GREECE, THE LAND OF MEN AND GODS.

A single trip is not enough to visit the entire country. One has to choose: The Greek islands or the Greek mainland; the Greek beaches or the Greek monuments; Ancient Greece or Byzantine Greece; calm Greece or cosmopolitan Greece; And then one has to choose once more, amongst the islands… .

Attica

Athens is surrounded by the plains, shores, hills and mountains of Attica. You will find archeological sites, boutique seaside resorts, rich plains, pine trees, olive trees and vineyards. Attica stretches down to the sea, it is embraced by Cape Sounio in the southeast, Evia in the east and the Corinthian Gulf in the West. Here the climate is typically Mediterranean.

What to see in Athens


Ancient Athens


  • The Acropolis (the Parthenon) and the Acropolis museum.
  • At the foot of the Acropolis, the Dionysus Theater, the Herodion Atticus Odeon and the Aeropagites.
  • The Agora (the ancient marketplace), near to the Monastiraki metro station.
  • The temple of Zeus and Adrian’s Gate.
  • Keramikos (the ancient cemetery), close to Thesion metro station.
  • The National museum (one of the world’s most beautiful museums) where the evolution of Greek art can be traced from the Neolithic to the Roman period.


Byzantine Athens


  • The Athens Cathedral on Mitropoleos street.
  • Kapnikarea Church (XII A.D).
  • The Aghii Assomati Byzantine church (close to the Agora).
  • The Byzantine museum, where you will find a rare collection of objects dating from the beginning of Christianity, from the Byzantine and the post-Byzantine era, as well as sculptures and splendid icons and frescoes.
  • The Benaki museum hosts beautiful icons, antiquities and folkloric costumes.


Modern Athens


Syntagma Square- Parliament
The Syntagma square is full of luxurious hotels, banks, outdoor cafes, kiosks and luxury boutiques. One can watch the change of guards (the evzones) in front of the monument of the Unknown Soldier. The picturesque costume worn by the evzones was originally worn by the veterans of the war of Independence. The flea market near Monastiraki (Tube Station) is full of antiques for sale, restaurants with live music. It is very crowded especially during the weekends.

Kolonaki


A residential district at the foot of the hill of Lykavitos (cafes, restaurants, boutiques).

Omonia
The equivalent to Piccadilly Circus is noisy, congested and popular. The three avenues: Stadiou, Panepistimiou and Akadimias, between Syntagma and Omonia, form the center of Athens. Those avenues are full of buildings of exceptional neoclassical architecture dating from the XIX century.

 

 

Plaka

At the foot of the Acropolis, in the old Athenian neighborhood which retains its old buildings and streets. You will find small Byzantine churches, restaurants, cabarets, bars and tourist shops.

Mount Lycabettus

A funicular railway will take you to the summit, where you can view the entire city of Athens whilst having lunch or a drink.

 

 

 

Piraeus

This is the first Greek port dating back to the Themistocles era. A typically Mediterranean port, commercially and industrially congested, Piraeus, in contrast to the small marinas of Passalimani and Microlimano with their fish restaurants and their cafes, tempts you to set off for the Greek islands.

Cape Sounion

Poseidon’s temple (The God of sea) in Cape Sounion, built between 444 and 440 BC. Depart for an all day excursion in order to see the temple ruins and enjoy the fabulous sunset.

Euboea(Evia)

The largest of the Sporades islands, lies in parallel with the Attica coast, at a distance of 100 kilometers north from Athens. Euboea is a mountainous island with tranquil and picturesque landscapes. The main gateway to the island from mainland Greece is at Halkida. From here there is a bridge that you can cross with your car or bike. There are also ferry boats traveling to and from the island at seven different locations.

Delphi

At a distance of 165 kilometers from Athens, its visit will require an entire day. In Delphi, one can visit the sanctuary of Apollo, the stadium, the sanctuary of Athena and the museum with its splendid ancient Greek, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman statues. The jewel of the museum is The Charioteer of Delphi one of the best known ancient Greek statues and one of the best preserved examples of classical bronze casts. It is considered a fine example of the "Severe" style.
Old Temple of Athena it’s a Doric style temple built in the 6th Century BC.
Tholos was built in the 4th Century BC as a shrine to goddess Gaia (Earth)
Gymnasium was built in the 4th Century BC and remodeled by the Romans at a later stage. Two more levels were added.
Kastalian Spring: According to the legend, Castalia, the nymph, drowned herself in the spring in order to avoid Apollo’s attention. Here the pilgrims performed purification rituals before entering Apollo’s sanctuary.
Asklipiio This sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius was built in the 7th Century BC. The legend claims that sacred serpents were kept in that area. Inside the temple, there was a statue of Asclepius seated on a throne made of gold and ivory.
Ossios Loukas (40 kilometers from Delphi) is a Byzantine monastery amongst the finest in Greece; you will find icons dating back to the XVI century and XI century frescoes.

Pelion

Pelion is a peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. It is a land of myths and legends that has seduced ancient and modern writers. Pelion is considered the most beautiful mountain in Greece and is a popular tourist attraction throughout the year: hiking paths give access to coves, rivulets and many sandy or pebbly beaches, located at the extension of rich green slopes. It is an amply watered mountain, with innumerable springs, streams and creeks.