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Wijk · Ottoman quarter

Ano Poli (Upper Town)

Bijgewerkt 2026Te voet gecontroleerdOn the hillside above the modern centre, inside the walls

Largely spared by the great fire of 1917 that razed the lower city, Ano Poli is Thessaloniki's best-preserved old quarter — a maze of timber Ottoman houses, tiny chapels, and cobbled lanes climbing to the castle walls and the best views in the city.

The Byzantine walls of Ano Poli overlooking the city and the Thermaic Gulf, Thessaloniki
Ano Poli (Upper Town) · Ottoman quarter
Periode
Ottoman quarter
Locatie
15–25 min uphill from the centre
Toegang
Free (open neighbourhood)
Openingstijden
Always open
Benodigde Tijd
Half a day to wander

Openingstijden en prijzen voor het laatst gecontroleerd in 2026 — ze veranderen, dus controleer ze op de dag zelf.

Geschiedenis

Hoe het ontstond

This upper quarter kept its pre-fire, Ottoman-era character of narrow streets and wooden balconied houses. It remains the city's most atmospheric district, dotted with Byzantine churches and walled viewpoints.

Wat Je Ziet

Bij een bezoek

Winding lanes and old houses, hidden Byzantine churches, the city walls, Trigonion Tower and Heptapyrgion, and tavernas with gulf views.

Hoe te Bezoeken

Steep walking, or take a city bus up and wander down; wear comfortable shoes.

Beste Tijd

Late afternoon into sunset

Galerij

Bereikbaarheid

Locatie
15–25 min uphill from the centre · On the hillside above the modern centre, inside the walls
Routebeschrijving
Openen in Google Maps

Goed om te Weten

The great fire swept the lower city but did not reach the upper town, so Ano Poli kept its old Ottoman-era streets and wooden houses.

You can walk up — it is steep — or take a local bus toward the upper town and explore on foot from there.

Lees Meer

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Bezienswaardigheden in de Buurt

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The late-5th-century apse mosaic of the Vision of Ezekiel — a youthful Christ in a mandorla — at Osios David (Latomou Monastery), Thessaloniki
Early Byzantine (late 5th c.)

Osios David (Latomou Monastery)

A tiny chapel in the lanes of Ano Poli that holds one of the most important early-Christian mosaics in the world — a UNESCO-listed treasure most visitors walk straight past.

The church of Vlatadon Monastery in its courtyard above Thessaloniki
Byzantine (14th c.)

Vlatadon Monastery

Founded in the later 14th century by the brothers Dorotheos and Markos Vlatades, disciples of Gregory Palamas, it is the only Byzantine monastery in the city still active — set in gardens high in the upper town with a small church, peacocks, and a commanding view of the gulf.

The brick-and-stone exterior of the Byzantine Bath in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, with its arched recesses and domes
Late Byzantine (late 13th–early 14th c.)

Byzantine Bath

A rare survivor from around the late 12th–13th century — the only Byzantine bath left in Thessaloniki, and the largest and most complete in Greece — a small brick-and-stone building in Ano Poli that stayed in use as a public bath until 1940, some seven centuries. Restored and reopened as a museum in 2015, it is one of the city's UNESCO-listed Byzantine monuments.

Eten & Drinken in de Buurt

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The colourful interior of Toixo Toixo with green rustic chairs and a red accent wall, Ano Poli, Thessaloniki
210 m lopen
Mezedopoleio

Toixo Toixo

A plate of fried small fish with lemon and lettuce at Taverna Konaki, Ano Poli, Thessaloniki
290 m lopen
Greek taverna

Taverna Konaki

Traditional taverna spread at Nea Folia in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki
440 m lopen
Greek taverna

Nea Folia

The covered terrace of Castra bar in Ano Poli looking out over the rooftops of Thessaloniki to the Thermaic Gulf
450 m lopen
rooftop

Castra

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