Macedonia evokes Alexander the Great and Thessaloniki (Salonica) the Byzantine Empire of which there are many splendid vestiges in this modern city of nearly half a million inhabitants. The busy seaport, the old, bustling Turkish quarter, the evening stroll of thousands along the seafront-where you can sample the best food in Greece-give you a measure of Thessaloniki's vitality. Nearby Langada is the scene of the firewalking ceremony of the anastenarides.
In the west, prosperous Kastoria, the "fur-city", has over 70 tiny Byzantine churches dating from the 11th to the 19th century. In the east, Kavalla is an important tobacco center. A Turkish minority lives in this region which lends it some added interest. The Athos peninsula, home of nearly three thousand monks has an autonomous status and can be visited by men only and by permission obtainable from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It's twenty monasteries are treasure houses of Byzantine art.