Free audio walking tour of Thessaloniki 🎧

Free walking tour of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is one of the most fascinating and multicultural places in Greece. It was founded by the Macedonian King Cassander and named after Alexander the Great’s half-sister in the early 4th century BC. Over the centuries, it has been occupied by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. It also housed one of the oldest and largest Jewish communities in Europe. As well as taking you to landmarks and monuments from these periods, this self-guided audio tour of Thessaloniki – designed to be enjoyed in full or in part – introduces you to the museums, markets and neighbourhoods of a larger-than-life city, known for its vibrant spirit and delicious food scene.

The White Tower, UNESCO-protected Byzantine churches, the remains of the Galerius Palace Complex and Roman Forum, and Ottoman mosques are just some of the historical landmarks. Museums* include the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Jewish Museum.

Contemporary landmarks include the Umbrellas installation, Modiano Food Market and the buzzing Ladadika district.
 

Audio tour highlights of Thessaloniki

• The White Tower
• Aristotelous Square
• UNESCO-protected Byzantine churches
• Galerius Palace Complex & Roman Forum
• The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
• Modiano, Kapani and other markets
• Bey Hamam and Hamza Bey mosques
• Jewish Museum
• Ladadika district

* Note that entry to museums is not included
 

Thessaloniki through the centuries

• 316 or 315 BC: Founded by King Cassander of Macedon, who named the city after his wife and half-sister of Alexander the Great, Thessalonike
• 168 BC: Roman occupation, during which Thessaloniki becomes a key Roman port and a stop on the Via Egnatia trade route, enhancing its commercial and military significance
• Late 3rd - Early 4th Century AD: Reign of Emperor Galerius as Caesar and later Augustus in Roman Tetrarchy, during which he builds the Galerius Palace Complex
• 324–1430: Byzantine era, in which Thessaloniki thrives as the most important Byzantine city outside Constantinople. Landmark churches, including Agios Dimitrios (7th century) and Agia Sophia (8th century) are introduced
• 1383-1430: First Ottoman siege followed by a brief period of Venetian rule
• 1430: Conquest by Sultan Murad II sees Thessaloniki become part of the Ottoman Empire for 500 years, introducing Islamic cultural influences and new architecture, such as the White Tower and Hamza Bey Mosque (Alkazar)
• 15th–20th centuries: Following the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain, Thessaloniki develops a vibrant (mainly Sephardic) Jewish community. This continues the city’s legacy of housing Romaniotes Jews since antiquity
• 1912: Thessaloniki is liberated from Ottoman rule and incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
• 1917: Great Fire of Thessaloniki destroys 70% of the city and prompts a regeneration project by French architect and city planner Ernest Hébrard
• 1943: 96% of the 55,000-strong Jewish community is sent to Nazi concentration camps
• 1960s–1970s: Thessaloniki experiences significant growth and becomes a hub for industry, trade, and education in the region
• 1988: Byzantine monuments, including several early Christian and Byzantine churches, are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• 1997: Thessaloniki named European Capital of Culture
   

About the provider

This free audio tour of Thessaloniki, including the choice and description of stops and the route, was created and road-tested by the Discover Greece Team.