THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki is the second in population city of Greece and the most important commercial civic center of the region. It is built on the edge of the Thermaic Gulf and was named after King Philippe's oldest daughter, when Kassandros (one of the generals of Alexander the Great), founded the city in 316 BC.
It was from this city that St. Paul, the Apostle of the Nations, spread the Word of Christianity (AD 50). The Roman emperor Galerius, made the city his headquarters (AD300). Demetrios, a Roman officer, was martyred, thus becoming Thessaloniki's patron saint (303AD). The wealth and glory of Byzantium followed and after that a long succession of conquerors. The city was liberated in 1912 and was permanently incorporated to the Greek state.

Nowadays, Thessaloniki is a modern cosmopolitan city of particular charm with distinct sighs of its long eventful history and its cosmopolitan character.
The White Tower (seafront avenue), built on the site of an older tower is the city's trademark. It was erected during the 15th century for defensive purposes and later became a jail for death penalty prisoners.

The archaeological museum which surprises the traveller with the riches of its exhibition, while the folk art museum is truly entrancing with its lovely crafts.