Jewish Thessaloniki on foot
The few places left of the city's largest community.
Distance
2 km
Duration
150 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Best time
Morning, while the museum is open
This route is not a tour of sights. It is a walk through a city that for 450 years had half its residents Jewish, and that lost almost all of them inside twelve weeks in 1943.
The points are few and scattered, because very little survived. Take it with that in mind, rather than as a checklist.
Important: the Jewish Museum keeps limited hours and the Monastirioton Synagogue is not always open to visitors. Check before you go and arrange a visit where one is needed.
The numbered stops in route order. Tap a point for more.
The stops
- 1
Eleftherias Square
Here, in July 1942, the men of the community were publicly assembled. The Holocaust Memorial stands on the square.
- 2
Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki
In one of the few buildings to survive the 1917 fire. It tells the story from the arrival of 1492 to the deportation.
- 3
Monastirioton Synagogue
The only pre-war synagogue still standing of the more than thirty that once served the city.
- 4
Modiano Market
Built in 1922 by Eli Modiano, in a city then being rebuilt. The name has held; the market still works.
- 5
Old Railway Station
The first train to Auschwitz-Birkenau left from here on 15 March 1943.
Practical notes
- Half a day is enough, but do not rush it.
- The route is flat and entirely walkable.
- At memorials and places of worship: modest dress, and quiet.
- Many points are unmarked. To understand what you are looking at, read the page on Jewish Thessaloniki first.
What you will not see
The old Jewish cemetery, with graves going back centuries, was destroyed in 1942. The Aristotle University campus stands on the site. There is nothing to visit there, but it is worth knowing as you pass.