Monument in Thessaloniki
The Rotunda is a 4th-century Roman circular building near the Arch of Galerius, originally built as a mausoleum or temple, later converted to a church, then a mosque, and now a museum and occasional event space. Entry is a small fee. The mosaics inside are among the oldest surviving Christian mosaics in Greece. Budget travelers pay the modest ticket and stand inside one of the most layered buildings in the Mediterranean.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Church of Agios Dimitrios is the main church of Thessaloniki's patron saint, one of the largest churches in Greece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Free to enter, including the underground crypt where Roman-era baths and the saint's martyrdom site are preserved.
Ano Poli (Upper Town) is the old Ottoman quarter above modern Thessaloniki, a neighborhood of wooden houses, narrow streets, and Byzantine churches still surrounded by sections of the ancient city wall. Free to wander.
Aristotelous Square is Thessaloniki's grand central square, designed in the 1920s after a fire destroyed the old city center. Free.
Ladadika is the neighborhood near the port where Thessaloniki goes out at night, a grid of cobblestone streets with restored Ottoman and neoclassical buildings converted into bars, restaurants, and live music venues. Free to walk.
Modiano Market is Thessaloniki's central covered market, recently renovated while preserving its 1920s architecture. Free to enter.
The Thessaloniki waterfront (Nea Paralia) stretches for five kilometers along the Thermaic Gulf, recently redesigned with themed gardens, sculpture installations, and cycling paths. Free.
Working out what Thessaloniki costs?
The whole of Thessaloniki