On the Waterfront

There's nothing in Greece that gets people out on the streets like a nice sunny day. To complement the glorious weather, there's always a spot or two in each city which draws people, invites them to take a leisurely stroll, an invigorating jog or delightful refreshments.


Such spots tend to be central squares, bustling high streets or parks. The bigger the city, the more diverse the spots. 

Thessaloniki has the advantage that it's a city that isn't too large nor too small, so although each precinct or quarter has its own spot, there is still a central point of convergence -- the waterfront. 

The waterfront is a stretch of concrete that spans approximately 5 kilometers. You could break it down into two sections, the old waterfront and the new, and the point where these two join is the White Tower, Thessaloniki's emblematic landmark.

The old waterfront, where the photo was taken (you can see the White Tower in the background), stretches from the port to the White Tower. The new waterfront starts at the White Tower and takes you to the city's concert hall. Both are linear and while the old one is simply there to accommodate pedestrians, the new one offers them areas to admire in the form of green spaces, each with its own "theme". 

But back to the old waterfront, which is this post's main subject. As you walk towards the White Tower, the area to the right of the main street is used by most as a place to walk, jog, fish and cycle. To the left of the main street, there are stores, restaurants and cafes that fill with patrons on bright days. It is the ideal place to sit for a meal or a cup of coffee, as the view is inimitable, what with an entire gulf splayed at your feet and Mount Olympus visible on clear days.

This part of the city housed the finest mansions in the early part of the 20th century. The Great Fire of 1917 destroyed a great number of these, but what was saved or rebuilt continues to live on as several impressive buildings stand witnesses of a bygone era, substantiating a more elegant past. It's a pity that the French architect Ernest Hébrard whose task it was to redesign the city could not bring all his plans to fruition. Now, a more grandiose facade in perfect symmetry would lead the eye up to the Church of Saint Demetrius, a cousin to Paris's Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile would stand beneath and closer to the sea, a majestic courthouse would have been constructed opposite the town hall, both adjacent to gardens and a central bazaar square.