Thessaloniki listed in the World’s Greatest Places 2022. Thessaloniki is one of the 50 Creative Cities of Gastronomy by UNESCO.

With a population of over 1 million, the city of Thessaloniki is one of the largest cities in southeastern Europe and the second major economic, industrial, and commercial center in Greece. The local gastronomy has evolved over the centuries since the area has always been a crossroad of different cultures.

The authentic flavors take off thanks to the fresh ingredients from the fertile land and rich sea, all locally sourced and in season, blessed by a Mediterranean climate. The world-famous Greek olive oil, dairy products such as feta and yogurt, as well as quality fresh ingredients, can be found in the city.

According to the city’s most recent data, Thessaloniki hosts more than 5,000 businesses offering food services.

Thessaloniki acknowledges that gastronomy plays a crucial role in valorizing cultural and creative assets, supporting innovation, strengthening the identity of the city, opening export markets, and expanding professional networks, among others. For these reasons, in 2011 the city launched the largest and longest-running gastronomic festival in Greece, the “Thessaloniki Food Festival”. The annual Festival has managed to gain the interest of the international gastronomy community. It runs throughout the year, conducting partnerships with several different bodies, organizations, and communities.

Thessaloniki listed in the World’s Greatest Places 2022.

Warm and generous, Thessaloniki is at the same time historic and avant-garde: the second-largest city in Greece, ideal for a city break, a mosaic of cultures and fascinating holiday moments

Located in Macedonia, in Northern Greece, there is a city unlike anywhere else in Greece. Thessaloniki is a sprawling urban centre, a cultural melting pot, where dreams, ideas, visions and trends percolate in an alternative, avant-garde scene.

Its history is written upon everything you see the Thermaic Gulf, the White Tower, Nikis Avenue, Aristotelous Square, Mitropoleos Avenue, Tsimiski Avenue, Ladadika, Modiano Market, Bit Bazaar and the Old City.

For thousands of years, this northern port-town has been a meeting point for people of different cultures. Impressive attractions, cafes, bars, traditional tavernas, gourmet restaurants, a lively nightlife – you’ll find everything here in Thessaloniki, the beautiful ‘bride of the Thermaic Gulf’.

Source: UNESCO