Location Independent in Thessaloniki
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Our final location independent stop of 2009 is in Greece – Thessaloniki, to be precise. It’s the second largest city in Greece and a real charmer when it comes to attractions, sightseeing, and urban living.
I had a chance to catch up with Agata Zalewska, our location independent expert on Thessaloniki and had plenty of thoughts and tips on things to see and do in Thessaloniki.
What’s life really like in Thessaloniki?
Imagine Thessaloniki as a stylish, young, beautiful woman. She chooses to stay far from the money and business world and is busy with city cultural life and events. Behind the sunglasses you would see her sparkling eyes when she is chatting with her girlfriends over coffee after high-street shopping. You can see her late at night in fancy bars, often in company of celebrities. In friendship and love despite her established life position she is still easy to talk to and open to new acquaintances.
Must-See Sights
Normally we’d choose a top five, but Agata could only narrow it down to six. Six insider secrets to Thessaloniki:
1) Beach boulevard (from the White Tower till Concert Hall – Megaro Mousikis). Just walk/jog along the bay, breath the air and see the city from different angles. On a clear day you will see the mount Olympus on the other side of the bay. The one-way distance is 5 km.
2) Bit Pazar street (close to Agiou Dimitriou church) – a small patio hidden between buildings, where several restaurants and cafes put out their tables (gets busy after 9 pm). No way to find it unless you know about it!
3) Flavors of the city to try at least once. ‘Frappe’ – the pride of Greece. It’s coffee with ice that you can sip for hours (with milk/no milk, sweet/medium/no sugar). And also try bougatsa with cream – it’s a sweet, warm pastry filled with cream and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Wherever you see ‘Bougatsa’ on any snack parlor – go! My favorite place for bougatsa: Chryso (corner of Navarinou and Pavlou Mela). Also on the Agiou Dimitriou Street there are many bougatsa parlors open 24 hours.
P.S. Don’t worry about finding a cafe – Thessaloniki has 1 cafe per 140 inhabitants!!
4) Walk along the Vasillis Olgas street to Dimotiki Pinakothiki (Municipal Gallerry). On your way you can admire fantastic, old, urban villas. Some of them have been converted into small museums and galleries, so if you decide to enter you can also see the interiors.
5) Climb the castle – Genti Koule – before the sunset or at night and enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city.
6) Want to breathe some fresh air? Walk/jog/ride a mountain bike in the Seikh Sou forest (it is a hill overseeing the city, above the highway). Amazing views of the city and the bay, wide walking paths and just nature around. And if you need just a piece of lawn to stretch try Parko Anthokomis (next to Byzantine Museum).
Daytrips from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is a great base for one-day getaways to Northern Greece and Chalkidiki. Agata’s top picks:
1) Chalkidiki beaches – for swimming and sun. My favorite – Kavourotripes beach at the Sithonia peninsula.
2) Edessa – a charming town with amazing waterfalls. Take a train for a picturesque journey through lakes, fields, small towns and mountains.
3) A sea cruise to see the inaccessible from land Monasteries of the Holy Mount of Athos.
4) Mount Olympus for hiking.
5) Vergina and the impressive treasures and tombs of the Great Aleksander family in Pella
6) Kerkinis Lake for bird watching, breathtaking landscapes, hiking and picnic.
7) Alikastri caves for an underground guided walk to admire miraculous nature creations.
Chortiatis – a mountain close to Thessaloniki great for hiking or cycling.
If you think Thessaloniki sounds like the place for you, why not visit the Location Independent website where you can pick up your copy of Little LIP Guide to Thessaloniki.
If you want more help about location independent living, check out my review of X Marks the Spot, a fantastic book in which Lea and Jon Woodward talk about their experiences of relocating and becoming location independent. This book and more can be found on our Live and Work Anywhere special offers.
Photos by jorge-11, dungodung, Klearchos Kapoutsis
Andy Hayes is the managing editor of Sharing Travel Experiences. Featured in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, and other major publications, he travels for up to seven weeks at a time and spends the other seven right here with you. Follow him on Twitter, @andrewghayes.
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December 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Hi Andy, I hope you increased your readers’ appetite for this trip, Let me also add that Thessaloniki is my favourite of all the cities I have seen (and I have seen quite a number). And I am convinced that other travelers will fall in love with this city too
December 16th, 2009 at 12:03 am
What is it about Greece that captures your heart and calls to you forever? It’s magical, it’s exotic, it’s warm, it’s new and ancient all at once. It’s unforgettable.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Hey, that’s my hometown Andy!
I used to live in a street right behind the Municipal Gallery Agata mentions.
Not often seen in “where to go and live” lists, thanks Agata.
It is a great town to live in, especially if you have a more relaxed schedule (as opposed to a 9-5 hectic life).
I enjoyed it greatly in my student years.
The waterfront, the shops, the relaxed pace, the big town but not too big, the great sunsets…I remember fondly.
I find it a little more trafficky when I visit now, but the new metro line (under construction) should help in the future.
Besides, it is so efficient, quick & cheap to get a taxi to go even from one end of the town to the other – unlike Athens.
Some more tips of things to see & do:
http://www.superbgreece.com/Makedonia/Thessaloniki/index.htm
Enjoy Thessaloniki!