The Serbian military cemetery at Zejtinlik is located in Thessaloniki. Within the cemetery, there are graves of Serbian, French, Italian, English, and Russian soldiers who died in battles and breakthroughs of the Thessaloniki Front.
How to reach the Serbian military cemetery - Zejtinlik?
The address of Zejtinlik is: Bulevar Mikis Theodorakis 136.
Note: The boulevard is still called Lagkada (old name), so don’t let that confuse you.
Visiting hours at Zejtinlik
You can visit the military cemetery every day from 08:00 to 17:00.
- During the summer of 2026, Divine Liturgy at Zejtinlik will be held every Friday, starting at 08:00.
1. How to get there from the direction of Evzonoi?
If you plan to visit Zejtinlik as soon as you enter Greece, before continuing to your resort, this is actually the easiest option as the road naturally leads you right to the cemetery gate.
- From the highway to the bypass: Coming from the Evzoni border crossing on the E75 highway, just in front of Thessaloniki (near the Aksios junction), switch to the Egnatia Odos highway following signs for Kavala and Seres.
- Exit to the city: At the large interchange near the Titan Cement factory, your navigation will guide you to turn right to descend straight into Thessaloniki through the Nikopolis and Stavroupoli neighborhoods.
- Direction to the cemetery: This exit will lead you directly to Mikis Teodorakis Street (formerly Lagkada). Just drive straight downhill towards the city center, and the cemetery will soon appear on your right side.
Where to park from this direction? Coming from this northern side, there is parking in front of the French military cemetery (located immediately adjacent to our Serbian one). From there, walk through the inner gate to cross over to the Serbian part.
- IMPORTANT: In recent years, there have been many reports of cars being broken into at the parking lot, so we recommend parking a bit lower, at the My Market supermarket or in one of the side streets below the cemetery. From My Market, you have about 200m to the gates of Zejtinlik, but your car will be in a relatively safer place.
2. Driving from the center of Thessaloniki:
- Drive along the main street Egnatia to the end, namely to Vardaris Square.
- At the square, turn right onto Mikis Teodorakis Street (formerly Lagkada).
- Drive straight for about 1 km – the cemetery will be on your left side.
If you are coming from the center, it’s not easy to find parking, but it’s best to continue a bit further and venture into one of the side streets to look for a spot.
3. Taking a taxi to Zejtinlik
From the center of Thessaloniki, you can also take a taxi to Zejtinlik, and the fare is between 5 - 8€ one way. Note: Taxi drivers usually don’t know the name Zejtinlik, so it’s best to
- use the address Mikis Teodorakis 136 (or Lagkada) and
- mention the name Greeks use for this place: Συμμαχικά Νεκροταφεία (Simahika Nekrotafia).
4. Using public transportation from the center of Thessaloniki (Fastest option without worrying about parking)
If you don’t want to deal with traffic and car safety, the city bus is an excellent choice, and the bus stop is right next to the cemetery.
- Which line to take: Board the bus on line number 27.
- Where to wait for the bus: The stop is on the main street Egnatia (make sure to wait on the side where the buses go westbound / towards Vardaris Square).
- Where to get off: Ride to the stop called Simahika (Symaxika).
- For the return trip, the bus stop is right in front of the cemetery.
Why this is important: The word Simahika translates to “Allied Cemeteries”. The people of Thessaloniki call that whole area that way, so as soon as you hear the conductor or see that name on the bus screen, you know you’ve arrived right in front of the entrance to Zejtinlik.
The other option is bus number 83. Note: this is an express line and does not stop at the cemetery station but before, so you will have to walk one more stop. Get off at the Agia Paraskevi (Αγία Παρασκευή) stop.
5. Walking from Aristotle Square (in the heart of Thessaloniki)
If you enjoy walking and want to combine a city tour with a visit to Zejtinlik, you can also walk directly from the main Thessaloniki square, Aristotle Square, to the cemetery.
- Distance: About 2.2 km
- Walking time: Approximately 25–30 minutes of easy walking.
Here is the exact and simplified step-by-step route:
- Start from Aristotle Square moving uphill (away from the sea) through the pedestrian area until you reach a large intersection with the main street Egnatia.
- Turn left onto Egnatia Street and walk straight for about 500 meters (about 5–6 minutes on foot).
- Turn right onto Antigonidon Street (Αντιγονιδών) and walk straight for about 200 meters until you reach a roundabout.
- At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Papazoli Street (Παπάζολη).
- At the end of that street, turn left onto Agiou Dimitriou Street (Αγίου Δημητρίου), and then slightly right onto Agiou Nestoros Street (Αγίου Νέστορος).
- Follow this street straight for another 350 meters, and it will lead you directly to Bulevar Mikis Teodorakisa (formerly Lagkada).
- On your left side, you will see the gates and walls of Zejtinlik.
- Open the walking route on your phone.
If you are planning to visit Thessaloniki and would benefit from more information about this city, recommendations for places worth visiting, where to find good food, parking, and how to navigate the city, check out our Thessaloniki Guide.
What to know about the Serbian military cemetery - Zejtinlik?
The cemetery was built on the site of a Serbian army field hospital in 1916.
Zejtinlik got its name from the Turkish word zejtin, as in the Ottoman Empire era, there was an olive oil market (zejtina) in that area. After the war, it was decided to bury all fallen soldiers in a common cemetery, and Zejtinlik was chosen as the location, which was then a barren land. Today Thessaloniki has grown much larger, so the cemetery is now in the broader city center.
Preparations for the construction of the cemetery began in 1926, and Savo Mihailović was appointed to lead the effort. He and a group of comrades were tasked with collecting the remains of fallen soldiers scattered over a wide area where battles were fought.
They visited about 250 cemeteries, exhumed fallen soldiers, and transferred them to the new cemetery.
All construction materials were brought from Serbia, and Greece provided the land of about 7000m2 free of charge and exempted all materials from customs duties and taxes.
Around the Serbian cemetery, saplings of cypress trees from Hilandar were planted to stand eternal guard over the fallen fighters for freedom. Today, the cypress trees leave a lasting impression on visitors.
After its construction, the cemetery became a gathering place for surviving warriors and families of the fallen. Over the years, a sort of museum of objects, books, and relics brought by visitors was established within the cemetery.
During World War II, the guardian Ðuro Mihailović, son of the aforementioned Savo, managed to protect the cemetery from Nazi looting by burying valuable books and relics.
From the main entrance to the cemetery, a broad path leads to the ossuary above which a chapel was built, with its entrance on the other side. The interior of the chapel is adorned with inscriptions of all units and main battlefields.
Beneath the plateau where the chapel is located, there is a crypt. From the entrance, stairs descend to the central chamber from which side corridors branch out, with marble plaques of the fallen soldiers buried there on the walls. The funereal peace of the crypt is only occasionally disturbed by the sounds of the song Tamo Daleko (There, Far Away), which, according to Vojin Ðordević, “has found no more suitable place for this exile song of sorrow and longing than here in the ossuary at Zejtinlik.”
Until his death in 2023, the caretaker, host, and guide through the Serbian military cemetery was Ðorde Mihailovic, Ðuro’s son and Savo’s grandson. He lived with his wife in the caretaker’s lodge within the complex. In 2013, a documentary film titled “The Last Guardian” was made about him, and in 2014, he was awarded the Second Degree Order of the Serbian Flag.
The Serbian cemetery is the central part of the complex at Zejtinlik. The ossuary holds the remains of 5580 Serbian warriors who perished on the Thessaloniki Front. Around the mausoleum, there are 10 plots where another 1440 Serbian warriors are buried, as well as two common graves where 78 unknown Serbian warriors from the Thessaloniki Front and 217 unknown Serbian warriors transferred from Constantinople are buried.
Within the Serbian cemetery is also the so-called Partisan Cemetery, where 126 partisans who perished in Nazi camps in Thessaloniki during World War II are buried.
It’s interesting to note that the English cemetery is dominated by a memorial without a cross, typical of English cemeteries. The only cross is located on the gravestone of Katherine Harley, erected by Serbian officers in gratitude for all she did for the Serbian people during the war. She was the head of one of the English medical missions and died while providing aid during bombings.
On her grave, it is inscribed: “Katherine Marry Harley, born May 3, 1853, died in Bitola on March 7, 1917. To the victim of the world war, a noble Englishwoman, a great benefactor of the Serbian people.
“Great woman, On your grave instead of flowers Serbian gratitude will forever bloom. For your deeds and your name Generations far away will know.”
The Russian Cemetery is arranged within the Serbian partisan cemetery, and 493 soldiers, members of the Russian volunteer detachment who fought on the Thessaloniki Front, are buried there.
If you are visiting Greece, any part of it, be sure to visit the Serbian military cemetery in Thessaloniki. The best time to visit is in the morning. Many remember Grandpa Ðorđe and his explanations about the cemetery and graves, but most of all his recitation of the famous verses of Vojislav Ilić the Younger engraved on the chapel of the cemetery:
“Unknown stranger, when you happen to pass By this sacred common grave Know, here have found eternal refuge The greatest heroes of today.”
