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Thessaloniki > Under the influence September 21, 2006

Athens hogs the limelight, but there are other cities. Try Salonika as the locals call Thessaloniki

Despite a chill in the air, the pavement tables were full. Overlooking the Thermaikos Gulf, Nikis Avenue has a bewildering array of stylish bars that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan; some (Tribeca, Elvis, DaDA) sound as though they were imported brick by brick. You wonder how they can be so popular during the day. What do these people do? Don’t they have jobs to go to? But, as my friend Mihalis told me: “We live to go out. And when the money runs out, we find a way of borrowing some more.”

The bars add to the sense that there is something almost un-Greek about Salonika; less surprising when you learn that much of it was rebuilt after a fire in 1917, with French architect Ernest Hébrard adding wide avenues and a grid plan. Athens may be the biggest village in Greece, but Salonika is a modern city in a European style.

The 20th-century reconstruction hides a fascinating, multicultural past. It has been ruled at various times by the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, with Venetians, Normans, Catalans and Brits all making cameo appearances throughout its long life, each leaving their own physical or psychological footprint.

Much of the Ottoman influence has been expunged, though there is something of Istanbul in the central bazaar, with stalls selling anything from sweets and spices to live animals and handmade furniture. The old Jewish Modiano meat and fish market attests to the former presence of another important community, sadly no longer to be found in any significant number.

Vassilis, a local artist and filmmaker, offered to show me around. We started off with dinner at the Dore-Zynthos followed by a beer at Elvis, where DJ Pale Penguin (also known as Gregory) played house music. Then it was next door to Thermaikos, where the furniture is imported from Camden Market and the mojitos could be straight out of Havana. After that, Art House, where students nodded their heads to electronic beats.

By then it was 5am and our beds beckoned, but for many the night was just getting started. Vassilis recommended a number of clubs in Xyladika, near the old railway station, where old warehouses and factories have been converted into multi-venue complexes. Whether we wanted pop, funk, jazz, house or something more traditionally Greek, he was sure we would find it.

Next morning, our hangovers demanded the restorative powers of some quiet contemplation in Salonika’s numerous museums. The modernist red-brick of the Museum of Byzantine Culture conceals a classical treat of sculptures, frescoes, mosaics and icons. Over the road, the Archaeological Museum houses more gold ornaments than P Diddy’s dressing table. The Costakis Collection at the State Museum of Contemporary Art consists of 1,275 works of avant-garde Russian art, all the more remarkable given that Costakis himself worked as a driver at the Greek embassy in Moscow.

Older sights occasionally pop up out of nowhere: walk along the busy Egnatia Avenue and you’ll find the third-century arch of Galerius and the Roman Rotonda.

Later we dined on politiki kouzina (like traditional Greek food, but with added Anatolian spice) at To Peran. Delicious kebabs with yoghurt, soutzoukakia (Smyrna sausages) and all manner of stuffed vegetables were matched by a Macedonian red wine. For all Salonika’s modernity, sometimes you need reminding of how things were when the line between east and west was a little more blurred.

Getting there:

You can reach Thessaloniki from Athens by train, by bus or car and by flying via Olympic Airways or by Aegean Airlines. 

Where to stay:

City Hotel (11 Komninon Street, 2310 269421, www.cityhotel.gr), doubles from €149, singles from €135. Orestias Kastorias (14 Agnostou Stratiotou street, 2310 276517), doubles from €50, singles from €40.

Where to eat:

Dore- Zynthos (7 Tsirogianni street) Mediterranean cuisine without breaking the bank. Tre Marie (13 Palaion Patron Germanou street) feels like a Viennese cafe, but the food is top-class Italian. Ta Koumparakia (140 Egnatias Avenue) cheap and full of locals; ask for the mydia saganaki (mussels cooked in a traditional Greek sauce). To Peran (22 Iktinou street, Politiki kouzina), great, spicy food and local wines. To Spiti tou Pasa (35 Apostolou Pavlou street) open late, friendly service, great Anatolian-style food.

Cafes and bars:

Elvis (21 Nikis Avenue), stylish DJ bar. Thermaikos (43 Nikis Avenue), often open late; popular with Salonika’s arty crowd. Kitchen Bar (Warehouse B, Salonika Port), American-style diner, a good place for staring out of the window over breakfast. Ethnik (1 Proxenou Koromila street), great coffee, laid-back service, Brazilian music and decor. Gazia (corner of Karolou Deal and Stavrou street), a short walk from Tsimiki Avenue, Salonika’s Oxford Street, so head here for a coffee when you’ve done your shopping. Playhouse (3 Proxenou Koromila street), rent a board/strategy/card game from the bar’s large collection and while away the afternoon. Mikro Cafe (12 Vogatsikou street), jazz in the background and the lights down low.

Clubs: The best places are found in Ladadika and Xyladika, but ask in the bars and record shops for the latest on who’s playing where. For starters, though, try the multi-venue complexes Vilka (21 Andreou Georgiou street) and Mylos (56 Andreou Georgiou street).

Reading: Wandering in Byzantine Thessaloniki by E Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou and A Tourta (Kapon Editions); Salonica, City Of Ghosts by Mark Mazower (Harper Collins).

Further information: Greek National Tourist Organisation (www.gnto.gr).

Thessaloniki > Greece’s ‘showpiece’ city September 21, 2006

“We have nothing against Athens being the capital because we have been given an even bigger honour – living in the most beautiful city in Greece,” taxi driver Nikos Papazoglou jokes about the rivalry between the country’s two main cities.

Driving along Thessaloniki’s waterfront promenade overlooking the Thermaic Bay with the city’s landmark, the 15th century White Tower in full view, one instantly understands why it is celebrated as the “mother of Macedonia” and “the city whose praises are sung”.

Shaped by centuries of outsiders, Thessaloniki is a city whose former occupants have left a definite imprint – from the Roman ruins dotting the numerous squares and markets to the Old Town with its Turkish flair and a downtown core so overloaded with Byzantine churches and chapels that it has been designated a World Heritage Site.

Once glorified as an important commercial centre and port during the 18th and early 19th centuries, Thessaloniki has suffered countless disasters over the years, including a devastating fire in 1917 that miraculously left most of the monuments and buildings standing – including a large section of the Byzantine city walls.

While Thessaloniki was never quite rebuilt according to the grand plan of French architect Ernest Hebrand, namely because of the 130 000 Greek refugees from Asia Minor that flooded the city between 1922 and 1923, the city was still developed into a more liveable metropolis than Athens; stimulated by its University, International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival held in November.

It is surprisingly easily accessible by foot with central avenues running parallel to the seafront and cross-streets densely planted with shade-providing trees.

A good place to start is Aristolelous Square, a pedestrianised strip lined with beautiful buildings, trendy bars and outdoor cafes. From there you can walk to all the main sites of Thessaloniki without much effort.

You can catch glimpses of the city’s ancient Roman influence at the Roman agora which is still being excavated and where an odium and two galleries have been discovered, as well as at the Arch of Galerius, constructed in the fourth century to celebrate the Roman victory over the Persian army.

Nearby lies the church of Saint Demitrios, the patron saint of the city, with its 13th century crypt and mosaics, and the church of Saint Sofia, modelled after the world-famous one in Istanbul.

One should also not miss the magnificent Rotonda: A circular construction that was originally intended to serve as the mausoleum of Emperor Galerius but instead has served variously as a church and mosque.

Turkish influence is still very much evident today in the walled Kastra quarter, otherwise known as the Ano Polis, located on the hillside beyond the modern slew of streets.

There pockets of Ottoman buildings which miraculously survived the fire still stand, as well as a Byzantine fortress complete with seven towers which later served a prison.

For most visitors, one sight which should not be missed is Thessaloniki’s exceptional Archaeological Museum as well as the smaller Museum of Jewish Presence. The latter is intended to reflect the important past of the Jewish community in this city since the 15th century, who were the victims of deportations during WW2.

Also interesting is the Ataturk Museum, where the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in 1881 in this house on Apostolou Pavlou Street.

Thessaloniki’s ancient sites may be the basis for visiting this city, but the food and Anatolian-inspired eating establishments will also delight.

The Ladadika district, the only part of town to survive the great fire, once served as storage and trading place for olive oil. Today, its tiny buildings have been beautifully restored to host an array of traditional and gourmet restaurants as well as trendy bars and cafes.

Dominating an entire corner of the Ladadika is the charming Bristol Hotel. This neo-classical building has been restored with old-time finesse to operate as one of the city’s fine boutique hotels.

Also worth trying is the Modiano Old Market, a lively bazaar filled with meat and fish restaurants or the “Louloudadika” or “flower shops” that now host dozens of unique tavernas.

Thessaloniki is accessible by air directly from most European cities and can be reached by train from cities in Europe like Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, Moscow and Ljubljana. Visitors can also travel to and from Istabul with a new overnight sleeper that takes a little over 11 hours.