Digital nomads looking to move to Greece usually look at two options; Either finding an apartment in the chaotic, lively, bustling city of Athens to experience the true city that never sleeps, or searching for a beautiful, quiet island to peacefully work from.
But there’s another Greek city many remote workers aren’t even considering. Which is a shame, because it’s a local favorite among Greeks.
None other than the country’s famous second city: Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki: The basics
With a metropolitan population of just over one million people, Thessaloniki has a lot to offer. It’s particularly known for its nightlife as college students make up almost 10 percent of the city’s entire population. Some of Greece’s most famous universities, including Aristotle University, are located in the city.
Locals have a lot of pride in Thessaloniki, as they consider it equal to Athens in terms of culture, diversions, amenities, and nightlife, while still retaining somewhat of a smaller-city feeling. It’s not uncommon to see people walking around the city center and greeting passersby they know, or restaurants and bars full of regulars that are on a first-name basis with most of the staff.
How is Thessaloniki different from Athens?
Besides its smaller size, Thessaloniki has a few other major differences from Greece’s capital.
First of all, the weather.
Located about a 4.5-hour drive north of Athens, Thessaloniki experiences significantly colder winters than Athens, and more humidity overall. It’s famously affected by the “Vardaris” in the fall and winter months, a cold, dry wind that blows through the city and forces locals into true winter clothing.
Thessaloniki is also famous for its cuisine. The city is in the mountainous region of Central Macedonia, and features a lot of heavier, heartier dishes on most locals’ menus, in addition to the fresh seafood and simpler meat dishes Greece is famous for. These include soutzoukakia Smyrneika, spicy meatballs with cumin and garlic served in a rich tomato sauce, and bouyiourdi, a mix of feta, tomatoes, peppers, and spices baked in a clay dish.
Don’t forget to try the sweets and pastries Thessaloniki is famous for as well, even though they’re now served all over Greece: bougatsa, tsoureki, and the local koulouri. Check out one of the city’s many cool food markets – like Kapani Market and Agora Modiano – as well.
Thessaloniki: Academic and cultural hub
Greece’s second city is known for being a huge event hub, attracting everything from artistic events to academic lectures. The country’s arguably most important film festival, Thessaloniki Film Festival, takes place here every November.
Universities like Aristotle University, International Hellenic University, and the University of Macedonia host academics, professors, and scientists from around the world who drop by for guest lectures and symposiums. Many of them, especially those held in AUTH Central Library and similar cultural spaces, are open to the public.
The city is also chock full of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and museums, which in addition to their permanent displays often host temporary exhibits as well. In fact, all of Thessaloniki is often described as an “open-air Byzantine Museum” as visitors come across Roman and Byzantine ruins almost everywhere they walk within the city limits,
Why would a Digital Nomad prefer Thessaloniki?
Partly because of its smaller size, and partly because of its layout, most of Thessaloniki is much more easily walkable than Athens. For those who hope to avoid the traffic, chaos, and insanity of central Athens, walking everywhere they need to go around central Thessaloniki will feel like a breath of fresh air. Especially when they take a stroll along the city’s Waterfront Promenade at sunset, taking in the salty sea air while passing by endless restaurants, cafes, and bars along the city’s coastline.
Thessaloniki’s student life also offers a lot of benefits for remote workers. For one, the abundance of laptop-friendly cafes around town with excellent Wi-Fi.
Some of the most highly recommended ones include:
- Caravan Cafe, a cozy cafe and brunch spot with outdoor seating
- Ypsilon, a multidisciplinary creative space featuring events and performances, with a work-friendly cafe on the ground floor
- Koumpi Coffee & Crafts, an artistic workshop where you can grab coffee, catch up on work, and then browse through handmade crafts on sale
The Best Coworking Spaces in the City
Digital nomads who might be considering the move to Thessaloniki should check out some of the following organizations if they want a dedicated co-working space, in addition to occasionally stopping by a cafe.
- Coho has been open since April 2013, before coworking spaces had really taken off in most of the world. In fact, it’s the longest running coworking space in Greece. The space has two locations, Coho Hub and Coho City, both very centrally located within Thessaloniki. Remote workers searching for private offices, coworking desks, meeting rooms, and anything else they might need will find everything they’re looking for here.
- Spaces offers dedicated desks, offices, or even just a day pass for digital nomads not willing to commit to a consistent working space. The space itself is bright, airy, yet comfortable, providing a perfect working environment.
There are other, smaller buildings offering coworking spaces in Thessaloniki, but Coho and Spaces are considered by far the best.
More Thessaloniki perks
One of the greatest parts about living in Thessaloniki? Digital nomads here get to explore a part of Greece few tourists ever see. Outdoors lovers will find an endless array of things to do in northern Greece, from climbing Mount Olympus (just an hour away from the city), to hiking the Dragon Lake trail, to kayaking the Nestos River.
Explore the mountain villages of Zagori, recently designated a UNESCO Heritage Site, walk through the old town of the exceptionally well-preserved, deeply multicultural city of Xanthi, and take a winter weekend trip to the charming, often snowy city of Florina.
In other words, living in Thessaloniki will put you in touch with a side of Greece most travelers don’t get to experience, while taking in some of the most incredible nature, cultural activities, nightlife and cuisine that Greece has to offer.
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Read more about Greece here in Dispatches’ archives.
See more from Joanna here.
Joanna Kalafatis
Joanna Kalafatis is a Greek-American travel writer and actress who has lived in Greece, the U.S., and the UK, and currently resides in Athens, Greece. She wrote "Best of Greece" for Moon Travel Guides and has a travel blog at LosetheMap.com; her work has also appeared in Time Out New York, Business Insider, and Matador Network. Joanna has traveled to over 50 countries and plans to visit every destination in the world.
