Neighbourhood guide
The only quarter spared by the 1917 fire — Byzantine walls and a view over the gulf.
By Christos Petkakis. Updated June 2026.
Ano Poli, Thessaloniki's upper town: the only quarter spared by the 1917 fire — Byzantine walls, Ottoman cobbled lanes, Eptapyrgio fortress, and the finest sunset view.
Ano Poli was the one quarter that came through the great fire of 1917 almost intact. The Byzantine walls, the Trigonio tower, and the Eptapyrgio — Yedi Kule — carry the memory of two millennia, set in cobbled lanes that have not changed.
From the Eptapyrgio and the walls the panorama opens across the whole Thermaic Gulf. The sunset from up here is the most unforgettable image Thessaloniki offers — and the easiest way to do it is a taxi up and a gentle walk back down through the lanes.
Τείχη & ΕπταπύργιοWalls & Eptapyrgio
Ano Poli — 25 min walk, uphill
The Byzantine city walls and the Yedi Kule fortress — the city's best view from the Trigonion Tower, open 24/7 and free.
Byzantine walls, Trigonion Tower, free panorama
By taxi in a few minutes, or on foot uphill from the centre. Most visitors take a taxi up and walk back down, enjoying the cobbled lanes on the way.
The Byzantine walls, the Trigonio tower, the Eptapyrgio, and the view toward the Thermaic Gulf — ideally in the afternoon before sunset.
