Visit Ano Poli, Thessaloniki’s Charming Old Town

Thessaloniki is undoubtedly one of Greece’s most beautiful cities with an ability to charm those who have and haven’t been there. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Thessaloniki almost every year of my life. Its most breath-taking part is its quaint old town, Ano Poli (Upper Town), one of the few locations to survive the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917.

Ano Poli is nestled above the modern city, and despite having many restaurants and bars to choose from within its narrow streets, it’s much less crowded than the bustling metropolis below.

Most who visit Ano Poli will feel as if they’re stepping into the past, as its colourful houses and buildings have preserved that traditional Greek appearance. Not to mention the town is encompassed by the Heptapyrgion, an imposing yet prepossessing fortress standing strong since the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.

The views you get here are magnificent, no matter the time of day. If you stand at the Trigonion Tower (a 15th century tower part of the Heptapyrgion), you’ll see all of Thessaloniki and the Thermaic Gulf (and Mount Olympus in the distance if you’re lucky) spread before you like a real life canvas, or as the saying goes, “sto piato”!

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Melina Notidou

Melina Notidou is a Greek writer who grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Her family hail from the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, which she has visited nearly every year since childhood. She loves to read, dance, watch movies, spend time with loved ones, and travel. Melina seeks to inspire and make people happy through the written word, and strives to maintain a lifelong connection to her Greek heritage.

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