Northern Greece/2

This thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt's Northern Greece guidebook, written by Greece expert and long-time travel writer Dana Facaros, remains the only guide available to a region that includes Épirus, Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace - complete with their five dramatically beautiful national parks, the country's highest peaks, mountain lakes, rushing rivers, the world's deepest gorge and (this is Greece, after all) long sandy beaches. Northern Greece is an up-and-coming, year-round destination that provides the more natural, authentic experience that many travellers seek from this increasingly popular country. Thessaloníki, the country's vibrant second city, is packed with ancient and Byzantine monuments. Three-pronged Chalkidikí has two peninsulas lined with hedonistic beaches and resorts, while the third comprises silent, holy Mount Athos. Central Macedonia is Alexander the Great country, offering ample archaeological sites, Mount Olympus and Greece's top vineyards. The handsome port city of Kavála lies near the beach-fringed island of Thássos and ancient Philippi, visited by St Paul. To the east, multi-ethnic Thrace has traditional towns, spectacular birdwatching and the island of ancient mysteries, Samothráki. Western Macedonia, meanwhile, is full of surprises: charming small cities nobody has heard of, such as Édessa, Véria, Kastoriá and Flórina, which neighbours the haunting Prespa lakes. Further west, northern Épirus is home to the breathtaking Víkos Gorge and the Zagorachória's enchanting stone villages. Beaches dot the coast, if you can drag yourself away from ancient Roman Nikopolis, Dodona or the Necromanteion, where the living consulted the dead. Fringing Thessaly's great agricultural plain are the Metéora's pinnacle-topped monasteries and beautiful Lake Plastíra. In Magnesía, Vólos provides the gateway to the Pélion Peninsula and the islands of Skiáthos, Skópelos and Alónissos. This new edition of Bradt's Northern Greece serves as an ideal travelling companion for visitors of all ages, budgets and interests, from culture lovers to wildlife enthusiasts, history buffs to archaeologists, foodies to wine connoisseurs, mountain climbers to sea kayakers - not to mention those who simply want to relax on a sandy beach before dancing the night away.