The White tower of Thessaloniki
When you look from the Aegean Sea to the coastline of Thessaloniki one thing will immediately stand out. A 98 feet high tower rising above the city. It is the White tower of Thessaloniki, although it’s not that white anymore. The tower now looks a bit beige, but besides that still very impressive. A tower full of history, once a notorious torture place for prisoners of the Ottoman. Today it is one of the most important symbols of Greek independence. This almost 600-year-old construction is a ‘’place to go’’ when you visit the second city of Greece, Thessaloniki. We decided to go and see it with our own eyes as quickly as possible.
The entrance fee
When we bought the tickets, we were positively surprised. Entrance for visitors under the age of 18 is free. A regular ticket costs just two euros and for students from the European Union the entrance is also free. Once inside we started to climb up the steep stairs towards the top. The tower consists of six floors, each floor demonstrates a part of the history of the tower and Thessaloniki itself.
Photos and other imagery
Different pictures, stories and objects from that time era are displayed in a small maze of stone rooms. Some of these rooms are barely big enough to stand straight. Almost every room has a window with a beautiful view over the boulevard and the blue sea. What we particularly noticed was the fact that the museum doesn’t only use old pictures, but also modern technology such as videos and multimedia touchscreens to tell you the story about the tower and Thessaloniki.
The view from the top
Once arrived at the top you first walk through a small restaurant where you could drink a cup of coffee and catch your breath after climbing the steep stairs. When you walk through the final door, you might walk into the highlight of the tower: the breath-taking view. In front of you, you see the boulevard with on the edge an old Greek man throwing his rod into the magnificent Aegean Sea.
At the same time, behind him a small group of enthusiastic young children is playing. A young couple sits close together on a little bench looking over the ocean.
When the weather is good you can see all the way to Mount Olympus, as usual his tops slightly hidden in the clouds. White tops that were once worshiped as the home of the twelve Olympic gods. Behind you, upwards a hill, the city stretches itself out with thousands of white houses and just as much antennas. It makes it almost as impressive as the view in front.
With such a beautiful monument we can only come to one conclusion: a visit to Thessaloniki isn’t complete without a visit to the White tower.
Curious about the White Tower? On the official website you can find out more details!
