Thessaloniki, Greece

Thessaloniki is in northern Greece and is full of history. Alexander the Great lived there and the city is named after his half-sister. It is a gritty city – not dirty, lots of graffiti and tired looking 20th Century apartment buildings. There are ruins from the Roman Empire that are fairly accessible and lots of churches (Greek Orthodox). There are several colleges in the city so there are lots of young people. I only saw 7 Black people during my 5 days there, but I was not uncomfortable traveling while Black. Absolutely no issues at all. English is widely spoken and credits are widely accepted. This is not the Greece you see in travel brochures (islands)– this is a place to learn more about Greek history and culture.