Showing posts with label Thessaloniki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thessaloniki. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Thessaloniki Markets Tour

Discover the lesser-known gems and hidden markets of Thessaloniki on a 3-hour walking tour, led by a friendly local guide! On a leisurely stroll around town, scout out vibrant markets selling almost everything from food and spices to flowers and bric-a-brac while learning about Thessaloniki's intriguing history. Sample street food and meet local craftspeople at the Coppersmith's Arcade near the beautiful Panagia Chalkeon church. Visits to the old Jewish quarter of Ladadika as well as markets such as Bit Pazar, Paliatzidika and Modiano are also included.

Meet your guide in Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki and, after a quick coffee to start your tour, set off to explore the area. A major commercial center since ancient times, the city has retained a strong sense of its history with Byzantine market halls and monuments sitting side-by-side with contemporary and modern buildings.

Walk through the bustling shopping streets to Louloudadika, a colorful flower market thronged with sidewalk cafes and shops, and then admire the old Turkish baths of Giahoudi Hamam. Browse stalls heaving with mounds of colorful vegetables and fruit at Modiano and Kapani markets, and hear of their history from your guide. Both food markets are believed to have operated since the 12th century.

After picking up some koulouri (street-food snacks), continue to Panagia Chalkeon, a gorgeous church that's one of Thessaloniki's gems, and wander through the old Coppersmith's Arcade to chat with the local coppersmiths about their time-honored trade. Amble through an area known as the ‘student's market,' and then explore Paliatzidika market, where shops and stalls line the alleys and basements around Philippou Street. Bit Pazar is nearby, so head there next, and discover the delights of a market that's been trading since 1928.

Stroll to Ladadika, where the last remains of Thessaloniki's Jewish quarter can be found. Stroll around the atmospheric paved alleyway while learning about its history, and then bid your guide goodbye as your tour finishes.

Click here for:

Thessaloniki Food Tour

Ignite your senses on a 3.5-hour food tour of Thessaloniki, exploring colorful markets, seeing fresh seafood, sampling Greek meze and more! With a local guide, visit the vibrant food markets of Modiano and Kapani to sample local bread, and then relax in a traditional Greek tavern to feast on a meze platter (selection of dishes) washed down with ouzo or ‘tsipouro' - two much-loved Greek liquors. Further samples include a melt-in-the-mouth syrupy sweet at one of the city's old candy shops.

Numbers are limited to 12 people on this small-group tour, ensuring personalized attention from a guide.

Head to Aristotelous Square in central Thessaloniki to meet your guide and start your food tour of the city. Kick-start your morning with a cup of strong Greek coffee to get your energy levels up, and then continue into Thessaloniki's bustling commercial district to learn about Greek gastronomy.

A Mediterranean cuisine, Greek food is typically high in nutrients and low in animal fats, and dishes are cooked according to time-tested recipes that have been passed down over generations. With incredible islands and large expanses of coastal land, Greece is known for its incredible seafood and Thessaloniki - as an ancient port town - is one of the best places for it.

Wander through the food markets of Modiano and nearby Kapani to see crates of freshly caught fish loaded onto heaving stalls alongside tempting barrels of juicy plump olives. Try koulouri, a round roll of bread topped with sesame seeds, and compare the flavors with bougatsa, a similar roll that can be filled with almost anything, although spinach, cheese and mince are the usual fillers.

After soaking up the atmosphere of the markets and discovering the best stalls and traditional ingredients, continue to Athonos Square. Home to a cluster of charming old-world ouzeria (taverns), the square is one of the best places in the city to feast on a platter of meze alongside a shot of ouzo or tsipouro.

The adventure isn't complete without a visit to one of Thessaloniki's old candy shops, so head inside one to sample siropiasta, a syrupy sweet treat that was introduced to Greece in the 1920s. Your tour then finishes inside the shop.

Click here for:

Sunday, March 10, 2013

5-Day Northern Greece Tour: Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Pella, Thermopylae

Take a five-day tour to the northern region of Greece to explore stunning Delphi, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Meteora, Thessaloniki's Archaeological Museum, Alexander the Great's capital of Pella and the Macedonian tombs of Lefkadia.

Explore Delphi, Meteora and Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. Learn about Alexander the Great in his capital Pella. Relive the ancient battle that took place.

Highlights on your five-day tour from Athens include:
  • Delphi Archaelogical Museum and sites
  • Meteora Monestaries
  • Macedonian sacred town of Dion
  • Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum and sightseeing tour
  • The tomb of King Philip
  • Vergina Treasures
  • Macedonian tombs of Lefkadia
  • Thermopylae

Click here for more information and online booking or for more tours and activities in magical Greece.

Monday, February 4, 2013

7-Day Greece Grand Tour: Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Lefkadia


Take a seven-day tour of the essential sites of classical Greece: Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki and Lefkadia. You'll visit famous archaeological sites and museums, and experience the glory that was classical Greece.