Thessaloniki Introduction

City Introduction

(Image source: www.visitgreece.com.cn)

Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital largest city of Greek Macedonia. Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe; its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the Southeastern European hinterland.

The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora. Thessaloniki was the 2014 European Youth Capital.

Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleo Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. For 2013, National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide, while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle. Among street photographers, the center of Thessaloniki is also considered the most popular destination for street photography in Greece.

Holidays

New Year’s Day: 1st of January

Epiphany: 6th of January

Ash Monday: 41 days before Easter

Independence Day & Celebration of Evaggelismos: 25th of March

Easter: From Holy Friday until Easter Monday.

Labor Day: May 1st

Pentecost: 50 days after Easter

Assumption of the Virgin Mary: August 15th

Ochi Day: October 28th

Christmas: December 25th-26th