Search Results

The Roman Forum is a beautiful archeological site, just a few meters from Aristotelous Square. Known also as "Ancient Agora," the Roman Forum, constructed by the Romans in the late 1st century A.D., is the heart of the old Roman city. It was the center of the political, social, religious, and administrative life of the town. Inside the Roman Forum lies a hidden underground museum with lots of information about the Roman period of the city.

In 1430 the Ottomans constructed the White Tower of Thessaloniki to guard the sea walls. During the years, it became a prison. And now it is the most known monument of the city. For centuries, the tower was part of the city walls demolished in the middle of the 19th century. Then, after the Greek liberation in 1912, the building was whitewashed to whipping the Ottoman past. This act gave the White Tower his name. Since then, they have removed the white color and established a small museum dedicated to Thessaloniki and its history. To enjoy all the exhibits, you will have to climb five floors on foot - not easy, but worth it. Don't miss the view from the top of the tower! It's amazing. The White Tower and the undemolished wall, 1912

Osios David is a small monastery located in Ano Poli. Half of this Byzantine monastery was carved in natural stone. Inside, you will find an ancient and remarkably preserved mosaic from Byzantine times.

The catacomb of St. John is located under a small renovated church, next to the Church of Aghia Sophia. The Church was built on an ancient monastery that probably replaced an old Pagan temple next to spring. Going down the tunnel, you will see a small complex of tiny rooms. It is a short visit, but it is in the city's center and a great experience.

Vassili Tsitsanis is one of the famous Greek songwriters and Bouzouki player. He lived and played in Thessaloniki for ten years, some of them during the German Occupation. Tsitsanis Died in 1984 and remains very famous for all Greek music lovers in Greece and worldwide. As part of our city walk in Ano Poli, our guide, George, decided to visit the small urban park named after Tsitsani and played for us. I captured it all for you. ​

Ano Poli means "the upper town," which is the only neighborhood of Thessaloniki that survived the big fire of 1917. The unique style of the quarter is preserved and is characterized by narrow paved with stones and tiny Ottoman houses. The strategic high location of Ano Poli is ideal for defense and used wisely by the Byzantines and the Ottomans. The main fortress of the city, Trigonio Tower, is located here next to significant preserved parts of the high Byzantine wall, adding beauty to the city Acropolis. The quarter is full of excellent taverns, serving traditional food at very reasonable prices. Some of them have a great view of the city. You can reach Ano Poli on foot – just bear in mind that the climb requires a moderate effort. You can also take a bus – lines 22 and 23. Ano Poli houses some of the most important sites of Thessaloniki: the Acropolis, Vlatadon Monastery, Osios David (Latomou Monastery), and Agios Nikolaos Orphanos. ​

We came to Thessaloniki for three days. Liat had a lecture at a fascinating academic conference about Film Adaptation at the Museum of Byzantine Culture. At the same time, I, as usual, used the time to explore the city. Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece and the center of the northern Macedonia region. I have heard some people say it's not worth a visit – a big mistake. Although this is not a magnificent city - it has a unique charm. It is most recommended to dedicate at least three days to travel to the town and enjoy its treasures. As a historic city, Thessaloniki opens a window to acquaintances with fascinating ancient periods of the Mediterranean. The Roman period is represented by ancient sites like the Roman Forum and the Arch of Galerius. The Acropolis Walls, the Trigoniou Tower, and a few churches like Osios David and Prophet Elijah Church remain from the Byzantine period of Thessaloniki. The White Tower and the Mosques of the Hamza Bey Cami will open a window to the Ottoman period of the city. Ano Poli, the upper town that survived the big fire of 1917, which burned most of the town, is like a time capsule of Ottoman and traditional Macedonian architecture. This unique neighborhood is full of churches, monasteries, and fortresses. You can complete the historical experience by visiting some museums dedicated to the different subjects, like the Museum of Byzantine Culture, the Archaeological Museum, The Museum of Thessaloniki in the White Tower, and even an underground museum under the Roman Forum. So many old layers and diversity in a not-so-large city. The complete Greek experience must include sitting in one of the many traditional Taverns in the city, listening to Greek music with live bouzouki performances. And don't forget the markets in the city center. Modiano Market and Kapani Market are great places to visit, taste, and shop. ​As a coastal city, Thessaloniki has a lovely promenade – walking along it enables us to visit some of the most important and interesting sites of the city: the White Tower, Aristotelous Square, the old harbor, shops, bars, and restaurants. ​Like many cities in Europe, WWII opened a black hole in the city's history when the Nazis deported and murdered the ancient and well-established community of Thessaloniki Jews in 1942. The Jews were one-third of the city's population and considered a primary factor in its economy, trade, and culture. You can find several sites in the town that tells the story of the life and the destruction of this fabulous community. Visit the Jewish Museum in the city center. The Monastirioton Synagogue is the only one left in Thessaloniki to remind the great community that flourished there for more than 500 years. The Jewish Cemetery of Thessaloniki hosts 300,000 graves, a few of which dated back to the Roman period. Not much left from the cemetery – The Nazis used most of the tombstones as building materials. Now the university lies in its ruins. When I travel to a new city, the first thing I do is to join a Free City Tour (well, those tours are not really free – the guides expect a tip at the end of the trip). The quality of those tours, usually conducted by students, is varied. Still, it always gives me a good starting point for exploring the city. In Thessaloniki, we found a real charming guide called George. We took two different tours with him – in the city center and in Ano Poli – the upper town. Both visits were enriching, teaching, and very enjoyable, and I highly recommend them. Check the tour's schedule on his website. In Thessaloniki, we have stayed in Colors Urban Hotel in the city center. Very close to the Jewish Museum, Aristotelous Square, Ladadika, Modiano Market, the Harbor, and the Roman Forum. To sum up, Thessaloniki is a beautiful city, combines history and culture – a lovely place for your next vacation!

ANU ("We") - The Museum of the Jewish People tells the Jewish people's story from its inception to the present day. The museum is located on the grounds of Tel Aviv University. The permanent display, spread over three floors, divides the Jewish people's story into three parts: The first floor deals with the foundations of the Jewish people - the covenant, the Jewish calendar, the Sabbath, the Bible, and the synagogue. The second floor examines how the Jewish people developed and dispersed throughout the world. Finally, the third floor presents a spectacular mosaic of modern Jewish culture in various shades and spheres of influence. The display methods are diverse and accessible to children and adults, Israelis and tourists, Jews and non-Jews. The museum manages to gather great stories, such as "The influence of the Bible on world culture" or "The development of the Jewish people from its founding to the present day" to charming and short animated videos, which tell the big story. The exhibits illustrate the various themes - briefly presenting the story of exemplary communities or several key figures in Jewish history. Those who want to delve deeper will find detailed information on the display screens: about the history of every Jewish community in the world; The story of Jewish personalities from all walks of life; Or look for where in the Bible a first name or place name first appears in Israel and around the world. The story of the Jewish people is not uniform. However, the museum manages to deal with this cultural diversity impressively while expressing various aspects of Jewish culture or the influence of the Jews on the culture in their countries. The displays are interactive and provide a learning and enjoyment experience for adults and children. A unique bracelet can be purchased at the entrance. After a straightforward definition, it allows you to mark topics that interest you at exhibitions and send the information directly to your phone. Kids love it especially. The museum also runs a unique app that lists all the exhibits in the museum (equipped with headphones in advance). In addition, on the map you will receive at the entrance to the museum, there are recommendations for the most important exhibits. In addition to the permanent displays, there are also temporary displays. For example, the fascinating exhibition "Heroes - the pioneers of the Jewish people" is intended for ages 6 to 12 and provided a delightful interactive experience during our visit. To ensure the children's enjoyment, the museum makes sure to bring a small number of visitors to the exhibition at any given time, so tickets must be booked for a specific time. You can stay at the display for about an hour and a half. Currently, the museum also put on a fantastic temporary exhibition on Jewish humor. My ten-year-old daughter and I spent over 4 hours in the museum (including a coffee break), and if they hadn't closed on us, we could have continued. Important: 👉 Park in the museum parking lot next to Gate 2 of Tel Aviv University. 👉 several bus lines come here - 15 Klausner St. 👉 The café close at 18:00 👉 Open Sunday-Wednesday from 10:00 to 19:00; Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00; Friday from 9:00 to 14:00; Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00. Enjoy🤗 For more places in the area press here

A wonderful Ukrainian restaurant, that only few know The place owner is Olga Gorlov, who immigrated from Ukraine and 12 years ago opened the restaurant in Bat Yam. We ate there several times and tasted a variety of wonderful Ukrainian and Eastern European dishes. Olga cooks herself - everything is fresh and made on the spot. Even the fried onion is not prepared in advance. Here are few examples: Perfect potato pancakes with sour cream Home-made Verenikes (studded dumplings) Wonderful ribs One of the great things we ate and did not photograph in previous times is a Ukrainian sausage that Olga makes herself. My daughter, to this day, talks about it ... Opening Hours: Sunday from 3 pm. In the rest of the week, 12 pm to 23pm Waze: Balfour 6, Bat Yam Enjoy🤗 For more places in the area press here

Shroitman is an excellent bakery on the border of Tel Aviv and Givatayim. There is a variety of excellent bread, pretzels, pastries, and cookies Few Examples: amazing orange and poppy seed cake A cookie filled with chocolate with a drop of salt - awesome 📍 The morning pastries (cinnamon, chocolate) are also excellent 📍There are a small number of chairs and tables and since the place is a magnet for the locals, there is often a queue and no place to sit 📍Because it is a pretty hectic area, I suggest parking in the nearby parking lot. Enjoy🤗 For more places in the area press here

Katzenelson Street in Givatayim was for years a neglected and gray street. In recent years it has started to undergo some changes with some cafes and bars. Shiriz is an excellent addition to the street that illuminates it with the pink beauty of the place. Shiriz specializes in cakes, pies, and pastries. Their cake showcase is a beautiful colorful celebration. We tasted an excellent selection - a fantastic chocolate fudge cake, a moderately sour lemon pie, a wonderful baked cheesecake, and excellent eclairs filled with vanilla and nougat. They also sell various cakes, slices of cakes, pastries, and cookies in a box. You can sit outside in the Café’s chairs on the sidewalk, or if you prefer a greener view - You can take the cakes to the nearby Givatayim Park and eat on the lawn. Enjoy🤗 For more places in the area press here

Yarkon National Park – Tel Afek area (Antipatris) – A wonderful national park in the center of Israel - pools and water canals for paddling, the viewpoint of a lake with fish, hiking trails, and antiquities. Yarkon National Park – Tel Afek area (Antipatris) is about 13,000 dunams and includes two main places - Tel Afek and Mekorot Hayarkon. We chose Tel Afek. There are many trees, shaded areas, picnic tables, paddling pools, and water canals where you can walk. There is also a lake with fish you can look at, but swimming is forbidden. Alongside a complex of antiquities from a city from 3,000 BC that was destroyed and rebuilt over the years. There are several hiking trails: A Short circular route - to Tel Afek – it takes about half an hour. A Medium circular route - to the Nofarim Pool (artificial ponds where the Nofarim flowers grow) - about an hour and a half A Long route - to the Yarkon and back - a total of 4 hours. If you leave a car in the Mekorot Hayarkon complex, the walk is about two hours. Small children are really excited about the paddling pools in Yarkon National Park – Tel Afek area. It is also great for adults to dip their feet in them ... We chose the short route (because we were lazy ...). It allows you to see all the attractions in the place - the paddling pools, the water canals, the lake, and the fortress of Antipatris. When you stand on the shores of the lake, you can see fish swimming in it. Please note that it is forbidden to enter the lake, and it is prohibited to fish. Enjoy🤗 For more places in the area press here