After three years at the top Rene Redzepi's Noma falls a place and three Spanish restaurants make the top 10

The results were leaked, Noma was no longer at the top. But no one was unduly concerned.

These things are bound to happen -- the 11th World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards show went on.

What started out as a feature in the UK-based Restaurant magazine is now the most revered and sought after accolade in the business. As Richard Vines, UK and Ireland chair of the awards and chief food critic at Bloomberg, says, “It's the restaurant industry's equivalent of the Oscars.”

Its influence can be summed up by Noma chef Rene Redzepi's tweet before the awards last year: “1,204 people on the waiting list for this evening. Same day in 2008 -- 14 guests in all day.”

And let’s hope Redzepi made the most of his past three years on top -- his Noma restaurant has been knocked down a peg to second spot by Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, last year’s second-placed restaurant.

"We don’t know if we are the best restaurant but you can be sure that we will continue to work with authenticity, generosity, hospitality and of course creativity," said Joan Roca, chef at El Celler de Can Roca, during his acceptance speech.

Spain took two other spots in the top 10, Mugaritz (4th) and Arzak (8th) completing the hat trick.

Perhaps it's appropriate that Spain was so roundly honored this year. Modern Spanish cuisine is arguably the hottest thing at the world's dinner tables these days. See our recent article: Spanish cuisine: Best food in the world right now?

That Latino influence will be explored further, when Restaurant magazine launches its South America's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, following the launch of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in February this year.

Here are this year's winners.

In Iceland's Thingvellir national park, a wooden bridge covers a crack in the paved road leading to the site where the world's oldest parliament was founded in 930.

ut the bridge is considerably younger, only dating back to last summer. It was built after a few hundred metres (yards) of tarmac road almost collapsed, buckling under a steadily growing stream of visitors.

A hole in the ground revealed that the road was merely built on layers of sand that could have collapsed at any moment. The discovery averted a tragedy at this UNESCO World Heritage site 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Reykjavik, but illustrates the challenges faced by Iceland's hugely successful tourism sector.

The North Atlantic island, known for its rugged beauty, has seen a rapidly growing influx of tourists in recent years. Last year, they numbered 672,000, or 19 percent more than the previous year, and twice as many as in 2003.

"It's a challenge to have 20-percent growth each year. Every industry would be challenged to experience such a development," said the director general of the Icelandic Tourist Board, Oloef Yrr Atladottir.

Singer Bjork's success in the 1990s, the banking crisis of 2008 and the eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in 2010 are all events that -- for good or bad -- have boosted the country's profile abroad.

Attractions range from the azure waters of the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to lesser-known yet spectacular sites like the heart of the dormant Thrihnukagigur volcano.

"We came to Iceland to see what this country is really like. To see something different: geysers, lava fields, hot springs," said British tourist Leon Jones, 37.

Once the preserve of wealthy travellers looking for a quiet retreat, the country has become a significantly more affordable destination after the collapse of the Icelandic krona, which has never recovered after losing 47 percent of its value against the euro in 2008.

But some are starting to ask how many tourists the tiny nation can handle.

"Since 2011 we've been focusing our marketing campaigns on the off-season period," said Atladottir. Those efforts have pushed the ratio of visitors who arrive in summer to below 50 percent.

"Now we have to define where we want tourism to grow.... During the high season, there are certain areas that cannot bear many more tourists," she added.

But David Samuelsson, chief executive of Visit South Iceland, says he believes the country could do even better when it comes to catering to visitors looking to go off the beaten track, and is calling for the tourist trade to become more local.

"The two main reasons why people come to Iceland are one, nature, and two, nature. So we're trying to convince them to come closer to this nature as soon as they arrive, which for example some farmers offer," he said.

Although the country has seen a tourism boom, it has also invested a lot in the sector, he added.

"Yes, business has been very good. But a lot had been invested. Icelanders took foreign loans before the crisis. They had to succeed," he said.

Tourism has also become a crucial source of foreign currency after Iceland imposed capital controls in the wake of the 2008 crisis.

Consequently, even as it suffered through its worst recession since independence from Denmark, Reykjavik's leisure and hospitality sector thrived.

Growth came across the board, whether in luxury hotels or youth hostels, family-run businesses offering glacier tours, or large companies chartering boats for whale watching.

The most eye-catching project was arguably that of Chinese real estate developer Huang Nubo, who wanted to buy a large swath of Icelandic wilderness in the country's northeast to build a resort and create Europe's largest nature reserve.

However, the government vetoed the project in 2011 amid concerns over the amount of land involved.

The leftist coalition that ruled the country for the past four years -- which was voted out of office in elections Saturday -- is unlikely to be missed by the sector, Samuelsson said.

"It didn't make things easier (for us) with its tax policy," he said.

The hugely ambitious and well-connected director of Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre will on Thursday oversee the opening of a controversial new ballet and opera house, one of the biggest cultural projects in post-Soviet Russian history.

The new "Mariinsky-2" theatre will open with a gala on Thursday night conducted by director Valery Gergiev with great performers from across the world and expected to be attended by President Vladimir Putin.

The new theatre lies just behind the historic Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, which was founded in the 18th century and was the birthplace of the great ballets of Tchaikovsky like "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake".

"Russia has built a new theatre and this is just as much a huge event for the country as the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi (in 2014)," Gergiev, who turns 60 on Thursday, said in an interview with government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

After years of false starts, the new theatre has taken years to build and some have already criticised its cuboid-shaped design as a blot on the historic city's landscape.

The architectural competition was first launched in 2003 and the project, designed by Canadian firm Diamond and Schmitt Associates, has a total price tag of 21.6 billion rubles ($700 million, 500 million euros).

The initial design chosen in the competition -- a much more daring project by French architect Dominique Perrault -- was rejected in 2007 by the Russian authorities, who raised doubts on the stability of the future building.

But several prominent Saint Petersburgers -- including the director of the Hermitage art museum, Mikhail Piotrovsky, and prize-winning filmmaker Alexander Sokurov -- have queued up to denounce the new theatre's design.

Gergiev however said that the theatre should be judged on its acoustic qualities above all and lashed out at the "self-promotion" of its critics.

The theatre is the centrepiece of Gergiev's vision of making Saint Petersburg an international capital for music, which has already seen the creation of a brand new Mariinsky concert hall nearby.

Gergiev, currently also chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, openly acknowledges that none of the plans would have been possible without the support of strongman Putin, whom he has publicly backed for restoring stability in Russia.

While rarely showing a personal interest in high culture, Putin clearly recognises its value as a calling card for Russia.

"If the president had objected, it would have been hard for us to talk about boosting the facilities of the theatre," Gergiev said.

The maestro appeared in videos ahead of 2012 presidential elections explaining why he would vote for Putin in his ultimately successful race to win a highly controversial and unprecedented third Kremlin term.

A pillar of Russian musical life for almost three decades, Gergiev conducted his first opera at the Mariinsky in 1978, when it still went by its Soviet name of the Kirov, in honour of the city's former party boss.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the theatre regained its former name "Mariinsky", an adjective formed from the name of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Tsar Alexander II.

Gergiev devoted enormous energy to international fundraising and raising artistic standards.

The theatre rapidly, in the eyes of most critics, surpassed the artistic standards of the Moscow Bolshoi in opera and ballet, regaining its imperial-era supremacy in Russian cultural life.

Performers at the gala will include the great Spanish tenor Placido Domingo and the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, whose early career at the Mariinsky catapulted her to international stardom.

Among the ballet dancers performing will be the supreme Russian ballerina of modern times, Ulyana Lopatkina, and the much-admired Diana Vishneva, in a gala that the theatre clearly hopes will outdo the reopening of Moscow's Bolshoi in October 2011 after a major refit.

The event, which is being broadcast live on Russian state television, will begin at 1600 GMT and kick off a glittering array of events later in the week.

Merchants at Florence's San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale sell the best of the region’s meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables and oils.

Florence’s magnificent museums offer plenty of food for the soul. But battling through the crowds to see the city’s artistic treasures is not something to tackle on an empty stomach. Thankfully, from market food to Michelin-star restaurants, Florence is full of delicious eateries for every budget.

• Related article: Florence’s fading artisan culture

First, forgo the breakfast buffet and instead have an espresso at the bar. This northern Italian city has no shortage of cafes where you can soak up the atmosphere and fuel up on caffeine, but one of the most popular and authentic is Gilli in the Piazza della Repubblica, where you can sip your coffee underneath chandeliers and frescoes. Just remember: never sit down (it will cost more), pay for your coffee separately (then hand the receipt to the barista) and never have a cappuccino past 11 am (it is just not the way things are done).

Once you get a hunger, those hankering for an affordable taste of authentic local cuisine should head to the Piazza del Mercato Centrale, where merchants at the San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale sell the best of the region’s meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables and oils at reasonable prices from Monday to Saturday. Tucked in the far corner of the market isDa Nerbone, which offers one of the most inexpensive Tuscan meals you can have – a glass of chianti and a bowl of risotto will cost less than five euros. Their boiled beef sandwiches served on crusty rolls are popular with the hordes of international art students, but you are also likely to rub elbows with locals at one of the communal tables.

Another affordable place to grab a quick bite is La Boulangerie Il Rifrullo, a panini and espresso bar just a short walk from the Duomo that serves hearty salads for less than 10 euros. A slightly more expensive option isIno, located just around the corner from the Uffizi gallery. Smelling of truffles, the sandwich shop offers gourmet paninis made with locally-sourced Tuscan ingredients. 

Of course, one of the greatest indulgences in Florence – especially as the weather gets warmer – is its abundance of gelatarias serving cups and cones of mouth-watering gelato. There is always a queue outside the well-known Italian chain GROM, but a less commercial option is Perche No!, a 70-year-old artisanal gelato shop located between the Duomo and the Piazza Dell Signoria. The seasonal flavours include lavender, rose and fresh mint alongside the Italian favourites of pistachio and stracciatella (the Italian version of chocolate chip). The best part? You can add a scoop of tiramisu to your gelato cup.

Come late afternoon, apertivo time begins. A great Italian tradition (and standard at most bars), the apertivo happy hour involves paying a slightly elevated price for your drink in exchange for a heaving buffet of chips, panini, pasta, snacks, olives and salad – almost negating the need to have dinner at all. Rifrulo, with two locations in Baretto or La Boulangerie, is a popular option for its generous offerings in a garden setting.

But if the apertivo does not fill you up, head over the Arno River to the Oltrarno. Traditionally a working class district, today students and young people can often be found consuming take away from Gusta Pizza on the steps of the church in the Piazza Santo Spirito. For something more sophisticated, Zoe, located along the marked path to the Piazza Michelangelo, serves modern Italian fare including fresh salads, Italian-style hamburgers and grilled vegetables to a local crowd.

For a proper Florentine steak, try All’antico Ristoro Di’Cambi in the San Frediano neighbourhood. An old wine shop, it also offers traditional dishes such as lambredotto (cow’s stomach) and tripe. A short walk away in the same neighbourhood, Osteria Personale is one of the area’s hottest new openings. Here, the chef serves up modern Italian cuisine, such as raw squid ribbons with chickpea cream flavoured with sage. And following in the tradition of Tuscan cuisine, there is no pasta on the menu.

Back over the river and with three Michelin stars, Enoteca Capinchiorri is considered one of the best in Florence for modern Italian cuisine – but book ahead. Dishes include short paccheri pasta with chick peas, red shrimp and cardamom powder, alongside signature dishes like grilled, marinated partridge with cabbage, celeriac and herbs.

During the summer months, head to one of the city’s rooftop bars to drink in the view. Dress up for the Sky Lounge bar, which perches on the roof of the medieval Consorti Tower, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio to the Tuscan hills. The newly opened, glass-enclosed top-floor Se.Sto lounge bar and restaurant at the Westin Excelsior hotel sits right on the Arno River. With two outdoor terraces, it is the perfect option for a high-end night out.  

Take a wine-tasting tour at Gundlach-Bundshu, one of Sonoma Valley’s oldest wineries

Savour a hearty Cab Sav or a Chardonnay while you picnic on a sun-dappled hillside or inside a designer tasting room – Napa and Sonoma wine country produces some of the world’s finest vintages.

Sonoma ValleySonoma’s family-owned Kaz is all about blends: whatever’s in the organic vineyards goes into the wine, and they’re blended at crush (harvest). Kids can sample grape juice in the playground while you pop your favourite LPs on the turntable and relax. Bottles from £15 (233 Adobe Canyon Road; 11am– 5pm Fri–Mon, by appointment Tue–Thu; tastings £3).

• Related article: California's other wine countries

One of Sonoma Valley’s oldest and prettiest, Gundlach-Bundschu looks like a storybook castle. Founded in 1858 by Bavarian immigrant Jacob Gundlach, it’s now at the cutting edge of sustainability. Cave tours are available by reservation (£13). It’s a good bike-to winery, with picnicking, hiking and a small lake. Bottles cost from £14 (2000 Denmark Street, 11am–4.30pm, Fri–Sun May–Oct; tastings £6).

The name, Little Vineyards, fits at this family owned small-scale winery, big on atmosphere, with a weathered tasting bar and a lazy dog to greet you. If you are new to wine, consider the introductory class (£16; call ahead). There’s good picnicking on the terrace with views of the vineyard that grows big reds such as Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Cab. Bottles cost from £13 (15188 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen; 11am–4.30pm Thu–Mon; tastings £6).

Napa ValleyBegin or end the day with a glass of bubbly or Pinot at Artesa Winery, southwest of Napa. Built into a mountainside, the ultra-modern, Barcelona style is designed to blend into the landscape. You can’t beat the vistas over San Pablo Bay from the terrace. Free tours leave at 11am and 2pm. Bottles cost from £13 (1345 Henry Road; 10am–5pm; tastings from £6).

Meandering paths wind through gardens and fruit-bearing orchards surrounding an 1884 barn and farmstead with cats and chickens atFrog’s Leap. It’s the vibe that’s wonderful: down-to-earth with an emphasis on fun. Sauvignon Blanc is its best-known wine, but the Merlot merits attention. There’s also a dry, restrained Cabernet, atypical in Napa. All are organic. Bottles cost from £13 (8815 Conn Creek Road; 10am– 4pm; tours and tastings £13).

High atop Spring Mountain, cult favourite Pride Mountain straddles the Napa-Sonoma border and bottles vintages under both appellations. The well-structured Cab Sav and heavy-hitting Merlot are the best-known wines, but there’s also elegant Viognier and standout Cab Franc. Bottles from £37 (4026 Spring Mountain Road; tour at 10am, tastings 10.30am–3.45pm, closed Tue; tasting £6).

Russian RiverHartford Family Winery sits in a pastoral valley surrounded by redwood-forested hills, on one of the area’s prettiest roads. It specialises in single-vineyard Pinot, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, some from old-vine fruit. Umbrella-shaded picnic tables dot the garden. Bottles from £25 (8075 Martinelli Road, Forestville; 10am–4.30pm; tastings from £10).

Inside a vintage 1920s garage, the tasting bar of Porter Creek, a father-and- son enterprise, is a former bowling-alley lane, plunked atop barrels. High-acid, food-friendly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are specialities, but there’s silky Zinfandel and other Burgundianand Rhône-style wines too. Bottles from £15 (8735 Westside Rd, Healdsburg; daily 10.30am– 4.30pm; tastings £6).

At Preston Vineyards, weathered picket fencing frames the farmhouse-turned-tasting room, with candy-coloured walls setting a country mood. The signature is citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, but try the Rhône varietals and small-lot wines: Mourvèdre, Viognier, Cinsault and Barbera. Bottles of wine from £15. Homemade bread and olive oil is also on offer (9282 West Dry Creek Rd; 11am–4.30pm; tasting £6).

TransportBA, Virgin and United all fly direct to San Francisco from London Heathrow, while numerous airlines fly with one stop from other major UK cities (from £635). The valleys are 90 minutes’ drive from San Francisco. You’ll need a car for vineyard hopping, or stick to downtown Napa or downtown Sonoma, where you can rent bikes (from £25 per day; sonoma cyclery.com from £16 per day).

Where to stayA 10-minute drive from downtown Calistoga, Mountain Home Ranch is a 340-acre homestead ranch doubling as a retreat. Choose from simple lodge rooms, rustic cabins and cottages. With miles of woodland trails, a hilltop pool, private lake with canoeing and fishing, and a hike to warm springs, there’s lots to keep you busy (3400 Mountain Home Ranch Road; from £45).

Surrounded by horse pastures, Beltane Ranch is a 19th-century throwback. The cheerful 1892 ranch house occupies 100 acres and has double porches lined with swinging chairs and white wicker (11775 Sonoma Highway; from £95).

Carneros Inn’s 86 retro, smalltown themed semi-detached cottages are decked out with cherrywood flooring, heatedslate bathroom floors, giant tubs and indoor-outdoor showers (

Tourism boards and travel writers often connect at industry events, such as ITB Berlin

Do free press trips allow for greater access, or biased coverage?

That’s the question causing conflict and contention in the travel community, sparked by an early April BBC Fast Track report on the ethics and growing popularity of travel blogging and junketism – the practice of tourism boards providing free or subsidised trips to travel writers in exchange for publicity.

The debate ballooned in online forums and social media, with aboutseven in 10 respondents on BBC World News’ Facebook page asserting travel bloggers cannot provide balanced views when they enjoy free travel. “General rule of thumb, we are more demanding when we pay for something, hence more critical/appreciative. Freebies change that for sure,” wrote World News Facebook fan Savitha Peri.

A discussion on the LinkedIn Travel Editors and Freelance Journalists board saw some writers rushing to their own defence, with travel writer Janet Groene pointing out that magazine and newspaper staffers have expense accounts and are on salary wherever they go. Bloggers, even those on junkets she said, often pay for trips in time, attention and extra expenses like airport shuttle/parking, meals en route and special clothing and equipment. “Their trips may be dictated by the advertising department,” wrote Groene about traditional media. “Mine are chosen because I expect to get great stories.”

And while the debate over junkets rages in the virtual world, the practice does, in fact, have a history of official regulation. In October 2009 the US Federal Trade Commission announced regulations requiring writers and bloggers to disclose to their readers any “material connections” with providers of goods and services they endorse. The US-based Society of Professional Journalists goes a step further, recommending journalists “refuse gifts, favours, fees, free travel and special treatment [that] compromise[s] journalistic integrity”. On the blogger front, some have proposed a travel bloggers pledge – a set of self-made oaths by which bloggers would promise to disclose all freebies or payments received in return for reviews; express honest opinions about experiences and products; and clearly label advertorial content as such.

We’ve taken the debate to travel publications and organisations themselves, asking them about their policies with regards to press trips. While some, such as Gadling, Conde Nast Traveler and Afar, could not be reached for comment and have no published stance on the issue, the results reveal that a wide variety of traditional media and travel organisations do not accept free press trips in order to guard against a perceived conflict of interest – but those that do cite access as a top reason to allow the practice and put rules in place to prevent undeserved promotion.

New York Times
According to the New York Times ethics handbook, “no writer or editor for the Travel section, whether on assignment or not, may accept free or discounted services of any sort from any element of the travel industry.” 

The rules are in place “to guard against conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflict”, said Danielle Rhoades Ha, director of communications.

Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet guidebook authors are not allowed to accept free press trips, junkets, accommodation or meals, regardless of coverage. According to Rana Freedman, senior manager consumer marketing and communications for Lonely Planet Americas, however, there may be exceptions in rare circumstances, such as when it is the only possible way to research a destination.

“Reader trust is core to our brand. Travellers know they can trust our information because it is independently researched and reviewed,” Freedman said. “[The policies] protect the integrity of our content and ensure [guidebook authors] can conduct their research free of any agenda or influence that could come with a press-trip itinerary”.

In 2008, Lonely Planet came under scrutiny when Thomas Kohnstamm, a former Lonely Planet guidebook writer, released the memoir Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?, claiming to have accepted freebies due to lack of time and money, which compromised his recommendations. According to Stephen Palmer, guidebook publisher at Lonely Planet, “At the end of the day this is a matter of trust. Unfortunately, Thomas Kohnstamm’s activities were not consistent with our policies or that relationship based on trust.”

Budget Travel
The budget-focused magazine allows writers to go on press trips.

“I’m going to break with industry orthodoxy a bit and say that on rare occasions, [a free press trip] just might allow us to send a reporter to a location that our budget might not normally allow and deliver great service to readers,” said Robert Firpo-Cappiello, Budget Travel executive editor. “But we would consider a press trip only if we make it absolutely clear to the trip sponsor right up front that we are not guaranteeing coverage or a positive review… [and] Budget Travel will never let our readers down by endorsing a destination in exchange for a junket.”

Fodor‘s
The guidebook company works with tourism boards around the world and does accept press trips.

Press trips allow Fodor’s editors and select senior writers to have “firsthand access to and experience in locations” to offer readers “a broad overview of a destination”, said Katherine Fleming, a senior publicist with Random House Digital Publishing.

Frommer’s
The guidebook company could not be reached for comment. However, itseditorial policy online does not forbid their use, but states that “the airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, consolidators, national tourist boards and other travel firms mentioned in our Frommers.com Newsletter and our popular Frommer's Travel Guides series have not paid a single penny for such mention. All establishment listings and reviews in Frommer's Guidebooks and online at Frommers.com are based on our author's individual experiences…”

BBC Travel
BBC Travel does not allow press trips unless it is the only opportunity for press to be a part of something before the public launch, or the story is editorially justified and would be financially unattainable otherwise. According to the BBC’s editorial guidelines, any proposal to accept such a trip will be referred to a senior editorial figure who will ensure the acceptance of such facilities do not compromise the BBC's reputation. In the event that a travel provider does facilitate a trip, information will be provided for a range of suppliers and not just those who provided assistance.

“It’s very rare that a story is so expensive that we wouldn’t cover the cost,” said Allison Busacca, editor of BBC Travel. “However, when BBC Travel contributors have participated in a press trip, we have made it clear to both the writer and the company that there is no promise of positive coverage or promotion.”

BBC’s Fast Track
Fast Track does not permit its reporters or crews to take free press trips organised by tourist boards, airlines or tour operators.  

“To ensure editorial independence and comply with BBC guidelines, we always pay our own way or make a substantial contribution towards costs where the actual value or cost of an experience is hard to exactly quantify”, said Mike London, editor at BBC’s Fast Track program.

Huffington Post
Huffington Post staff are not allowed to accept free press trips. Bloggers who aren't staff journalists but post on the organisation’s blog platform are also not allowed to use their affiliation with Huffington Post to obtain free press trips, and the site’s editors decline submissions related to junkets.

“Readers should expect that our pieces aren't influenced by outside sources and that information we provide is based on the same conditions that any traveller might expect,” said Adam Rose, a standards editor at Huffington Post.

Travel + Leisure
While on assignment, Travel + Leisure editors, writers and photographers travel incognito whenever possible and do not take press trips or accept free travel of any kind, said editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod.

“We need to be – and are –a reliable and trusted source for our readers,” Novogrod said. “There can be no question about the reason for our coverage of a destination, other than our dedication to providing our readers with the best travel advice and insights possible.”

National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler could not be reached for comment, however according to its writer’s guidelines, the magazine does “not accept proposals about trips that are subsidized in any way”.

CNN Travel
According to Matt Dornic, senior director of public relations for CNN Worldwide, the network’s policies do not allow staff reporters to take free trips to cover travel, leisure or entertainment. He could not comment on the policy for freelancers.

Archaeologists in Greece's northern metropolis Thessaloniki were already overjoyed in 2006 when a 2,300-year-old avenue was found during construction work on the city's new underground rail network.

But a decision to keep in situ the superbly preserved ancient neighbourhood described as "Thessaloniki's Pompeii" has been hailed as a major win for preservationists in the cash-strapped country that has been forced to make unprecedented cuts to cultural spending.

"This is a great victory," says Aristotelis Mentzos, a professor of Byzantine Archaeology at the city's Aristotelio University.

"Such finds exist in other Roman cities but what they lack is duration of continuous use," which in the case of Thessaloniki was unbroken for seven centuries, Mentzos told AFP.

The rescue excavation has unearthed significant evidence of the city's urban life between the fourth and nine centuries AD, five metres beneath the city's modern highway.

In addition to a 76-metre (83-yard) stretch of marble avenue (decumanus) originally paved in the third century BC that led to the harbour, there is a monumental Roman-style gate and the remains of public buildings, offering a rare glimpse into social, commercial and daily life during the early Byzantine Empire.

"This was a central crossroads where the city's central market and public buildings were located," said Despoina Koutsoumba, head of the association of Greek archaeologists.

"The area has retained the same character today, it remains the heart of the city's society," she said.

Several contemporary texts from lay and ecclesiastical authors specifically refer to this ancient avenue, known at the time as Thessaloniki's 'Middle road'.

Bustling with merchants and travellers by day, by night it was given to religious processions of holy icons and relics, a common practise during the Byzantine era.

To the archaeologists' shock, the state company overseeing the underground rail construction demanded that the avenue and buildings be uprooted and relocated, deeming their preservation "technically unfeasible."

"Can you imagine moving the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben from their original place?" the archaeologists said in a petition signed by over 12,000 people, including many prominent academics.

With the help of the city's local council and the university, which put forward alternative technical studies, the rail company backed down.

The current plan envisages retaining up to 84 percent of the finds in place, where a rail station is to be built.

Working ahead of the rail construction drills, archaeologists have recovered over 100,000 objects in the area, including over 50,000 coins.

Vessels, lamps, vials and jewels of various types have also been found -- in keeping with the area's trading character -- in addition to 2,500 graves of Hellenistic and Roman times.

A key Balkan port fought over by Greeks, Romans, Slavs and Turks for centuries, Thessaloniki was founded in the fourth century BC by king Cassander of Macedon, who named the city after his wife, the sister of Alexander the Great.

It was later home to a prosperous Jewish community that was eradicated during Greece's occupation by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

The city's metro was originally budgeted at over a billion euros ($1.3 billion) for a 9.6-kilometre (5.9-mile), 13-station network with completion forecast in 2012.

It is now slated to be operational in 2016.

There are plans to expand the network to 35 kilometres and 35 stations overall, accessing the city's suburbs and airport in 2020 at a cost of 4 billion euros.