Not every landmark in Thessaloniki is a thousand years old. The OTE Tower — a 76-metre spike at the international fairgrounds, picked out in colour after dark — is one of the modern skyline's most recognisable shapes, and its party trick is that you can ride up it for a drink while the top floor slowly turns a full circle. Here's what it is and how to go up.
What it is
The OTE Tower was designed in 1966 by the architect Alexandros Anastasiadis and completed by 1968 (it opened to the public in 1970), built for the Thessaloniki International Fair and named for OTE, the national telecoms company. It paired a working communications mast with a public viewing tower — a very 1960s, space-age idea of the future — and it earned its place in the country's history in 1971, when the first black-and-white television broadcasts on a Greek network went out from the tower. Refurbished in 2005, its tiered silhouette rises 76 metres over the HELEXPO fairgrounds on Egnatia, lit in colour at night. If the White Tower is the historical emblem of Thessaloniki, the OTE Tower is its modern one.
The Fair it belongs to
The tower stands on the grounds of the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Greece's landmark trade fair. First held in 1926 and run in the first week of September almost every year since — its opening traditionally marked by the Prime Minister's big economic-policy address — the TIF turned 100 years old in the mid-2020s, and the OTE Tower has been its soaring modern symbol since the late 1960s. Outside fair week the grounds are quiet, and the tower's Skyline is open year-round regardless.
The Skyline — the revolving café-bar
The reason to go up is the Skyline, the café-bar on the upper floor, whose seating deck rotates a full circle roughly once an hour. Nurse a coffee or a cocktail and the whole city drifts past your table: Ano Poli and the walls above, the grid of the centre, the curve of the seafront and the Thermaic Gulf, and — on a clear day — Mount Olympus across the water. There's no entry ticket: you take the lift up and simply pay for whatever you order. Some evenings there's live piano music, which makes a sundown drink up here feel like more of an occasion. It's also the most practical aerial view of Thessaloniki you'll get: flying a drone over the city centre is tightly restricted, as our guide to Greece's drone laws sets out, so a window seat up here is as high as most visitors will legally rise.
When to go — aim for sunset
The best time by far is sunset, when the city lights come on while the floor slowly turns and the gulf goes gold and then blue. It's one of the most relaxed viewpoints in the city — you're sitting down, out of the heat, with a drink, and the view comes to you. For other options across town, see our best sunset spots guide.
How to visit
- Where: Egnatia 154, at the HELEXPO international fairgrounds — an easy walk east of the centre, near the New Waterfront, The Umbrellas and the Archaeological Museum.
- Cost: no entry ticket — you pay for what you order at the Skyline café-bar. You ride up by lift.
- When: the Skyline café-bar runs roughly 10:00 to 01:00 (until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays), though hours can shift and the tower has occasional maintenance closures, so check ahead. Sunset is the standout time.
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes for a drink and a full slow rotation.
It pairs neatly with the two big museums right beside it — the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture — and a stroll along the waterfront. See more things to do in Thessaloniki to build it into a day.
A changing setting
Good to know: the HELEXPO fairgrounds are being redeveloped into the Thessaloniki ConfEx Park, a major project that will turn about 70% of the site into a large metropolitan park — roughly 120,000 m² of greenery, up from only around 7,000 m² of scattered green today, with thousands of new trees — alongside new congress and exhibition halls. Only about seven buildings are being kept, and the OTE Tower is one of them, so its future as a landmark is secure. During the works, access and surroundings can change, so it's worth checking the tower is open when you plan a visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go up the OTE Tower in Thessaloniki?
Yes. The upper floor is a revolving café-bar called the Skyline, open to the public. There's no separate entry ticket — you take the lift up and pay for whatever you order while the seating deck slowly turns for a full 360° panorama of the city and the gulf. Hours vary, so it's worth checking before you go.
How tall is the OTE Tower and when was it built?
It stands about 76 metres. It was designed in 1966 by the architect Alexandros Anastasiadis and completed by 1968, opening to the public in 1970 for the Thessaloniki International Fair. It was refurbished in 2005 and remains one of the city's most recognisable modern landmarks.
What is the best time to visit the OTE Tower?
Sunset. The revolving Skyline café-bar is at its best as the city lights come on and the Thermaic Gulf turns gold, with Mount Olympus often visible across the water. You get the changing panorama from a comfortable seat with a drink, out of the day's heat.
How much does it cost to go up the OTE Tower?
There's no admission ticket. You ride the lift up to the Skyline café-bar for free and simply pay for whatever you order — a coffee, a drink or a snack — while the floor slowly rotates. It's an inexpensive way to get a 360° view of Thessaloniki.
Why is the OTE Tower at the fairgrounds?
It was built for the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Greece's landmark trade fair held every September since 1926, and became the fair's — and the modern city's — symbol. The tower also carried Greece's first black-and-white TV broadcasts in 1971.
Is the OTE Tower being demolished in the redevelopment?
No. The HELEXPO fairgrounds are being redeveloped into the Thessaloniki ConfEx Park, largely a big new city park, but the OTE Tower is one of the few buildings being kept, so it stays. Access nearby can change during construction, so check it's open before visiting.
