Exploring Northern Greece

Are you preparing a trip to Greece and have questions like which islands to visit, what beaches to lazily lounge at and so on? With so many archipelagos to venture in, no single blog post could possibly do them justice. This time around, it's all about the mainland. The northern region of Greece, to be more exact. It incorporates the historical region of Macedonia and Thrace, two incredible areas surely worth a visit.

Although a bit out of the way, the best way to begin this journey would be picking up a rental car in Athens airport, soon after landing. Take a full day to relax and indulge in some ancient sight-seeing, obviously the Acropolis is a must when it comes to the most Ancient monuments of Western Civilization.

Heading further north, take the opportunity to drive your Greece car rental to the region of Meteora. Here you are able to admire a mesmerizing complex of ancient monasteries, all of them built on rock pillars! Some of them are possible to visit but be aware, women are obliged to wear long skirts during the tour - no bare flesh allowed - and all visitors should keep silent at all times.It is quite an impressive sighting and one not very common during most travels so be sure to include that on your itinerary!

After this slight detour, you should be more than ready to continue driving until you finally arrive with your rental car in Thessaloniki, known as the capital of the northern region. Around town you will be sure to discover several Byzantine monuments and structures from other eras, so you won't miss on your usual Culture fix! Stroll through the town's Ano Poli, also known as Old Town and considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Other interesting plans may include a visit to the local markets, the Modiano market being notably important if you wish to find any delicatessens and have a peek at the city's nightlife - it will give you a good idea of why Greeks are such fans of celebrating the good that life brings and why they do it so well!