The fully updated second edition of the Northern Greece guide by Bradt, written by the Greece expert and long-time travel journalist Nana Fakaros, remains the only available guide for a region that includes Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia, and Thrace – featuring five dramatically beautiful national parks, the country's highest peaks, mountain lakes, rushing rivers, the world's deepest gorge, and (after all, it's Greece) vast sandy beaches.

Northern Greece is an emerging year-round destination offering the most natural, authentic experience many travelers seek in this constantly popular country. Thessaloniki, the lively second city of Greece, is filled with ancient and Byzantine monuments. The tripartite Chalkidiki features two peninsulas with seaside resorts, while the third hosts Mount Athos. Central Macedonia is the land of Alexander the Great, offering abundant archaeological sites, Mount Olympus, and Greece’s best vineyards.

The beautiful Kavala lagoon lies near the island of Thasos and ancient Philippi, visited by Apostle Paul. To the east, multicultural Thrace boasts traditional towns, spectacular birdwatching, and the island of ancient mysteries, Samothrace. Western Macedonia is full of surprises: charming small towns like Edessa, Veria, Kastoria, and Florina, bordering the misty Prespa Lakes. Further west, northern Epirus hosts the scenic Vikos Gorge and the enchanting stone villages of Zagori.

Sandy beaches line the coast, though it's hard to stray far from ancient Roman Nicopolis, Dodona, or the Necromanteion, where the living consulted the dead. In Thessaly, the imposing monasteries of Meteora and beautiful Lake Plastira offer stunning scenery. In Magnesia, Volos serves as the gateway to the Pelion Peninsula and the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos.

This new edition of Bradt's Northern Greece is an ideal travel companion for visitors of all ages, budgets, and interests, from lovers of culture to enthusiastic nature lovers, from history buffs to archaeologists, from foodies to wine enthusiasts, from hikers to sea kayakers – and of course, those simply wanting to relax on a sandy beach before dancing into the early morning.