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Beer and Tales of Thessaloniki: A Walking Tour Through Wine Country
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Brewing craft beer in a country dominated by industrial lagers is, as the tour's guide puts it, a true act of resistance. On this walking tour through Thessaloniki's city centre, you'll follow the Greek craft beer revolution from its newest taprooms to a decade-old community pub, with the city's layered history threaded between every stop.
The tour starts at Aristotelous Square, where Mount Olympus frames the horizon and the statue of Aristotle watches over the seafront. Have your first beer at LoveCraft Beers, named after horror writer H.P. Lovecraft and stocking over 300 labels across 20 taps. Heading inland, you'll pass the fish alley of the Kapani Market - the city's main trading hub since the 1400s. From there, you'll reach the Venizelou Metro Station, where the ancient Roman road Via Egnatia is preserved in a free underground archaeological display.
Check-in at The Rehab Pub, founded by a local rugby player who wanted a home for Thessaloniki's under-represented sports communities. Then, you'll learn how a Bavarian king's 1832 adoption of the German Purity Law still shapes - and constrains - Greek brewing today. The tour ends at Mavili Square and Utopia Taproom, a spot whose name carries weight: in the 1930s, the square became the site of a bloody crackdown on striking tobacco workers, and the building behind the bar was once a warehouse where protesters hid from police. Utopia was among the first businesses to bet on the square's revival.
On this tour, you'll have a chance to:
- Learn how a catastrophic 1917 fire led French architect Ernest Hébrard to create one of the iconic landmarks of the city
- Try one of 300+ craft beer labels at LoveCraft Beers, named after horror writer H.P. Lovecraft *•Visit the Venizelou metro station's free underground archaeological display of the ancient Via Egnatia
- See jerseys and scarves sent by ReHaB visitors from Canada and Finland, moved by the pub's origin story
- Stand at the hidden Mavili Square and uncover its heavy, rebellious labor history
- Try a beer brewed by Utopia Taproom, one of four or five house creations on their 12-tap list
Raise a glass to the brewers, the rebels, and the storytellers keeping Thessaloniki's craft beer resistance alive - allow 30 minutes for the walk, longer if you're doing it properly.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
BrewVentures Beer Experiences is an independent beer promotion and culture company based in Thessaloniki. While we don’t claim to be the ultimate experts on traditional Greek archaeology, ancient museums, or local wine, we are the absolute authority when the subject is CRAFT BEER.
People from all over the world visit Greece for its marvelous beaches, historic landmarks, and idyllic landscapes. However, most travelers and beer enthusiasts leave without ever discovering the incredible local, independent brewing scene. BrewVentures was founded specifically to fill this gap.
The face behind BrewVentures is Diego Borges! He is not only a homebrewer, but also a recognized BJCP Beer Judge, and holder of a WSET Level 2 Award in Beer (passed with distinction), Diego combines technical expertise with a massive passion for local beer culture.
Our mission is to democratize craft beer consumption. We don’t just help you find and taste exceptional, high-quality local brews; we tell you the stories behind local bars and brands to make you feel like one of us.
Join us to explore Thessaloniki through a different kind of glass and support the local beer resistance!
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 5
LoveCraft Beers
But wait, stop outside; do not enter yet.
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As I mentioned, they were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, a great horror and science fiction writer.
When thinking about a mascot, they were inspired by one of the wri...
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Statue of Aristotle
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Kapani Market
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Agora Modiano
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Venizelou
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Ottoman Pazar Hamam (Yahudi Hamam)
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Eleftherios Venizelos Statue
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationAristotelous Sq, Thessaloniki 546 24, Greece
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Total distance1km
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Final locationGladstonos 11, Thessaloniki 546 30, Greece
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Distance back to start location979.55m
Directions to Starting Point
The tour begins at the Aristotelus Square, impossible to miss!
If you start closer to the Aristotelus Statue, you will be already on the righ-hand side of the sidewalk (when looking inland), as the tour indicates.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Kapani market is definetely worth it a stop.
While we recommend the tour to be done in the late afternoon, early evening, Kapani market is better to be seen during the morning. That's why we don't stop here during the tour.
But we definetely recommend you to explore it during the morning, specially the Mediterranean Gold shop (olives and olive oil).
In the surroundings, we can also recommend having breakfast at Serraikón for authentic Bougatsa.
Best time of day
Best time to this tour is after 17h (5pm).
That's because two of the bars we will be visiting only open late evening.
If you are not interested in the beers, the tour can be done anytime, during the whole year.
Precautions
Sunblocks, hats and/or umbrellas are always good in the Greek summer. But, as the city is full of buildings, it's not difficult to find some shade.
During winter, minimum temperatures can reach 2ºC to 5ºC. When closer to the seafront the sensation can be lower because of the breeze.
It's always good to have with you a bottle of water. But, if you will be stopping at the beer places, they can supply you with tap water at no cost.
Be aware of public demonstrations.
If you're doing the tour in the day of a demonstrations, the city center can be very cahotic.
For your own safety, it's better to not do the tour on day of demonstrations.
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