Hotels near Aristotelous Square

Aristotelous Square is Thessaloniki's grand civic plaza - a 100,000 sq m semicircle facing the Thermaic Gulf, designed by French architect Ernest Hebrard in 1918 after the Great Fire of 1917 destroyed two-thirds of the city. The square is ringed by the elegant arcaded Olympion Cinema (1923), the Electra Palace Hotel, and 18 neoclassical apartment buildings.

The square is free, always open. The bronze Aristotle statue (1989) at the north end is a popular meeting point - tradition says rubbing his big toe brings wisdom (you can see how shiny it is). The square anchors Thessaloniki's main pedestrian street (Tsimiski) east-west and the seafront promenade south.

Pro Tip: Walk the volta (evening promenade) at 6-7pm with locals - the square fills with families, students, and street musicians. The Olympion Cinema is the venue of the November Thessaloniki International Film Festival - the city's biggest annual event.