Romantic in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki has an advantage most Greek cities lack: its waterfront faces due west. The sun sets straight into the gulf, Olympus stands behind you, and the whole evening drifts toward the water — five kilometres of promenade run from the White Tower to Zongolopoulos's Umbrellas, walked for no reason other than the walking. A private tour for two is usually built around that hour: the Upper Town and its ramparts in the evening light, the descent through the old quarters, dinner in Ladadika, where former oil warehouses have become tavernas.

The second scenario is to leave for the day. Meteora is three hours away, and the monasteries on their rock pillars are at their best early in the morning or at sunset, once the coaches have gone; a private trip lets you choose the hour. Pozar, near Aridaia, offers hot springs in a gorge where the water holds around thirty-seven degrees all year and people bathe in the open even in winter. Edessa nearby supplies the waterfalls, while Vergina and Dion supply the quiet of archaeological parks at the end of the day.

The sea adds a third option. The cruise to the Blue Lagoon in Halkidiki means hours on the water with swimming stops in coves no road reaches. The sailing along the coast of Mount Athos passes monasteries that can only be seen from the sea. And food walks through the centre turn dinner into an itinerary: a mezedopoleio, the Modiano market, Turkish coffee, and bougatsa for the following morning.