Hotels near Ano Poli (Upper Town) and the Byzantine Walls

Ano Poli is Thessaloniki's medieval upper town - the only neighbourhood that survived the Great Fire of 1917 - a maze of stepped lanes, Ottoman-era timber houses (still inhabited), Byzantine churches, and the eastern walls of the 4th-century city walls climbing to the Heptapyrgion (Yedi Kule) fortress at 150 metres above sea level.

Free, always open. The Trigonion Tower viewpoint at the northeast corner of the walls offers the city's iconic photo - the Thermaic Gulf, the White Tower, and Mount Olympus in the distance. Eptapyrgio fortress (used as a prison until 1989) is now a free museum. Allow 2-3 hours for the full Ano Poli walk and bring water - it is uphill.

Pro Tip: Take Bus 23 up from Eleftherias Square (15 min, EUR 1.10) and walk down through the lanes - much easier than climbing. The Trigonion Tower at sunset is the best free panorama in Thessaloniki. Stop at Tsinari taverna (the city's oldest, since 1840) for a glass of tsipouro.