Destination: Greece

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Northern Antiquities

TWO WEEKS

Make northern city Thessaloniki your base and seek out some of the lesser-known but no less spectacular sites of the sprawling regions of Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace. This itinerary is best accomplished with your own transport.



Revel for a day or two in the vibrant nightlife of the northern capital Thessaloniki and visit its numerous museums then head west to the ancient Macedonian capital of Pella, where you can admire the ruins of Alexander the Great’s home base. See the stunning tomb of Alexander’s father Phillip of Macedon at nearby Vergina, the North’s singularly most impressive archaeological site. Cross the looming Pindos Mountains to Ioannina from where you can easily visit the splendid amphitheatre and oracle of Dodoni, the eerie underground site of Ancient Hades at the Nekromanteio of Afyra, close to the Epirote coast and the Roman-era settlement of Nikopolis.

Cross back to Macedonia and take another breather in Thessaloniki before heading east. The first stop will be Philippi, a Roman site where Christianity was first accepted in Europe and close to the busy port of Kavala with its archaeological museum. Do not miss out on the spectacular Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothraki where the Winged Victory of Samothrace was found and is now on display in the Louvre in Paris.