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Thessaloniki

Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki

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Why it matters: run by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki since 2001, this museum preserves the memory of a Jewish presence in the city stretching back more than 2,000 years – and of the Holocaust that nearly erased it, with the names of 27,000 identified victims inscribed in marble in the Victims Room. Collections include tombstones from the city’s destroyed Jewish cemetery and the only surviving collection of prewar family photographs. Give it an hour, then wander over to nearby Modiano Market, once the heart of Jewish commercial life. Mind the unusual hours: closed Saturdays, but open Wednesday evenings.

Mikri Frida

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Why it matters: founded in 2016, this five-member social cooperative (KoinSEP) runs its tiny cafe-gallery as a community project – proceeds fund free exhibitions, workshops and cultural events, with a side mission of showcasing the Byzantine church of Acheiropoietos right next door. The space is small, colourful and firmly non-smoking – still a rarity in Greece – with local art rotating on the walls. Order a coffee and a slice of the homemade cheesecake, and check the calendar: there is usually an exhibition or presentation on. Note it closes mid-afternoon on Sundays.

Vogatsikou 3

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One of Thessaloniki’s defining cocktail bars, in the old premises of the legendary 80s haunt Bel Air. The list runs past seventy cocktails and the DJs lean soulful – funk and disco with a pop twist – which makes it dangerously easy to stay for a third round. Come before midnight for a seat.

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