Thessalonica - Differences in arts and traditional culture

When you are passing downtown Thessalonica with its many boulevards and its fashionable shops, bars and restaurants next to the main road at the waterfront, you will find a modern, very youthful, student urban architecture, which is only partially reflected in the sculptures and monuments along the road.

The hiking up to the old town quickly shows the other face of Thessalonica: graffiti and even part wise vandalism decried, which also reflects the inhabitants with the countless images of sprayers.

Thus next to the impressive Gate of Galerius from the Roman period one finds a stale but functional telephone box with different character graffiti with some partially repeating messages.

Just a few meters further on this medieval chapel of wide open doors for visitors which is almost crushed by modern skyscrapers.

Further up the castle, the pavement changed from asphalt to cobblestones, the houses initially changed from mainly reinforced concrete column construction ........

to stone masonry with large bay windows, and even wooden constructions of a skeleton system with plastered wattle is to see, a very strong reminiscent of the Ottoman houses of the 17th and 18th centuries like in Safranbolu.

Then again another chapelle in a tiny, but lovely park area.

..... and another graffiti on the opposite side of the street.

Balconies with plant troughs, plant pots in the street - a colorful, green picture taken in the upper old town......

....... like this restaurant using  plants as curtains for getting shade.

Here a small sidewalk cafe with attached guesthouse for students and with interesting murals on the dining room.

Looking back on the dense development of Thessalonica, that does not reflect the impression of some truly idyllic places.



Again, an image that can deal with the visitors of this restaurant quite so many details can be seen.



And then tiny gardens in the front, that are lovingly planted with colorful flowers.

However, the upper Old Town also still shows countless homes that are urgently waiting for restoration or renovation. A colorful image of grown City architecture ....



..... between idyll and modernity. In simple words, use your time for exploring and hiking the old city of Thessalonica.

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