Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos. From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.
When to Go
Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June - beaches and ancient sites are relatively uncrowded; public transport operates on close to full schedules; and accommodation is cheaper and easier to find than in the mid-June to end of August high season. Conditions are once more ideal from the end of August until mid-October, as the season winds down. Winter is pretty much a dead loss outside the major cities as most of the tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation from the middle of October till the beginning of April. This is slowly changing, however; on the most touristy islands, a few restaurants, hotels and bars remain open year-round, while the ski resorts on the mainland do thriving business.
Famous Tourist Attractions
Acropolis
Acropolis in Athens is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Greece. Acropolis is marvelous and splendid religious complex, which consists of many temples. They got built by the world's first democracy during the 5th century BC. Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Parthenon became the paragon of classical Greek architecture, and has suffered serious damage over the years. A small museum features an outstanding collection of ancient Greek sculptures.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
National Archaeological Museum of Athens i s one of the most important archaeological museums in Greece, which houses the collections of Prehistoric items, Sculpture, Pottery and Minor Art, Bronzes, and Egyptian Art. The construction of the museum is dated back to 1866 and completed in 1889 with the gradual addition of the west wing in 1874, of the north in 1881, of the south in 1885 and finally, of the east wing.
Athens Olympic Stadium
Athens Olympic Stadium is located in the outskirt of Maroussi, which is a popular tourist attraction in Greece. It was given a major facelift for the 2004 Athens Olympics Opening ceremony. The popularity of the stadium owes to the newly erected roof supported by two giant arcs with a span of over 300 meters. Football and Athletics are the two major sports played at this venue. Olympic Stadium has a seating capacity of about 72,000.
Schinias Beach
Schinias Beach lies in the east coast of the Attica Peninsula, which is reachable within less than an hour from central Athens. The Beach is one of the most beautiful bathing spots of Greece located near Marathon. The major draw of Schinias is the picture-perfect coastal pine forest that reaches the water's edge as well as the fine sand of the beach.
The Palace of Knossos
The Palace of Knossos is another popular place worth to visit in Greece. This palace, the largest known in Crete, with an area of 22,000 sq. metres was excavated by A. Evans between 1899 and 1932, and spectacularly restored, sometimes excessively. Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, containing the royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories, the throne room, and banquet halls. Dated to 2000-1350 B.C. It occupies the summit of a small hill, and to the east it dominates a ravine on to which the royal apartments look out, with their large megaron on the Minoan plan-open on two sides, reached by a large staircase.
White Tower
The White Tower is one of the popular sites to visit in Thessalonike, Greece. This White Tower is a defensive structure dated to the 15th century. Later, it was used as a guard's quarters by the Janissaries and as a prison for those who were convicted to death. It was built on the place where an older, Byzantine Tower once stood. The museum in the White Tower contains various collections of sculptures, frescoes, fragments of mosaic floors and wall mosaics, icons, coins, inscriptions, pottery, glass and metal items.
The Venetian Fortezza
The giant Fortezza dominates Rethimnon, and is reputed to be the largest Venetian castle ever built in Greece. The Venetians built the Fortezza during a transitional period in military history. In the fifteenth century, armies began using gunpowder in military activities and this prompted the designing of forts which could withstand this type of attack. The Venetians in Rethimnon did not have adequate funds to complete the Fortezza according to the new formula for defensive structures.
Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki
Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki is another popular tourist attraction in Greece. The Museum got built in 1962 by Patroklos Karadinos, an architect and in 1980 it acquired a new wing, which housed the exhibits from the Vergina tombs until 1997. The Museum illustrates the history of Thessaloniki from prehistoric times to Late Antiquity. The Museum houses the collection of Archaic and Roman sculptures from Thessaloniki and Macedonia. Archaeological Museum also hosts major temporary and thematic exhibit
Byzantine Museum
Byzantine Museum is one of the finest museums in Thessaloniki, which houses the amazing collection of Byzantine art in Greece. This museum focuses on preserving, researching, and studying the remains of the Byzantine civilization. The treasures housed in this fine museum include priceless icons, frescoes, sculpted reliefs, mosaics, jewellery, manuscripts, and pottery.
Mykonos tours
As with any famous location, sensationalism by the press often distorts the facts. Some of the recent publicity Mykonos received for being very expensive, full of gays and even a drug capital, is in fact far from accurate. Efforts made by the local police force to curb drug abuse have kept this common tourist-resort problem under control through the introduction of a well organized undercover network. The modern gay society exists in every corner of the world but only gravitates to locations that are uniquely beautiful and socially tolerant. As the island does have a long established gay scene this clearly suggests Mykonos is both. The fact of the matter is, the majority of visitors to the island are non-gay.
athens Most people have a love-hate relationship to Greece's capital. On one hand it is a city with a wide variety of things to see and do. From here you can also get to most places in Greece: by air, train, boat or bus.
On the other hand it is a huge, busy place with about half of Greece's
population living there (close to 5 million). There are places you do not want to be alone at night, and Athens has a big problem with traffic jams and pollution, especially the smog.
It is a fascinating place, though. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and walking through its ancient Agora or on the Acropolis,
Nightlife & Entertainment
Greece is famous for its nightlife. The animation doesn't start before 10 or 11 pm and ends only with the first rays of sun or even later. Greeks are party lovers, and big adepts of music, drinks and having fun among friends.
Bars and cafes: Bars and cafes stay open until late at night and offer all kinds of music, from Greek and international pop, to trance, alternative rock, jazz, Latin and much more. Every corner of every street has its own bar and café. Especially full on week-ends, Greek bars offer great ambiance, from very trendy ones to more romantic.
Everyone can find his own style and enjoy the music he likes while having the time of his life.
Night Clubs: Night clubs can be found everywhere and remain open until six or seven in the morning. They also offer a wild range of music and some of them, mostly in Athens, guest famous DJs from the entire world. A special care of the decoration gives a unique atmosphere to each club.
The alcohol is abundant and the thirst for fun and party wins over everyone, till the most reticent one.
A lot of places playing live Greek traditional music can be found all over Greece; it is where a lot of Greeks go to enjoy their night, eat, drink and mostly dance all the Greek traditional dances, accompanied by the sound of the famous “bouzouki”. Everybody laughs, dances, sings and throws flowers: it is a delirious and unique experience to live.
Some Greek islands such as Ios, Santorini, Paros and Mykonos are transformed into party islands during summertime. Streets are full of bars and clubs staying open all night long and offering the best of entertainments. Nightlife is so intense in those islands that they are often compared to a huge night club and attract people from all over the world.
Fast Facts
Full Name
Hellenic Republic
Capital City
Athens
Area
131,940 sq km
50,942 sq miles
Population
10,668,000
Time Zone
GMT/UTC +2 ()
Daylight Saving Start
last Sunday in March
Daylight Saving End
last Sunday in October
Languages
Greek (official)
Modern (demotic) Greek is the official language of the State. It derives from Ancient Greek yet it has a much simplified grammar. It has absorbed many words from its linguistic and cultural neighbours. Modern Greek differs substantially from the purist 'Katharevousa', or cleansing Greek, an artificially contrived variant which is closer to Ancient Greek that was used at varying times in recent Greek history. While Katharevousa is no longer used in everyday speech it still evident on street signs and can cause occasional confusion for the tourist.
Religion
98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% other
Currency
Euro (€)
Electricity
220V 50 HzHz
Electric Plug Details
European plug with two circular metal pins
Country Dialing Code
30
