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- 🌀Thessaloniki's Big Week, Ancient Tomb Mystery + Eurobasket Dominance
🌀Thessaloniki's Big Week, Ancient Tomb Mystery + Eurobasket Dominance
Hi Greek Talkers!
Welcome back to your weekly dose of Greek chaos, cultural gems, and questionable decisions. This week we've got Greece making basketball look easy, Thessaloniki celebrating 100 years of proving it can organize major events, and an ancient tomb that's been "almost finished" longer than most people's graduate degrees. Plus, Polyaigos just got archaeological protection, which means you probably can't visit it anymore but at least it's officially gorgeous.
Let’s dive in. ☕🤿🇬🇷
**Got a story, photo, or memory we should share? Send it our way — we’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
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🇬🇷 WHAT’S NEW IN GREECE
🏀Don’t mess with Greeks in their basketball prime — Greece enters Eurobasket quarterfinals.
ekathimerini.com
🏛️ Polyaigos gets the archaeological site treatment. Apparently being gorgeous wasn't protection enough.
eKathimerini.com
More news from Greece
⚱️ Amphipolis tomb (the largest burial site EVER discovered in Greece) gets a 2027 completion date. Only 13 years after discovery, which is practically speed construction by archaeological standards.
🎪 Thessaloniki International Fair hits 100. A century of proving Greece can organize things when it really matters.
⚽️ 2026 World Cup Battle is ON: Greece reminding Belarus where the goal post was, but then Denmark did the same to Greece.
🤖 Greece becomes OpenAI's classroom pet with ChatGPT Edu now helping Greek students procrastinate more efficiently.
🚢 Underwater diplomacy is having a moment! South Korea pitches submarines to Greece.
📈 Greece hits record tourism arrivals in 2025. The secret formula: ancient history plus Instagram-worthy sunsets.
💰 Bank of Greece wants mandatory financial literacy in schools and we are wondering if crypto will make the curriculum cut.
✈️ Greek airports finally getting the EU makeover. Less delays, more compliance, same questionable coffee.
🏨 Charging for paradise actually works as Greek hotels lead Europe in summer revenues.
😬 Greeks are least satisfied with money in the EU—shocking, said nobody.
🌎️ WHAT’S NEW OUTSIDE OF GREECE
🎨 Hari Koutlakis makes South Australia's list of boundary-pushing artists. The Greek creative diaspora strikes again.
More news from outside of Greece
🎬 Melbourne Greek Film Festival honors Pantelis Voulgaris at its 30th edition. Three decades of proving Greek cinema deserves more than just My Big Fat Greek Wedding references.
Have a memory worth sharing (or exaggerating)?
Drop it here 👉️ [email protected]
💎 CULTURAL GEMS
🏛️ The Amphipolis Tomb: Greece's Most Expensive Archaeological Cliffhanger
Getty Images
If Greece had a "most dramatic archaeological site" award, Amphipolis would be nominated every single year and win most of them. This ancient powerhouse just outside Serres was founded by Athenians in 437 BC, later conquered by Philip II of Macedon, and became the Amazon Prime of antiquity with its strategic position on the Strymon River plus access to gold, silver, and timber. It played starring roles in the Peloponnesian War and Alexander's campaigns, but it's the colossal Kasta Tomb discovery in 2012 that turned Amphipolis into an archaeological soap opera.
The tomb's sheer scale (we repeat: the largest burial site EVER discovered in Greece) suggests someone who wanted their neighbors to never forget who lived there: a 500-meter perimeter wall surrounding a burial mound 158 meters in diameter, guarded by majestic sphinxes, interacting with sunlight at key moments of the year and decorated with mosaics so detailed they look like ancient Instagram. Inside, archaeologists found three chambers with caryatids that would make the Erechtheion jealous, plus the bones of five individuals including an elderly woman, a newborn, and a warrior. But their identities remain tantalizingly unclear. A general? A royal family member? Fast forward to 2025, and we're still waiting for answers, with a projected completion date of 2027—which, by Greek archaeological standards, means 2030.
The site represents everything fascinating about Greek excavation: world-class discoveries, meticulous preservation, and timelines that would make Penelope's weaving look hasty. When it finally opens to the public, northern Greece will have a blockbuster attraction to rival anything in Athens.
📆 BEST OF GREEK CALENDAR
🎪 September 6-14, 2025, Thessaloniki International Fair Centennial
🎭 September 12-15, 2025, Epidaurus Festival Final Weekend
🧬 September 15-19, 2025, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Bioeconomy Forum, Athens
🫒 September 19–21, 2025, San Fransisco Greek Food Festival
👯 September 19–21, 2025, Baltimore Greek Festival
🧳 TRAVEL NEWS
Thessaloniki: Where Greece gets Down to Business (But Still Knows How to Party)
discovergreece.com
While everyone flocks to Athens for ancient history and the islands for Instagram shots, Thessaloniki, Greece’s cultural capital, quietly runs Greece's second-largest economy, hosts its most important trade fair, and serves some of the country's best food. This is a university city with serious nightlife, a waterfront that rivals any Mediterranean capital, and enough Byzantine churches to make Istanbul jealous. The White Tower (part fortress, part museum, part selfie backdrop) stands as the city’s iconic landmark, but Thessaloniki’s real magic is in its streets, where history rubs shoulders with bougatsa crumbs.
Wander through Ano Poli (the Upper Town) with its narrow alleys, colorful houses, and panoramic views, then descend to explore the Roman Forum, the Rotunda, and the Arch of Galerius — proof that emperors had a flair for dramatic entrances. Museums here are plentiful, from the incredible Archaeological Museum to the Museum of Byzantine Culture, and each offers a masterclass in how this city became a crossroad of civilizations. Get your steps in and stroll from the gorgeous Aristotelous Square to the White tower, on to the statue of Alexander the Great and then to The Umbrellas and continue taking selfies. By night, Thessaloniki transforms into one of Europe's best-kept nightlife secrets, with a bar scene that makes Athens look sleepy and music venues that have launched careers across the Balkans.
But let’s be honest: no trip to Thessaloniki is complete without eating like a local. This is the birthplace of bougatsa (custard-filled heaven wrapped in pastry), and its food scene is legendary, from street souvlaki to high-end meze. Pair that with a stroll along the waterfront at sunset, and you’ll understand why locals say “if Athens is the brain, Thessaloniki is the heart.”
🏰 Heptapyrgion Fortress (or Yedi Kule): An abandoned Byzantine fortress and notorious prison. Walk inside and feel cut off from the world.
🌳 Pasha’a Gardens: Unknown park with unique energy, and unusual, half ruined structures.
🍯 Modiano Market — historic covered market where locals shop for spices, cheese, and the best olives in northern Greece.
🎵 Mylos Complex — former flour mill turned cultural center with concerts, exhibitions, and the city's coolest cafe.
🍷 Ladadika District (off the main drag) – Sure, the main streets are buzzing, but wander a block or two deeper and you’ll find quirky tavernas, wine bars, and street art that feel far more local than touristy.
🆕 OBSESSIONS
Christina Georgiadou-gastronomos.gr
🧑🍳 RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Bougatsa - Thessaloniki’s Morning Glory
Akispetretzikis.com
Bougatsa is Thessaloniki's signature breakfast pastry (and Giannis’ fave thing to eat)- crispy phyllo wrapped around creamy semolina custard, finished with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Locals line up at century-old bakeries for this every morning, and during Fair week, it's basically the city's official fuel. The secret is the contrast: shatteringly crisp phyllo against silky custard that tastes like childhood comfort food elevated to art form. Fair warning: one bite and you'll understand why Thessalonikians consider Athens breakfast options inferior.
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💡 INSPIRATION
Thessaloniki has the air of a city that has lived through centuries of conquests, yet still wakes up hungry for life.
😎 GREEK FYI
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki has more UNESCO World Heritage sites (15) crammed into its city limits than any other Greek city.
😂 MYTHIC MEMES
@hooplagreeks
@hooplagreeks
That's Greece this week: Eurobasket victories, World Cup qualifiers, archaeological mysteries, and a city that's been hosting international business for a century while everyone else was still figuring out logistics. Thessaloniki proves that Greece can handle serious commerce and serious nightlife with equal expertise. Now if only they could apply that efficiency to tomb excavations. We 💙 Thessaloniki. Catch you next week for more news, drama and deep dives. 🧿 Stay Greek. [email protected]
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