Thessaloniki is located on the Thermaic Gulf, at the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. It is bounded on the west by the delta of the Axios/Vardar. The municipality of Thessaloniki, the historical center, had a population of 325,182 in 2011, while the Thessaloniki Urban Area had a population of 824,676 and the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area had 1,030,338 inhabitants in 2011. It is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre; it is a major transportation hub for Greece and southeastern Europe, notably through the Port of Thessaloniki. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora. Thessaloniki was the 2014 European Youth Capital.

The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1430, and passed from the Ottoman Empire to Greece on 8 November 1912. It is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2013, National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide, while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle. Among street photographers, the center of Thessaloniki is also considered the most popular destination for street photography in Greece.

Chalkidiki, also Halkidiki or Chalcidice, forms a trident-like peninsula. The coast has numerous excellent beaches. Located near the city of Thessaloniki. The capital of Chalkidiki prefecture is the town of Polygyros, in Northern Chalkidiki.

To get to Halkidiki there are buses that leave from the Halkidiki Bus Station located south of Thessaloniki. To get to this bus station you can take a 45A from the commuter bus station adjacent to Thessaloniki Train Station, Halkidiki Bus Station is the final stop.

Halkidiki appears in many Greek myths; it is said that the Giant Enceladus was buried in Kassandra. It is also said that Giant Olympus threw a rock forming the peninsula of Mount Athos and Sithonia took its name from Sithon, the son of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god.

Discover the neighboring paradises of Ammouliani and Drenia Islands aboard our state-of-the-art Axopar motorboats. Immerse yourself in the emerald seas and golden sandy beaches that define these idyllic islands.

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Embark on a captivating day cruise to Sithonia, the second leg of Halkidiki, and explore the stunning beauty of Vourvourou's nine small islands. Diaporos, the largest, boasts Myrsini Beach, a hidden gem known as "Hawaii," with crystal-clear waters and white sands.

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Stageira (Greek: Στάγειρα or Στάγειρος) was an ancient Greek city, located in central Macedonia, near the eastern coast of the peninsula of Chalkidice, and is chiefly known for being the birthplace of Aristotle, who was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. The city lies approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north northeast of the present-day village of Stagira, close to the town of Olympiada.

Stagira was founded in 655 BC by Ionian settlers from Andros. Xerxes I of Persia occupied it in 480 BC. The city later joined the Delian League, led by Athens, but left in 424 BC: as a result, the Athenian demagogue Cleon laid siege to it in 422 BC. However, Cleon was a poor strategist and his conduct of the siege was very inefficient: so much so that the ancient Greek comedy writer Aristophanes satirised him in the play The Knights. Cleon died in the same year, in the battle of Amphipolis. Later, during the Peloponnesian War, Stagira sided with Sparta against the Athenians.

In 348 BC, Philip II of Macedon occupied and destroyed the city. In return for Aristotle's tutoring of his son Alexander, Philip later rebuilt the city and resettled the old city's inhabitants, who had been enslaved. Many new structures were built at this time, including an aqueduct, two shrines to Demeter, and many houses.