Northern Greece

Centred on Thessaloniki, stretching east to Thrace and west to the Zagori gorges of Epirus, and including Mount Athos and the Halkidiki peninsula.

This region comprises four regions, Central Macedonia, East Macedonia and Thrace, West Macedonia and Epirus, together with the self-governing monastic community of Mount Athos; the islands of Thasos and Samothrace belong administratively to East Macedonia and Thrace and are also included. To the south it is bounded by Mount Olympus and Thessaly (mainland Central Greece); Preveza in the southwest belongs to this region, while Corfu belongs to the Ionian Islands.

Thessaloniki is Greece's second-largest city. The White Tower, the waterfront promenade, the Rotunda and the Church of Saint Demetrius, along with other Early Christian and Byzantine monuments, are World Heritage-listed, and its food scene is renowned in Greece. Nearby are the Macedonian royal tombs at Vergina (including the tomb of Philip II), the ancient city of Pella, Mount Olympus National Park, and the beaches of the three-pronged Halkidiki peninsula. Mount Athos is open to men only and requires a permit applied for in advance, so most visitors view it from a boat along the coast out of Ouranoupoli. In the west, the lakeside city of Ioannina, the stone villages of Zagori and the Vikos Gorge are a hikers' paradise, with Metsovo a key mountain town; in the east are Kavala and the old town of Xanthi in Thrace.

Base yourself in Thessaloniki for 2–3 days, adding Halkidiki or Vergina; Epirus needs another 3–4 days. Thessaloniki has an international airport, the Egnatia Odos motorway runs east–west across the region, and the mountains are best explored by car.

Destinations

Itineraries