Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece. It is honorarily called the co-capital of Greece. According to the 2001 census, the entire Thessaloniki Urban Area had a population of 763,468. It stretches over twelve kilometers in a bowl formed by low hills facing a bay that opens into the Thermaikos gulf.

Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe.

Thessaloniki retains several Ottoman and Jewish structures as well as a large number of Byzantine architectural monuments. The 15th-century White Tower on the waterfront is the city's most prominent landmark. The 3rd-century Rotonda, the oldest church in the city, is another monument of the city's glorious past. Kastro - the old Turkish quarter on a hillside above the new urban center - offers great views of the city and the Thermaikos gulf.

The Archaeological Museum houses the findings of Vergina where in 1977 archaeologist Manolis Andronikos unearthed the intact tomb of King Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

Thessaloniki providess a great number of attractive restaurants which appeal to people of all ages and suit all pockets as well as picturesque tavernas and ouzeries, which offer a unique atmosphere and unforgettable appetizers.

For those who are looking for a bit of "shopping therapy", Thessaloniki is the place. Peacefully co-existing, the smart and the chic, the old and the traditional are in mutual admiration of one another. It is this very contrast and variety that makes shopping in Thessaloniki an experience to remember.