Thessaloniki, the so called “bride of Thermaikos “, is the capital of the Greek North, with an international reputation and unique color. The city is full of monuments, museums and cultural sites from its long history, but also very vivid and full of modern life. It has a nice market that covers the most demanding and famous for its nightlife. The name comes from the sister of Alexander the Great and the city was founded by his successor Cassander. Meet the heyday of the Byzantine period , reaching to be the second most important city of the Empire ,”co- reigning city”, as it was called . The arrival of the Ottomans added to the cultural pluralism of the city with the help of the thriving Jewish community. The city was liberated in 1912 and the arrival of thousands of refugees will change once again its physiognomy. In 1917, a major fire destroyed almost completely the center, resulting in the complete remodeling of the architecture, while the period of the Nazi’s occupation resulted to an almost annihilation of the Jewish community. When liberated, the city grew and its population grew significantly, being today i the second largest city in Greece, seat of universities and major educational and cultural institutions, with great museums and world-class annual events such as the International Exhibition, Demetria and the International Film Festival.
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