Agia Sophia Church

Built as a miniature of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in the 7th century, the cathedral contains beautiful Byzantine frescoes and mosaics. Agia Sofia is one of the oldest churches in the city still standing today and is included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list.

• Address:

  Cathedral Church of Agia Sophia of Thessalonica, Plateia Agia Sofia, Thessaloniki

• Phone:

  +30 231 027 0253

• Opening hours:

  Daily 7am–8pm

Ancient Agora — Roman Forum

The Ancient Agora and the Roman Forum — two names, same place. Right in the city centre, you will find this important and fascinating archaeological site, which once was the roman heart of the ancient city. It was first built in the late 2nd century AD and was dug up by accident in the 1960s. Grab a coffee from one of the many cafes located close by and enjoy the view.

• Web:

  odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh355.jsp?obj_id=2457

• Address:

  Archaias Agoras, Thessaloniki

Arch of Galerius (Kamara)

In addition to The Rotonda, this is one of the two most characteristic monuments in town. The Galerius arch is situated close to the eastern city wall, a short distance from the Kassandreotiki gate. The 4th-century AD Roman emperor Galerius commissioned both structures to show off his power. A road used to run through the arch, past the Rotunda and on to the palace to the southwest. The arch is composed of a masonry core faced with marble sculptural panels celebrating a victory over the seventh emperor in the Sassanid Persian Empire. About two-thirds of the arch is preserved. Colloquially, the monument in known as Kamara (Καμάρα) — that's Greek for 'arch'.

• Web:

  galeriuspalace.culture.gr/en/monuments/kamara

• Address:

  Galerius Arch, Egnatia 144, Thessaloniki

• More info:

  Check out the website above for more about the history of the arch as well as cool reconstructed imagery

Archaeological Museum

Built in 1962 but newly refurbished, this museum provides numerous updated exhibitions. You can easily spend hours here, losing yourself in magical Macedonian gold artefacts and antique treasures.

• Web:

  www.amth.gr/en

• Address:

  Odos Manoli Andronikou 6, Thessaloniki

• Phone:

  +30 2313 310 201

• Opening hours:

  April 1 to October 31: daily 8am–8pm. November 1 to March 31: daily 8:30am–3:30pm

Aristotelous Square

Aristotelous Square is the most impressive square in Thessaloniki. It features buildings with monumental architecture inspired by European and colonial models, cafes, shops and restaurants. It is the focal point in big celebrations, such as the coming of the New Year, and is the de facto meeting place during the day. The history of Aristotelous Square began with the Great Fire of 1917 that destroyed two thirds of the city. The French architect Ernest Hébrard designed Aristotelous Square to serve as an end of a monumental axis for Thessaloniki that would stretche from the seafront to Dikastirion Square and the Roman Forum. The final design, build in the 1950s, is a lot more stripped down than Hébrard's original proposal, but still has significant architectural value.

• Address:

  Plateia Aristotelous, Thessaloniki

Atatürk Museum

The Atatürk Museum is the birthplace of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — "Father of the Turks", who was born here in 1881. It is a three-storey house with a courtyard, complete with original furniture. Any missing items were replaced with items from Kemal's mausoleum and from Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Naturally, the museum is very popular with visitors from Turkey. A replica of the house has been constructed in Ankara.

• Web:

  www.ktb.gov.tr/TR-96346/selanik-ataturk-evi.html

• Address:

  Apostolou Pavlou 17, Thessaloniki

• Phone:

  +30 2310 248 452

• Opening hours:

  Daily 10am–5pm

• More info:

  Located in the same property as the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki.