Part of the Byzantine wall that once surrounded Thessaloniki, with the Hagia Sophia in the background. (Photograph by Dan Diffendale, Flickr)

According to the article «Icons are, for the uninitiated (that means most of us), an encounter with the unknown: religious paintings on wooden panels of great antiquity. For others, they take on great spiritual significance. And there’s no better place to see them than Thessaloniki in northern Greece.

This often neglected city (despite being Greece’s second largest) should be visited by anyone planning a trip to the country — not just for its incredible store of Byzantine art but also for its beaches, tavernas, fortified city, and friendly if exotic ambience.

Read more: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/30/iconic-greece-thessaloniki/