DESTINATION
About Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is Greece’s second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center. It is located on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea and has a population of around 1.100.000 inhabitants.
The city was founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece’s cultural capital.
Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually. Museums and monuments, architectural landmarks and modern art installations, open-air archeological sites, old warehouses in the Thessaloniki Port Pier, create a charming blend of history and culture. More
information on attractions, museums, and tour suggestions can be found on the official Thessaloniki travel guide website, here.
Weather - Climate
Typical Mediterranean with warm summers, mild winters and an annual
average of 300 days of sunshine, the climate is yet another one of the advantages the
city offers to the visitors. The bright Mediterranean sun and the gentle Aegean Sea
breeze attract locals and visitors to the long waterfront all year round and invite them
to enjoy the nearby beaches from late spring till late fall.
Travel
The “Makedonia International Airport” in Thessaloniki is the second largest airport in Greece, serving over 5 million passengers per year and served by 27
international airlines on a regular basis, in addition to other airlines that operate
during the summer using charter flights. Thus, it connects the city to many European capitals and several other European cities by direct flights. It also offers direct flights to other major cities of Greece and many Greek islands. Among the air-companies that fly to Thessaloniki’s airport are: Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British
Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and many low-cost carriers such as EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. The airport is located 16 km from the city center.
A public bus service connects the airport with the center of the city at 20-
minute intervals throughout the day, providing transportation to the center in less than 30 minutes. (Bus Route No. X1 “KTEL – Airport ”). Alternatively, the taxi fare from the airport to the city center is around 20-30€.
As a rough guide a taxi within the city will cost approximately 5 Euros
Passport and Visas
Greece is a full European Union member. Therefore, foreign visitors entering Greece must have a valid passport, or ID if they reside within the E.U. You can find more information regarding visa regulations at the website of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs by clicking here
