RunCity

Thessaloniki on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Thessaloniki's best-known sights, including White Tower, Arch of Galerius, Rotunda of Galerius and more. It is about 6 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Thessaloniki leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 6 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 56 minRunning
Play Thessaloniki in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Thessaloniki
Photo: Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0

Thessaloniki is Greece's second city, with Roman and Byzantine monuments scattered between modern blocks, and this route covers them in about 6 km. It starts at the White Tower on the waterfront promenade, the city's emblem, and heads inland to the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda, a Roman building that has been a mausoleum, a church and a mosque. Hagia Sophia, older than its namesake's present form in some parts, sits on a quiet square.

Aristotelous Square opens grandly to the sea, and Ladadika, the old oil-merchants' quarter, is now full of tavernas. The red-brick Panagia Chalkeon, the excavated Roman Forum and the great basilica of Saint Demetrius lead up to the bonus stop, the Heptapyrgion fortress in the upper town, with the whole bay below. Try a bougatsa, a custard pastry, for breakfast; buses run up to the upper town.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. White Tower

    White Tower Photo

    The city's emblem on the waterfront promenade.

    Photo: Alexander Klink · CC BY 3.0

  2. Arch of Galerius

    Arch of Galerius Photo

    The Roman triumphal arch above the street.

    Photo: Shamaramanic · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Rotunda of Galerius

    Rotunda of Galerius

    The great round Roman building with its brick minaret.

    Photo: George M. Groutas · CC BY 2.0

  4. Hagia Sophia

    Hagia Sophia

    The domed Byzantine church on its quiet square.

    Photo: Geraki · CC BY 2.5

  5. Aristotelous Square

    Aristotelous Square Photo

    The grand square opening to the sea, framed by arcades.

    Photo: en:User:Salonica84 · Public domain

  6. Ladadika

    Ladadika

    The old oil-merchants' quarter of cafés and tavernas.

    Photo: XeresNelro · CC BY-SA 4.0

  7. Panagia Chalkeon

    Panagia Chalkeon Photo

    The red-brick Byzantine church of the coppersmiths.

    Photo: Konstantinos Stampoulis (el:User:Geraki) · CC BY-SA 2.5

  8. Roman Forum

    Roman Forum

    The excavated Roman market square in the middle of the city.

    Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · CC BY 2.0

  9. Church of Saint Demetrius

    Church of Saint Demetrius Photo

    The great basilica of the city's patron saint.

    Photo: Yair-haklai · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Heptapyrgion

    Heptapyrgion Bonus

    The old fortress walls on the hill above the city.

    Photo: Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Thessaloniki in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Thessaloniki on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 6 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Thessaloniki is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Thessaloniki?

    Open Thessaloniki in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Thessaloniki leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at White Tower and finishing at Heptapyrgion. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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