Greece, Thessaloniki, Things to do

7 cool things to see and do in Thessaloniki if you’re travelling solo

RiA
22 January, 2020
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Thessaloniki’s a city I’d wanted to visit for a while, so when I planned my third solo travel trip to Greece, I made sure it was part of my itinerary. For those of you planning to travel to Thessaloniki soon, here are 7 cool things to see and do in Thessaloniki if you’re travelling solo.

The terrace at Electra Palace Hotel
Walk up the White Tower of Thessaloniki
Take a mini cruise around Thessalomikis Bay
Dance under the Zongolopoulos Umbrellas
Grab a bite to eat at Estrella World Street Food
Have dinner and drinks at Tribeca
Visit the Nut Factory

The terrace at Electra Palace Hotel

If you love a good view like I do, then stop by the Electra Palace Hotel. You can visit its terrace, enjoy the beautiful view and watch the world go on the streets below.

Located on the 7th floor of the hotel is the Royal Garden Terrace. Opening just before noon, the terrace has lovely views over Aristotelous Square, Nikis Street and out to the Aegean Sea. You’ll have to find time during your trip to relax anyway, so why not do it here for an hour or so.

You don’t have to stay at the hotel to access the terrace as it’s open to everyone. Pop up and enjoy the view with a drink or something to eat. I had an ice cold lemon tea which came with two mini cinnamon muffins.

Walk up the White Tower of Thessaloniki

Learn about the history of the city as you walk up the White Tower of Thessaloniki. Now a museum that offers visitors a timeline of the city’s past through visual displays and videos, the tower is now a well-known landmark. It became a symbol of the city following the Ottoman rule when it was then used as a fortress and prison.

It stands just over 45 metres high (including its turret) and has six floors to explore with a viewing platform near its turret. From that point you’ll see the bay and bustling streets of Thessaloniki below.

Take a mini cruise around Thessalomikis Bay

By the waterfront of Thessalomikis Bay is where you you’ll find what looks like pirate ships. They’re actually floating boat bars. There were two there when I visited and both will take you on a short cruise around the bay.

I picked the Klio Cruise Bar. As the boat left the port, reggae music pumped out its sound system. Its slogan is “One Love, One Boat”.

The boat ride lasts about 30 minutes and does a lap around the port. Depending on which boat you choose, departures are quite frequent so you shouldn’t have to wait too long for the next one.

You don’t need to buy a ticket in advance. Not sure if the same applies to the other boat, but on Klio all you have to do is board and just buy yourself a drink or few!

Dance under the Zongolopoulos Umbrellas

If you’ve ever searched Thessaloniki, you may have come across photos of some umbrellas which appear to be suspended in the sky.

The very popular umbrellas installation, which was created by Greek sculptor George Zongolopoulos, is now a feature of the city.

Also not far from The White Tower, you could easily make a stop and dance under the Zongolopoulos Umbrellas!

Grab a bite to eat at Estrella World Street Food

Right behind the church Hagia Sofia of Thessaloniki and you’ve guessed it, not far from the White Tower of Thessaloniki (an 8-10 minute walk away), is where you’ll find Estrella World Street Food. It’s a very trendy place to grab an all-day breakfast – something that it’s become known for.

Seating inside is under a ceiling of suspended cardboard rockets and astronaut helmets. I ordered scrambled eggs in a brioche sandwich with onion chutney, cheddar, bacon and truffle mayo (minus mayo for me). It was very, very tasty and set me up for the next few hours.

There are currently about eight other Estrella’s dotted around in the likes of Athens, Heraklion and Chania. You’ll also find one in Cyprus.

Have dinner and drinks at Tribeca

I stopped for dinner on my last evening at the all day and night bar, Tribeca. Located on the strip of Nikis Street, Tribeca’s décor is dark and rich in colour giving a cosy feeling. With beautiful large plants added for a slight tropical effect, paired with the dim lighting in the evening, and it really sets the mood of chilled vibes.

I ordered the avocado salad. It had pristine cucumber pappardelle shavings, cherry tomatoes, avocado (well, of course), rocket and red lettuce, sprinkled with Parmesan, lime vinaigrette. It was very tasty!

If you’re in need of a bite to eat, check out Tribeca.

Visit the Nut Factory

As I walked up Nikis Street, I came across The Nut Factory. Not what I was expecting to see and even though I don’t eat nuts, I had to pop in since it caught my eye.

What’s been made to look like a factory, the large conveyor belt appears to prep nuts for packaging. You’ll find large bins full of a variety of different types of nuts. If nuts don’t quite take your fancy, as I was pleased to find, you can grab yourself some dried fruits instead!

There you have a few things to check out when you’re in Thessaloniki. Just because you’re travelling alone, doesn’t mean you should spend it alone all the time. especially if you put yourself in situations where you can easily meet new people.