Thessaloniki is easy to describe. Even in a year of economic instability and rising prices, visiting it remains the quickest, easiest and undeniably the most pleasurable way of buying new clothes and overeating on excellent fish or meat. For centuries the busy port city has been one of the most cosmopolitan places in the Balkans; and where there is a diverse population, many and various stories invariably arise. We offer you some of them, as we believe that they reveal Thessaloniki's true nature better than an exhaustive recital of landmarks, the dates of battles and wars, and the building of various structures and fortresses.

A HECTIC PAST

When the Macedonian King Cassander founded Thessaloniki in 305 BC he did nothing revolutionary. A settlement had existed nearby since the 7th Century BC. Its name was Termi – an unequivocal warning of the malaria carried by the mosquitoes from the nearby swamps.

Cassander's decision does not seem to have been especially wise, but that may be only a knee-jerk reaction. The old Macedonian capital Pella had been on the shore of a lake that was connected to the sea by a strait. With time the narrow link started to get narrower, and the king decided that it would be more expedient to build a new city than to maintain the water connection. Pella today is landlocked.

The rich collection of Thessaloniki's Archaeology Museum is a good way to acquaint yourself with the Macedonian kingdom. If you are looking for more immediate impressions, search for St Paul's Hospital in the southeastern quarter of Phinikia. There, amid a busy intersection, are a tomb and a burial mound – the last remains of an ancient necropolis. The façade of the 4th Century BC tomb is untouched, and inside there is an exhibition of monuments from the Macedonian kingdom found in Thessaloniki and the surrounding area.