Ana Poli

Climbing the hill above the lower city, Ano Poli, also written Ana Poli, the Upper Town of Thessaloniki, is the part of the city that escaped the great fire of 1917, which destroyed much of the centre below. As a result its lanes still follow the medieval and Ottoman street plan, and the Ottoman-style houses with their overhanging upper floors and painted wooden balconies give a sense of the city before it was rebuilt in the twentieth century. It is a residential neighbourhood, quiet and steep, a world away from the traffic of the waterfront.

The quarter lies within the Byzantine walls, which climb the hill in a long line of towers and curtain walls, inscribed as part of the city's UNESCO-listed Byzantine monuments. At the top is the Eptapyrgion, the Fortress of the Seven Towers, built into the walls and used as a prison until the late twentieth century. Walking along parts of the wall at sunset gives a panorama of rooftops, the Thermaic Gulf and, on a clear day, Mount Olympus across the water.

The churches show the Byzantine side of the Upper Town. Aghios Nikolaos Orphanos, a small church from the early fourteenth century, is known for its colourful frescoes, which include scenes from the lives of Christ and Saint Nicholas, and it is one of the best examples of late Byzantine painting in the city. The Church of Aghia Aikaterini, with a distinctive domed shape and brickwork, dates from the same period. Moni Vlatadon, a monastery on the slope near the fortress, was founded in the fourteenth century and still has a working community; its terrace has a wide view over the city.

Greece has few neighbourhoods so easy to get lost in, and visitors tend to wander without a map, following lanes that narrow and turn between walled gardens, stone stairs and old houses, many of them restored. Visitors will find small tavernas and cafes tucked into the corners are good for a long lunch, and the lanes feel like a village within the city. The streets are steep and uneven, so comfortable shoes are important. Buses climb from the centre, but walking up from the lower town through the neighbourhoods takes about twenty minutes, and the descent is easy.

Sunset is the most popular time, and the walls and the terraces below the fortress are the best places to see it. The Upper Town combines well with a visit to the Rotunda and the Roman Forum on the way up.