190 miles north of Athens, Thessaloniki is Greece’s second-largest city and remains a major Mediterranean port handling around 17 million tonnes / €100 million of freight per year. Founded in 315 BCE, the Macedonian city consistently flourished as a vital hub under Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman rule. The city is surrounded by a series of hills to the north – within reach for trail runners and cyclists.

Though hotels On Residence and Monastery from Autograph offer more central locations for a stay in Thessaloniki, The Met Hotel’s economic pricing and convenient hourly shuttle make it an easy choice for boutique hoteliers visiting the city. Built in 2009 on the industrial side of Thessaloniki’s harbour district, The Met Hotel is a contemporary urban landmark designed by Zege Architects and now welcomed into The Design Hotels collection.

Its 212 bedrooms are spacious, clad around a central atrium that leads to a well serviced gym and spa area (from €20 per person per day).

Dining and coffee option aren’t glamorous at The Met – for dining get into Thessaloniki’s town centre. Coffee at Father Coffee & Vinyl. Evening cocktail at On Residence overlooking the waterfront. Dinner at Sintrofi for small plates.

Training Notes

Until the Athens Olympics and the construction of the 75,000-seater OAKA “Spyros Louis” stadium, Thessaloniki was home to the largest athletics track in Greece – a centre of gravity that should be more widely known by tourists passing through the city to get to the islands. With the Alexander the Great Marathon taking place towards the end of April with 5km and 10km, and late-September has a multi-day trail race – Thessaloniki Stage Run. A night Half Marathon takes place in October.

Local continuous runs are best on the harbour waterfront, or for trails on Seih Sou Forest (Google Maps). The formidable Kaftanzoglio Stadium is open to the public for, with a training track located adjacent. Access requires some administration:

1. Pay the €12 euros to the Kaftanzogli National Stadium, inserting your name as the Reference. IBAN of their Bank of Greece: GR 1501011210000000000026055. 2. When visiting, present to the guards a) the receipt of this deposit b) a signed declaration of safe use and finally c) a passport photograph of yourself.

Cards are valid from the 1st of each month until its expiration. i.e. It’s not possible to issue a card that will include part of two consecutive months, e.g. 12/11/2026 to 12/12/2026. Email info@kaftanzoglio.gr if any issues.

Opening hours are:

// Monday – Friday: 07:30 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 21:00
// Saturday: 08:30 – 14:00
// Sunday: closed

Nearby climbs excel for city access. Mount Chortiatis (The Classic) is the “home climb” for local cyclists – reach it through the suburb of Panorama or directly from town, then continue east upward toward the village of Chortiatis. The climb is 12km with an average gradient of 5–6% through dense forests until the telecommunications tower is reached when views span across the Thermaic Gulf and Mount Olympus. Strava segment for final 5km

The “Livadi” loop is a longer, more scenic ascent, passing by Mount Chortiatis to the mountain village of Livadi to the east. It offers a more “alpine” feel with less traffic than the main Chortiatis road – 700m of climbing in total.

Road bike rental can be found through ActionBike Club who rent road and gravel models. To book, email info@actionbikeclub.gr with dates, body height, preferred model. Road models are Specialized – Tarmac, Diverge – starting from €45 to €75 per day.

Thessaloniki National Swimming Pool is the swimming pool to aim for, in the same sports complex as the Kaftanzoglio Stadium (location on Google Maps). Poseidonio National Swimming Pool is further down the coast on the way to the airport. Unfortunately open water swimming isn’t allowed immediately from the harbour.

Booking at themethotel.gr

Review based on Room #527 in October 2025