Immersed in history …

Founded in 315 BC, Thessaloniki is a rare example of a city with an urban history spanning 23 centuries. The city was founded in the early Hellenistic period by Cassander, the King of Macedonia, and named after his wife, Thessaloniki, the sister of Alexander the Great. In its long history, Thessaloniki came under Roman rule, later becoming the Byzantine Empire’s second largest city. During Ottoman rule, the city continued to be the second most important city of the Ottoman Empire until its liberation and incorporation into the Greek State in 1912. The city’s unique location rendered it the ultimate urban melting pot, where Europe met the Middle East and the Balkans met the Mediterranean. This exciting trajectory in history has left an indelible mark on the city’s landscape and architecture: its rich cultural heritage is captured in the city’s splendid monuments and sites (many of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites) reflecting the crossroads quality that defined Thessaloniki’s history.

…yet young and youthful

Thessaloniki is home to Greece’s largest youth population:  Approximately 150,000 students attend the city’s 4 universities, who, along with the city’s own young residents, amount to roughly 200,000 or approximately 50% of central Thessaloniki’s residents and 1/5 of the city’s overall population.

Along with demographics, culture and lifestyle contribute to the city’s distinctly youthful character: a vibrant urban life of buzzing neighbourhoods, a very active student community, numerous youth NGOs, major cultural events along with a rich arty alternative culture scene, and an extremely energetic nightlife shape daily life in a real youth metropolis.

Thessaloniki Youth Capital 2014

On January 1 Thessaloniki officially took the helm as Europe’s Youth Capital for 2014. More than 150 events are scheduled for the year, divided into 11 different thematic units, including urban interventions, volunteering, social participation through NGOs, green urban actions, and global youth networking.   Both international events and special actions for the city’s youth are featured in the programme, and are expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors. Moreover, Thessaloniki 2014 actively supports initiatives from the city’s various youth movements and groups. The busy agenda includes the "Reclaim the Future" seminar next May, focusing on the future of young people in Europe after the crisis, and the International Meeting of Erasmus students in November.

The EU Youth Conference Comes to Thessaloniki

The European Youth Capital for 2014 will host the EU Youth Conference on the topic of Social Inclusion of Young People on March 10-12. The event, which is organized by the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the support of the European Commission, will bring together around 250 participants from National Youth Councils (NYCs) and Directorates-General for Youth from the EU, candidate countries and EFTA (European Free Trade Alliance) states.

To learn more about the event click here