2 Hours in Thessaloniki: A Walking Tour, Thessaloniki, Greece

A self-guided 2-hour walking loop in Thessaloniki - White Tower, Palace of Galerius, Arch & Rotunda, two Byzantine churches. About 3 km, done in April.

We had just 2 hours in Thessaloniki before the flight home - the tail end of an 11-day road trip through Northern Greece. Not enough for a proper visit; more than enough to walk a loop between the waterfront and the Roman ruins, and to understand why the city deserves a longer stop.

This is the circuit we actually did, on foot, in April, with wet pavement and a grey sky. No museums, no queues, no pressure. If you're passing through Thessaloniki on your way to Meteora or Halkidiki, 2 hours is enough to see the main layer.

About 3 km, starting from the central quarter near the Aristotle University. The loop goes: waterfront → White Tower → Galerius Palace → Arch of Galerius & Rotunda → Byzantine churches → exhibition park → back. You can do it in either direction. We started at the sea.

The bronze equestrian statue of Alexander faces the sea. Behind him, a rank of vertical spears and round shields stands as a small memorial. In April, on a Wednesday afternoon, we had the square almost to ourselves - a cargo ship sat on the horizon under thick clouds. If you've done the rest of the trip, this statue closes a circle: Alexander was born in Pella and buried (probably) at Vergina, both reachable in a day from here. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).