About Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, holds an uninterrupted history of 2,300 years. Named after the sister of king Alexander the Great, the city was founded as the major port of the Macedonian kingdom. It was the historic meeting point of five different cultures: the Hellenistic, the Roman, the Byzantine, the Ottoman and the Jewish, which after their turbulent encounters, merged and flourished peacefully, creating a truly cosmopolitan Greek city in South East Europe, with a population of more than one million people.
The city is densely ornamented with important archeological treasures indicative of its glorious and pious past.
Thessaloniki's mild climate, the picturesque beaches of Thermaikos bay and the warm, vibrant and vivid character of its life generate unforgettable experiences to the visitors.
The city has a busy commercial port, which functions as a gateway to S. Europe from the Far East. Thessaloniki city plays an important role and has a special interest in the Balkan, European and wider international area, which is also evident from the establishment and operation of several economic and political institutes and institutions, such as the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), the Stability Pact for SE Europe, the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), the Institute for Balkan Studies (IMXA), and the Centre of International and European Economic Law (CIEEL). The City is also the home for the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in SE Europe (CDRSEE), the European Centre for Information to Enterprises as well as the UNESCO Centre for Women and Peace in the Balkans (UNES Centre). The annual International Fair is a well established highlight of the City's commercial activities.