Thessaloniki White Tower

The White Tower stands on the waterfront promenade of Leoforos Nikis in Thessaloniki, the second city of Greece, and is the city's best-known landmark. The cylindrical tower dates from the 15th century, when the Ottomans rebuilt an earlier fortification, and was later used as a prison and execution site before being whitewashed in 1912 after the city joined Greece. Today it houses a branch of the Thessaloniki museum network, with exhibitions spread across six floors that trace the city's history from the Hellenistic and Roman periods through the Byzantine and Ottoman eras to the present. Displays use multimedia, models, reconstructions and objects from the city's archaeological record, and a spiral staircase leads between floors. The roof terrace has 360-degree views over the Thermaic Gulf, the promenade and the rooftops of the old city, and on clear days Mount Olympus can be seen across the bay. A typical visit takes one to two hours, and mid-afternoon on weekdays tends to be calmest. The tower is busiest in the early evening in summer, when visitors gather for sunset and the promenade fills with walkers. The best photo angles for the exterior are from the water-side promenade at golden hour and from the open square on its landward side. Admission is modest and reduced rates apply to students and seniors; entry is free on certain national holidays and on selected days in the winter season. The tower is closed on Mondays in the off-season, and opening hours vary, so checking the current schedule before visiting is advisable. A walk along the seafront promenade to the Alexander the Great statue and the Aristotelous Square area makes a natural extension to the visit.