If you chose to study in Thessaloniki you have chosen the right place! Thessaloniki is a vibrant student city, full of day and nightlife. It is a hub for 80000 university students ready to welcome you! Friendly, diverse and safe, Thessaloniki is considered one of the best cities to study in.
Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia. Situated in the Gulf of Thermaikos on the Aegean Sea, the city is well known for its natural beauty, unrivalled sea view, but mostly for its youthful and upbeat flavour. With a population of 1.3 million, Thessaloniki has kept its friendly and laid-back character, making it an ideal student destination, easy to settle in and get around. Whatever your style is, this city will charm you with its rich cultural life, its large number of monuments, its exquisite cuisine, the vivid nightlife and beautiful surroundings.
Thessaloniki is an ideal city for student life. These are only few of the many reasons why Thessaloniki is such a popular student destination:
Thessaloniki is a modern European city. However it has relatively low cost of living and can satisfy the needs of students’ budget.
Key crossroad between east and west, Thessaloniki since its establishment, 2300 years ago, has always been a diverse and multicultural city. Today, with students from all over the world the city celebrates its diversity and international character.
Life in Thessaloniki can never be boring. With an energetic student population and its youthful and upbeat flavour the city remains vibrant by day and night. Fabulous cafes, sizzling night life, bars, concerts and performances make student life in Thessaloniki even more exciting!
Thessaloniki is a beautiful city built between the sea and the mountain. The architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the South East Europe. The Byzantine Churches, the White Tower, the Ottoman Mosques and the Upper City are only some of the sites that enhance Thessaloniki’s charm.
Though the second largest city of Greece, Thessaloniki has kept its friendly character and is considered one of the safest cities to study in.
Thessaloniki’s immediate surroundings include Chalkidiki’s sandy beaches and seaside resorts as well as beautiful mountains, lakes, and natural preservation areas that students choose for their excursions. CSU also organised excursion throughout each academic year, so students get to experience much more than Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki’s history spans over 2300 years. The city was founded around 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis in the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. It is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments, as well as several Roman and Ottoman remains.
Classes, lectures and exams is not what student life is all about. Fun is always a big part of it. If you feel like going out you have plenty of things to choose from, since Thessaloniki can please every taste.
You can’t study in Thessaloniki without having a cup of coffee in your routine. There are cafes all over the city but a few great spots to have a coffee at are the main square of the city, the Aristotelous Square, the seafront and the historic site of the old walls of the city. Try a ‘frappe’, a cold coffee made in cafes in Greece, or even a traditional ‘Greek’ coffee, with its unique aromatic flavour and enjoy the view!
Greece, and Thessaloniki in particular, is famous for its cuisine. You can begin your day with a breakfast of bougatsa, phyllo dough filled with cream or cheese, or with a simple ‘Thessaloniki koulouri’, a small sesame seed-covered ring bread, which is the perfect breakfast on-the-go. The city has hundreds of restaurants, taverns and ouzeries ready to please every taste and budget. As any Greek would tell you, the restaurants and taverns of Thessaloniki perhaps are the finest of all Greece and offer cuisine of a distinctly Thessalonian character, combining the spices of east and Mediterranean flavours. You can enjoy fresh fish and sea food as well as famous greek dishes and international cuisine. Also, there are also a ton of great spots to get a ‘gyro’ (pork meat slices in a round pita bread with potatoes, tomato, onions, and tzatziki, a cucumber-yogurt-garlic sauce) or a ‘souvlaki’. These famous Greek sandwiches are fast, cheap (only a few euros), and possibly students’ favourite meal!
As far as sweets and pastries are concerned Thessaloniki is known for having some of the best in the country: Tsoureki, a plaited sweetened bread, deserts such as Baklava, Galaktoboureko; and Bougatsa are the city’s most famous pastry and definitely worth trying.
Thessaloniki also has a great nightlife. There are many universities in city making most of the bars fun and crowded spots. Bars on the main street by the seaside have crowds pouring out of their doors every night. Ladadika is an entire area of popular bars and clubs where students can party until the early hours of the morning. Bars and clubs are usually open till around 7 a.m, so make sure you’re ready for a long night out!
Though it has only about one million people, compared with Athens’s five million, Thessaloniki is considered the cultural capital of Greece. Festivals abound, most notably the International Film Festival, which has been established as one of the most important film festivals in Southeastern Europe and draws film lovers and notable film makers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve and Irene Papas to the city every year around November. In addition, the Documentary Festival, the Demetria Festival, the Archaeological Museum, the Biennale Contemporary Art, numerous music concerts, exhibitions, galleries and events keep the city’s cultural life vibrant throughout the year.
The city has plenty of options to offer for students’ free time. On sunny days a nice walk by the seafront is a ‘must’. Our downtown campus makes it easy for our students to choose between many different leisure options while in the centre of the city: walking around Aristotelous Square and the city’s major shopping streets like Tsimiski and Mitropoleos street, exploring Thessaloniki’s open markets, strolling around the narrow cobble roads of picturesque Ano Poli (also called Old Town) or even choosing to watch a good movie at one of the two major cinemas downtown, the site of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Plateia Assos Odeon multiplex, are just some of the choices Thessaloniki has to offer. And if while in the city you find yourself dreaming of nature you may always go to the Seich Sou Hill, located right at the heart of Thessaloniki, and enjoy your walk or run with a panoramic view of the city.
Whether you like watching sports or are an athletic type yourself Thessaloniki has plenty of options to offer. There are many basketball and football courts, swimming pools and stadiums, like Palais des Sports and Kaftatzoglio, where students choose to exercise. Also, taking advantage of the city’s seaside location Thessaloniki’s Nautical Club has rowing and sailing teams, and has five tennis courts. What’s more, bike enthusiasts will love cycling by the seaside and using their bike for their transportation.
The city also organizes and hosts many athletics events throughout the year in which students may participate.
What’s more, CITY College’s extracurricular activities also include many sports clubs in which students may register and combine exercise with their studies.
For those who want to escape from the city from time, Thessaloniki’s surroundings can please every taste; Places like Chalkidiki, famous for its sandy beaches and vibrant nightlife, Mount Olympus, the ancient capital of Macedonians, Vergina, where the Royal tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great is, and Kaimaktsalan and Seli Ski Resorts are only a few of the many destinations that are approximately one hour away from Thessaloniki.
Also, trips to nearby islands like Skiathos and Alonissos, is always a nice way to spend a few days away from the city, while many students make their way to Greece’s most famous islands like Mykonos or Santorini. Our students often organise excursions and visit most of the Thessaloniki’s attractive surroundings during their studies.
