Shown here, and also from Derveni, is a detail of the so-called Derveni Krater, one of the most precious metal vessels from all of ancient Greece. From the 'Gold of Macedon' exhibit itself, we have posted a wreath from Pydna here many years ago, and likewise a game-board from Derveni. The earlier finds are reminiscent of the Archontiko material at Pella, which I described here in 2020. The central galleries are devoted more or less entirely to 'the Gold of Macedon', the treasures found in high-status cemeteries around the region.

Our picture shows a detail of one of the most remarkable things we saw in the Archaeological Museum.

The day concluded with a final dinner - much praised by our guests, as were all the meals we served! It was Galerius, co-opted as Caesar by Diocletian, and it lasted only from about AD 305 to 311. At this point, you can probably guess who chose the city as his capital. We started by visiting the city's two most famous museums: the superb Museum of Byzantine Culture (we have written about it before) and the Archaeological Museum, a fitting visit for the last active day on 'Exploring Macedonia', as it contains finds and treasures from many of the sites and areas we saw on our tour.Īfter lunch, we visited the triad of monuments from the brief era when Thessaloniki was the de facto capital of the Eastern Roman Empire: the Palace of Galerius, the Arch of Galerius and the Rotonda, initially planned as the Mausoleum of Galerius. It was another spectacular day, devoted entirely to the enchanting and vibrant city of Thessaloniki. How is this possible? Day 11 already? Where has all the time gone? Today was the last day of touring on 'Exploring Macedonia'. Rather than describing every day in detail (you can check our itineraries on for that), every day we will pick one image we took that day, accompanied by some explanations and thoughts. On this occasion, to give an impression of the experience, we are providing a kind of travel diary on our blog, following precedents from Greece, Ireland and Turkey. ' Exploring Macedonia' is our first new itinerary in Greece since 2018.

Download free the derveni krater