Thessaloniki

With it's central location by the sea in Northern Greece, Thessaloniki is a very good starting point for visiting more of rural Greece or even go for a classic island hopping trip.

If you travel east, you can, for example, go to the town of Kavala where you can take a ferry over to beautiful Thasos. To the south-east you can travel to Volos where you can get to the Sporades by ferry with Skitahos, Skopelos and Alonisos. Easily put together your own round trip where you end up in Athens - all you have to do is sit down with a map and see where you want to go.

Are you fond of the Mamma Mia movie? On the island of Skopelos, you can dance around in the same surroundings as Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep and many other movie stars - the first Mamma Mia film was shot here on the island.

Thessaloniki is Greece's second largest city, with approximately 1 million inhabitants in the city including suburbs. It is a big city with beautiful streets by the seafront and lots of nice places to eat.

If you walk up from the sea, you will find narrow alleys with small cafes, bars and a lively night life. Did you know that Ladadika is one of the places in the world where you can find the most bars, restaurants and cafes in the same area? In the White Tower you can also get a good overview of the entire area.

As a real Greek city, the food selection is of course also excellent here. Enjoy classic Greek dishes such as souvlaki, gyros and rice in vine leaves, which in Greek is called dolmades.

Not that hungry? Stop by one of the many lunch bars in the city and try a local Greek omelette with spinach, feta cheese and herbs or go for a real treat: tsoureki - a sweet bread available in many variants that is actually made around Easter but you can still buy in local pastry shops all year round here.

The best beaches in Halkidiki - the three peninsulas south of Thessaloniki - are located on the Kassandra peninsula. It takes about an hour and a half to drive here from the center of Thessaloniki. Kassandra is great for those who want a real beach holiday, with sunny beaches and hospitable Greeks.

The most visited tourist towns are located on the east coast of Kassandra. Here you can stay in Palychrono, Hanioti, Kallithea and Pefkochori. Kallithea is the liveliest of the towns, with a good selection of bars and clubs.