Things to do in Thessaloniki

Two days. One for the waterfront promenade, the White Tower, the Rotunda and Aristotelous Square. One for Ano Poli (the Upper Town) with its Byzantine walls and the Ladadika district for nightlife. Add a third day for Mount Olympus or the Halkidiki beaches.

The Rotunda of Galerius — a 4th-century Roman mausoleum that became a church, then a mosque (the minaret still stands outside), now a monument. The mosaics in the dome are the largest surviving from late antiquity. Combine with the Arch of Galerius two minutes away on Egnatia Street.

Ladadika south of the centre — once oil warehouses, now restored alleys full of mezedopoleia (mezze restaurants) and bars. Valaoritou further west for the late-night clubbing crowd. Ano Poli (Upper Town) for the Byzantine quarter and tavernas with a city view. The waterfront for sunset jogs.

Bougatsa (sweet custard pie) for breakfast at Bougatsa Bantis or Giannis. Soutzoukakia (cumin-spiced meatballs in tomato sauce). Trigona Panoramatos (cream-filled pastry triangles). Tsipouro with mezze — taramosalata, octopus, prawns saganaki. Better seafood than Athens, by a long stretch.

Walk — the centre runs along the waterfront and is flat. Ano Poli is uphill but worth the climb. The new metro line is finally open (it took 20 years to build) and connects the train station to the centre. Buses cover the seafront and reach the airport.

The Byzantine walls of Eptapyrgio at the top of Ano Poli — the medieval citadel and former Ottoman-era prison, with views over the whole city sweeping down to the Thermaic Gulf. The walk up through the upper town past Vlatadon Monastery is half the experience.