Thessaloniki wears its layers openly. Founded in 315 BC by Cassander, a general of Alexander the Great, who named it after his wife, a half-sister of Alexander, it became a major Roman city and then, for over a thousand years, the second city of the Byzantine Empire. Its seafront is dominated by the White Tower, a sixteenth-century fortification that is the symbol of the city, and the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda, a Roman building that has been a temple, a church and a mosque, stand in the centre. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born here in 1881.
Life in the city is lived outdoors. The waterfront promenade is crowded in the evening, and the old market quarters are full of smells of spice, coffee and baking. A local favourite is bougatsa, a flaky pastry filled with custard or cheese, eaten for breakfast. The Ladadika district, once a market for oil merchants, is now full of tavernas, and the wine bars are lively.
For riders, the city is a gateway to Macedonia and the north. The ring road is quick, though it can be crowded at peak hours. The afternoon ride heads west, across the plain of Imathia, to Vergina, the site of ancient Aegae, where the royal tombs of the Macedonian kings, including that of Philip II, the father of Alexander, are preserved beneath a mound. The road crosses flat farmland, with orchards of peaches and cherries, and the view of the mountains, with Mount Olympus visible on clear days, is magnificent.
Fuel is plentiful, with big stations along the main roads. The wind, the Vardaris, can come down the valley from the north and bring a sharp chill in winter, while summer temperatures climb well into the thirties. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when the light is clear and the sea breeze is mild. If you eat out, share a plate of mezedes, small dishes, with a glass of tsipouro, and take your time. The Byzantine churches here, with their glittering mosaics, repay a walk.