Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is easy to fall in love with – it has beauty, chaos, history and culture, a remarkable cuisine and wonderful, vast sea views. This is Greece’s second city, which, like the rest of the country, has suffered the hit of the economic crisis. Decpite that the streets remain full of life and vibrancy. The different neighbourhoods are little worlds unto themselves. When you climb up to the Byzantine walls and take in the whole of the city at sunset, you see what a sprawling, organic city it is.

Old and new cohabit wonderfully. The Arch of Galerius, an intricate 4th-century monument, overlooks the busy shopping drag of Egnatia. Thessaloniki’s most famous sight, the White Tower, anchors a waterfront packed with cocktail bars. The New Waterfront has breathed life and opened up space for long walks and cycling. By night, the city reverberates with music and nightlife… www.lonelyplanet.com