After yesterday’s climb to the Meteora monasteries, I decided to have a more leisurely day in Thessaloniki. I want to explore the old city along the Acropolis Walls and climb to the roof of the city, the Ottoman fortress of Yedi Kule or the Heptapyrgion of Thessaloniki. And finally, I want to eat properly.
The best starting point is at the Kamara bus stop. It is a centre of youth life and you can get everywhere from there. Past the Rotunda of St George (the oldest church in the city) and the Arc de Triomphe, you’ll weave through the streets to the Acropolis Walls, the preserved fortifications of old Thessaloniki. But the climb alongside the ramparts is an endless, landscaped and boring. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Monday, the first working day after a stormy weekend but there’s not a foot anywhere. Only one beauty is walking with small Yorkshire dog.
I prefer to enter an inconspicuous gate in the fortifications and suddenly I’m in a completely different world.
Old town
All weekend, I imagined which photo from Thessaloniki would be the top one. But one from here? The opportunity did not disappoint. Stone steps, narrow streets, and the atmosphere of old, forgotten times promised a perfect experience. With my smartphone in hand and the confidence of a naive person who knows I can do everything with navigation, I crossed the walls and entered the labyrinthine Old Town.
Lost between the stairs
Wandering alone through the stone alleys and narrow, steep staircases, I fully experience Hitchcock’s short story Camera Obscura. It’s as if someone had cursed me in that old town.
The streets were charming but eerily empty. At every corner, I felt I could hear the echo of my footsteps. Was it someone else’s? The stairs, often leading to dead ends, were endless and steep. The graffiti, in particular, gave them the smell of today. I love street art. Already in Lisbon, I discovered gems. I consider graffiti to be the real authentic cry of any city. Wandering down the twisted stairs, I needed help navigating. The signal for data had suddenly disappeared. I rounded a corner, around another corner, a wall. Walked back up the stairs. I turned right, turned again, and suddenly, I was where I was half an hour ago—the labyrinth.
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After an hour of wandering and taking pictures, everything started to fall into place: stone walls, coloured houses, the same endless stairs, fences, dead ends. Complete silence. Could it be that nobody live here? I sped up into step, but after a few minutes, I felt someone was following me. A casual glance over my shoulder showed no one, but the atmosphere thickened. And then it started. Quiet, almost imperceptible footsteps, as if someone was he was walking right behind me. The fantasy of the moment? Or had I eaten some crazy mushrooms?
“Hi,” I called out, trying for a cheerful tone. The voice bounced off the walls and disappeared into the distance. No one answered; only one of the window frames twitched as if the wind had brushed against it. But it wasn’t the wind. The window opened. “Is this the right way to Pyrgos Aliseos?” I ask. An auntie poked her head out the window with a wet laundry tray and started hanging it up. She took no notice of me, not understanding a word.
Genius Loci Thessaloniki
I turned onto a staircase that twisted like a spiral, but I couldn’t see the end of it. When I turned to check the way back, the street behind me differed. The narrow strip of sunlight that had been there only a moment before had closed in. It was as if someone had walled it off.
I went further down the stairs, but there were new sounds. They weren’t quiet anymore-something hard and regular was tapping on the stones. “Hi, is there anyone?” but instead of an answer, there was only a loud thud, as if something big had fallen on the stairs. And I kept moving closer to the sound.
The sidewalk twisted further and further down the stairs as if the city was deliberately changing its rules. Finally, I reached a small stone terrace. I stopped. I gasped in disbelief, “How did they move that motorbike out here?” I looked a little farther and saw a man folding bags of cement from a wooden cart he’d just shaken down the stairs. They’re renovating here, too, I understood with relief.
I climb the Acropolis
The last stairs, the park and the asphalt. I’m solidly sweaty after those stairs. I regret I’m already out of this neighbourhood. Ordinary tourists will not discover the genius loci of this moment because they only take them to proven paid attractions, where the Old Town does not belong. It requires in this silence a solid dose of imagination and fantasy. “But you’re in Greece“, I say to myself.
On the main street, cars and busloads of tourists past me. They do not know that the most beautiful and authentic they just passed. With the traffic and bustle, all the atmosphere is gone. Only the old walls remain. Various paths can reach the historic roof of Thessaloniki, and it is definitely worth the trip. This part of the city is entirely different from the new resorts, boulevards and alleys by the sea. I am still going. The Triangle Tower is only the weaker half of the planned route.
In the distance, across the sea, I can see the breathtaking panoramas of Olymp. Its peak reaches 3000 m above sea level, but it looks like a pancake from here. According to ancient Greek mythology, Olymp is the home of the gods, headed by Zeus. Golden palaces are said to have stood on its summit, and from there, the gods observed and influenced the mortal world. The supreme god Zeus had his throne on Olymp, and a favourite spot was Mount Mytikas, which means ‘Nose’.
Today, climbers climb Nos, but I didn’t dare to make the two-day climb because of the shortness of time. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the view of Olympus than from here.
Heptapyrgion of Thessaloniki
I should write that today’s goal was to climb up here. Heptapyrgion, modernly Eptapyrgio, also popularly known by its Turkish Ottoman name Yedi Kule, is a fortress from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. Despite its name, which means “fortress of seven towers” in both languages, it has as many as ten of those towers.
Standing on the walls of the fortress, however, something quite different goes through my head. I am utterly sweaty from the stairs and the hellish sun (the end of October, after all), yet I am blushing like a crocodile. The endorphins have not failed again. Most adults have made their peace with life. They’ve lost the ability to
fool around, joke, and be excited like kids. They get dizzyingly little happiness. The ability to lose track of time and succumb to it. To mindlessly admire, conquer, triumph, and enjoy a memorable moment, a glimpse of life. The chance to experience happiness for many ends in childhood and at first loves. But even that may not be certain, for only those who were allowed to be children and managed to be in love get it. After that, most of us are ground down by stereotypes, responsibilities, mortgages and careers.
For me, the feeling of happiness comes from “restartnisa”. Especially the chance to explore, shout “wow,” and passionately explode when I
overcome the impossible. Endorphins recharge me through climbing hills on a bike or in sneakers. The finish line is just a bonus. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes you tell yourself that stop, I’m down. But if you win, the euphoria and passion come at the claim. Not because of what you see. But because of what you experienced and what you were willing to sacrifice to reach the goal. Make every day worth it. Enough for today, needs to eat something.
Ta Filaraki Café
Vangelis and his mom exceeded any expectations I had.
It was an atmospheric place where I ate like never in my life… Local people, few tourists and friendly and helpful staff…. The portions of the dishes exceeded my expectations and were extremely tasty! … Souvlaki was fantastic; I have never eaten better in my life! The prices and portions are also great….. It is truly a local family-run business and is definitely one of the best places for seafood in Thessaloniki…. A place to try traditional Greek food…. Whatever you order, you won’t regret it…
No, no. I didn’t write this. These excerpts from the Google reviews led me to discover Ta Filaraki Café. And they didn’t lie at all. If you’re looking for outstanding authentic Greek family cuisine without the touristy trappings, I can recommend this place as number one in Thessaloniki with the best conscience. I left the choice of food up to the café grandma. She didn’t speak a word of English, but somehow we agreed hand and foot, and the pharmacist next door helped. They brought me roasted calamari with Greek tzatziki, I had never eaten better. Then they brought more and more plates of salads and side dishes to the table.
I will never forget this place and admit I took the bus down the hill instead.
Peraia beach
How can you end up in Thessaloniki other than in the sea? A one-and-a-half-hour transfer takes you from the Heptapyrgion of Thessaloniki to the IKEA terminal, and from there, the 72 bus will take you directly to the several kilometres of beaches in the Peraia area. The whole beach area is connected to other beaches at Agia Triada and Nea Michaniona. The sandy beaches are lined with apartments occupied by independent travellers and digital nomads. If you want to get to the wreck on Epanomi beach, you must go on foot.
In the early evening, swimming is best. Most sunbathers are rubbing their sunburnt shoulders in their rooms, youngsters are speculating which pub they’ll fit into at night, and the beach, with its fantastic sand and clear water, is all yours.
I ended up in the sea every early evening to avoid repeating myself in other articles. There is no other way to be in Thessaloniki. 🙂
