Nightlife

Thessaloniki does not really awaken until after dark, and when it does, it seems at times as if the entire populace has come out to amuse itself. In addition to the cultural festivals held in the fall, there are lots of theater and pop and classical concerts year-round. Though many publications list events, and posters splattered everywhere announce them, they will all be Greek to you. Ask for information at your hotel, or stop by the office of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), 8 Aristotelous Sq. (tel. 2310/271-888 or 2310/222-935).

Meanwhile, the city seems festooned with enough bars and clubs to serve a population twice its size, yet all of them are crowded to the bursting point -- and more open every year. For some of the liveliest nightlife in town, try one of the cafes in the waterfront Ladidika district, or along the harbor on Nikis Street, or head inland to sample the cafes on pedestrianized Zefxidos and Iktinos streets. In the heat of summer, many cafes move to beach locations in the eastern suburbs, but you'll still find plenty of action in town including the Regency Casino Thessaloniki (www.thessaloniki.recency.hyatt.com), by Thessaloniki International Airport.

The casino is popular year-round, mostly with foreigners, and often draws charter flights filled with eastern European tourists. It may be harsh to say, but this casino will appeal most to sociologists interested in the gambling customs and costumes of tour groups, but this is certainly not the place to go for the kind of gambling glitz and glamour of Vegas or Reno. It's open 24 hours, and the 20€ ($26) entrance fee is often waived between 8am and 6pm.

Only in Thessaloniki -- Taking what the Greeks call a volta (stroll) along the seaside promenade, particularly at sunset or under a full moon, is one of the greatest pleasures of being in Thessaloniki. At the White Tower, look for the occasional peanut vendors and the city's only horse-drawn carriage, which you can rent for a ride.

You might also decide to take an hour (or longer) to cruise the harbor on one of the small boats that dock just east of the tower. Posted signs advertise cruises of different lengths and prices.

The Performing Arts

Kratiko Theatro (State Theatre of Northern Greece) has two venues. In winter, it stages plays in the Royal State Theatre, next to the White Tower (tel. 2310/860-966); in summer, it stages plays at Theatro Dasous (Forest Theatre), an open-air amphitheater in the forested hilltop area east of the Upper City (tel. 2310/245-307). The company presents ancient and modern Greek plays, as well as Greek translations of foreign plays by a range of authors as varied as Christopher Marlowe and Arthur Miller.

In summer, the Forest Theatre, which has a marvelous view of the city, also hosts lively, well-attended concerts by popular Greek singers and composers, as well as performances by visiting ballet companies.

Thessaloniki's splendid Megaron Mousikis (Concert Hall), 25 Martiou and Paralia (tel. 2310/895-800), opened in 2000. Check with your hotel concierge or at the hall for a concert schedule. Aristotle University Concert Hall also hosts concerts (it's on Nea Egnatia, opposite the northern entrance of the International Trade Fairgrounds) September through May (tel. 2310/283-343).

Festivals

Demetria Festival -- In honor of the patron saint of Thessaloniki, St. Dimitrios, whose name day is October 26, this prestigious cultural festival runs every October and includes the Greek Film Festival as well as many theatrical and musical events, all of them performed by major and minor artists from around the country.

The Feast of Saints Constantine & Eleni (May 21) -- On or around the feast of the first Christian emperor and his mother, villagers in Ayia Eleni (80km/50 miles northeast of Thessaloniki) and at Langadas (12km/7 miles northeast of Thessaloniki) engage in pirovassia (fire dancing). Crowds come from all over Macedonia to see the faithful dance over a bed of hot coals. When they're done, they feast on the roasted black bull sacrificed earlier in the day. In case you're wondering -- yes, much of what's done here preserves pre-Christian rites.

International Trade Fair Festival -- This takes place every year during the first 2 weeks in September and draws businesspeople from around the world. The international fairgrounds have lots of exhibits, so hotel rooms are very hard to find.

The Bar, Club & Music Scene

In July and August, many of Thessaloniki's best bars and clubs shut down. Some immediately reopen branches along a section of the road leading east along the coast, about a mile before the airport. This, plus the fact that new or newly decorated and renamed venues are constantly opening while others go out of fashion and close, makes it virtually impossible to recommend any with certainty. In town, in the summer of 2007, Greek friends of mine were heading to bars like Urban and the improbably named Pasta Flora Darling! on Zefxidos Street, but they were pretty sure they'll be looking for new spots next summer. On Kolokotroni Street, by the State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kitchen Bar in yet another restored warehouse is one place where you can begin, or end, your revels with breakfast.