If you run or cycle at home and don't want to lose the habit on holiday, Thessaloniki actually makes it easy — easier than most Greek cities, which tend to be steep, narrow and short on anywhere flat to move fast. The question isn't really whether you can keep training here, it's where, since the city has two completely different options: a dead-flat waterfront for pace, and a pine forest above the rooftops for hills. Here's how locals use both.
Flat or hilly? The two options
Thessaloniki's geography splits cleanly into a coastal flat and a wooded hill, and most runners and cyclists pick one depending on the day. We ran the waterfront at 7am on a July 2026 morning and had most of it to ourselves before the heat and the crowds arrived.
| Route | Terrain | Distance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nea Paralia waterfront | Flat, paved, car-free | ~3.5–5 km one way | Pace work, easy runs, road cycling |
| Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos) forest | Wooded, hilly, trail | 27 marked trails, up to ~22 mi | Hill training, trail running, mountain biking |
Do the waterfront if you want a fast, predictable run or ride with sea views; go up to Seich Sou if you want elevation, shade and a genuine trail-running feel without leaving the city.
The Nea Paralia: the default route
The Nea Paralia — the redeveloped "New Beach" promenade running from the White Tower out toward the Concert Hall — is the obvious choice, and for good reason: it's flat, fully paved, mostly car-free, and runs along the Thermaic Gulf with the Umbrellas sculpture and the Garden of Alexander among its landmarks along the way. Measured one way it's roughly 3.5 km from the White Tower to the Concert Hall, though the fully redeveloped waterfront stretch (counting both directions and the older section toward Aristotelous) runs closer to 5 km — so an out-and-back gives you anywhere from 7 to 10 km depending on where you turn around. Surface is smooth paving throughout, well lit at night, and busy with locals from early morning until late evening, which makes it one of the safer places in the city to run alone.
Best times: early morning (before 08:00) or after sunset in summer — midday heat on an exposed, shade-free promenade is genuinely unpleasant from June to August. Spring and autumn mornings are close to ideal.
Renting a bike
You don't need your own gear — Thessaloniki has a handful of bike rental operators clustered around the centre and the waterfront, including BikeIT Bicycle Rentals and GrCycling, both offering city and e-bikes by the hour or day. Prices vary a fair amount by shop and bike type: expect somewhere in the €3–8 per hour or roughly €10–20 per day range for a standard city bike, more for e-bikes. Confirm current pricing directly with the operator, since rates shift with season and demand. The most popular route among rental customers is exactly the one described above — port to Concert Hall along the waterfront — with several shops offering guided city rides that combine cycling with sightseeing stops at the White Tower and the Umbrellas.
Seich Sou: the hill option
For anything with elevation, head up to Seich Sou (also called Kedrinos Lofos, "Cedar Hill"), the pine forest rising directly behind Ano Poli on the city's northern edge — about 15 minutes from the centre by taxi or bus. It's a genuinely serious network: 27 marked trails support hiking, trail running and mountain biking, ranging from an easy loop around the Kryoneri recreation area to a demanding ~35 km (22 mile) mountain-bike loop with over 1,100 m of elevation gain. A popular shorter run, the Seich Sou M5 Loop, covers roughly 16 km and takes most runners 3–4.5 hours at a hiking pace, with panoramic views back over the city and gulf from several points. The forest is shaded, cooler than the streets below, and effectively empty on weekday mornings — the best escape from summer heat if the waterfront feels too exposed.
Practical notes: trails aren't always clearly signed at every junction, so download an offline map (AllTrails covers the network well) before you go, carry water since there are few facilities once you're deep into the forest, and note that the best months are September through May — high summer afternoons up here are hot enough that most locals only go early or late in the day.
Running events, if you want to race
If your trip lines up with the calendar, Thessaloniki hosts two well-established annual races worth knowing about. The Alexander the Great Marathon, run since 2006 between Pella (Alexander's birthplace) and Thessaloniki, is an AIMS-certified race held each spring — its 20th edition falls in 2026 — and draws international runners for the historical route as much as the course itself. In autumn, the Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon runs after dark through the city centre and along the waterfront, billed as the largest nighttime running event in Greece — a genuinely atmospheric way to see the Nea Paralia and the White Tower lit up with none of the daytime crowds. Both events are open to visiting runners with advance registration; check the organisers' sites well ahead if you want to build a trip around one, since race-weekend accommodation near the centre fills up.
Safety and practical notes
Running or cycling alone in Thessaloniki is generally straightforward. The waterfront is well used and well lit at all hours, so it's one of the more comfortable places in the city for a solo evening run — see our is Thessaloniki safe guide for the wider picture. Up in Seich Sou, the usual forest-trail sense applies: tell someone your route, carry a phone and water, and be more cautious alone on the longer, less-trafficked loops toward the forest's edges. Drivers in the centre aren't always cyclist-aware at junctions, so treat road cycling in the old streets with more caution than the flat, largely car-free waterfront requires. Summer heat is the other real hazard — from June to August, both the exposed waterfront and the forest trails are genuinely tough by mid-morning, so shift your session earlier than you would at home.
If you'd rather train indoors
Not every day cooperates with the weather, and a handful of gyms and boutique fitness studios around the centre and the waterfront offer day passes for visitors who want a treadmill or a proper gym session instead — useful for a rain day or a heat-wave afternoon when neither the waterfront nor the forest is appealing. These aren't consistently listed with prices online, so check directly with hotels near your accommodation; several of the larger properties covered in our luxury Thessaloniki guide have their own fitness facilities that non-guests can sometimes book.
A sample week
If you're staying a few days and want to mix it up: run the waterfront for easy days and speed sessions, save Seich Sou for one longer hill run or a rest-day hike, and treat a rented bike as your transport option on a day you're covering ground between sights anyway — the flat centre and waterfront make cycling a genuinely practical way to get around, not just exercise. For everything else worth doing between sessions, see our things to do in Thessaloniki guide, and the activities page for organised tours if you'd rather explore with a guide than solo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you run in Thessaloniki?
The Nea Paralia waterfront promenade is the default — flat, paved and car-free, running roughly 3.5–5 km from the White Tower to the Concert Hall. For hills and trail running, head to the Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos) forest above Ano Poli, about 15 minutes from the centre, with 27 marked trails.
How much does it cost to rent a bike in Thessaloniki?
Expect roughly €3–8 per hour or €10–20 per day for a standard city bike from operators like BikeIT or GrCycling, with e-bikes costing more. Prices vary by shop and season, so confirm directly before booking. Most rentals are based around the waterfront, the most popular cycling route in the city.
Is the Thessaloniki waterfront good for cycling?
Yes — it's the city's best cycling route: flat, paved, mostly car-free and running along the Thermaic Gulf from the White Tower to the Concert Hall. It gets busy with pedestrians in the evening, so early morning is best for a faster ride; slower sightseeing rides work fine at any hour.
Can you go trail running in Thessaloniki?
Yes, in the Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos) forest just above the city — a wooded hill with 27 marked trails supporting hiking, trail running and mountain biking, roughly 15 minutes from the centre. Routes range from easy loops to a demanding ~35 km network with real elevation gain, and the shade makes it far cooler than street running in summer.
