulf, particularly at sunset, when nature puts on a spectacular show.

Iconic Meeting Spots

The “Umbrellas” sculpture is undoubtedly Thessaloniki’s most photographed modern landmark. This open-air artwork by George Zongolopoulos, on a wooden deck at the New Waterfront, has captured the hearts of locals, who frequently use it as a meeting point, and visitors, who flock to take pictures of it. Nearby, the Statue of Alexander the Great, framed by the Royal Theater and the distinctive White Tower, is a popular skater hangout.

Nightfall on Aristotelous Street

As night settles over Thessaloniki, the shops lining Aristotelous Street pull down their shutters and a steady stream of city buses unload young revelers in search of a memorable evening. They move with purpose beneath the grand arches (designed by French urban planner Ernest Hébrard, who reimagined the city in the wake of the Great Fire of 1917) before pausing at the intersection with Tsimiski Street, where the lively strains of jazz from street musicians outside the Olympion Cinema provide a vibrant soundtrack to the city’s evenings.