Holidays in Greece

Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada. Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, also known as Hellas and officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Ellinikí Dimokratia), is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has land borders with Albania, FYROM and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the tenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 km (9,246 miles) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered to be the cradle of Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy.
A developed country with a very high Human Development Index and standard of living, Greece has been a member of what is now the European Union since 1981 and its Economic and Monetary Union since 2001, NATO since 1952, and the European Space Agency since 2005. It is also a founding member of the United Nations, the OECD, and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. Athens is the capital.

Peripheries and Capitals: Attica - Athens, Central Macedonia - Thessaloniki, Central Greece - Lamia, Peloponnese - Kalamata, East Macedonia and Thrace - Komotini, Thessaly - Larissa, West Greece - Patras, West Macedonia - Kozani, Epirus - Ioannina, Crete - Heraklion, Ionian Islands - Corfu.

Geography

Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, the Peloponnesus peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth), and numerous islands (1400, 227 of which are inhabited), including Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Chios, the Dodecanese and the Cycladic groups of the Aegean Sea as well as the Ionian Sea islands. Greece has the tenth longest coastline in the world with 14,880 km (9,246 miles), its land boundary is 1,160 km (721 miles).
Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. Mount Olympus, a focal point of Greek culture throughout history culminates at Mytikas peak 2,917 m (9,570 ft), the highest in the country. Once considered the throne of the Gods, it is today extremely popular among hikers and climbers. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and is dominated by the Pindus mountain range. The Pindus reaches a maximum elevation of 2,637 m (8,652 ft) at Mt. Smolikas and is essentially a prolongation of the Dinaric Alps. The Vikos-Aoos Gorge is yet another spectacular formation and a popular hotspot for those fond of extreme sports.
The range continues through the central Peloponnese, crosses the islands of Kythira and Antikythira and find its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. The islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland. Pindus is characterized by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. Most notably, the impressive Meteora formation consisting of high, steep boulders provides a breathtaking experience for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the area each year.
Northeastern Greece features another high-altitude mountain range, the Rhodope range, spreading across the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace, this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests. The famous Dadia forest is in the prefecture of Evros, in the far northeast of the country.
Expansive plains are primarily located in the prefectures of Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Thrace. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country. Rare marine species such as the Pinniped Seals and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered brown bear, the lynx, the Roe Deer and the Wild Goat.
Phytogeographically, Greece belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the East Mediterranean province of the Mediterranean Region and the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Environment Agency, the territory of Greece can be subdivided into six ecoregions: the Illyrian deciduous forests, Pindus Mountains mixed forests, Balkan mixed forests, Rodope montane mixed forests, Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests and Crete Mediterranean forests.

Sights

Acropolis: The Acropolis (Greece) is the one historical site you can't miss. The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known Acropolis (Greek: akros, akron, edge, extremity + polis, city, pl. acropoleis) in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king.

Knossos: Knossos (Greece) (or Knossus, Cnossus. Greek: Κνωσός, Knosos), also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square. Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans.

Delphi: Delphi (Greece) (Greek: Δελφοί, Delfoi) is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece, and accordingly, it seems to appear in the itinerary of every traveler who is attracted to the oracle that influenced affairs in the known world for over a thousand years. In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth. Python (derived from the verb pythein, "to rot") is claimed by some to be the original name of the site in recognition of the Python that Apollo defeated. The Homeric Hymn to Delphic Apollo recalled that the ancient name of this site had been Krisa. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years, starting in 586 B.C. athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the four panhellenic (or stephanitic) games, precursors of the Modern Olympics. The victors at Delphi were presented with a laurel crown which was ceremonially cut down from a tree in Tempe by a boy who re-enacted the slaying of the Python. Delphi was set apart from the other games sites because it hosted the mousikos agon, musical competitions. These Pythian Games rank second among the four stephanitic games chronologically and based on importance. These games, though, were different from the games at Olympia in that they were not of such vast importance to the city of Delphi as the games at Olympia were to the city of Olympia. Delphi would have been a renowned city whether or not it hosted these games. It had other attractions that led to it being labeled the "omphalos" (navel) of the earth, in other words, the center of the world. In the inner hestia ("hearth") of the Temple of Apollo, an eternal flame burned. After the battle of Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new fire from the hearth of Greece, at Delphi. In the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the founding colonists were first dedicated at Delphi.

Olympia: Olympia (Greece) (Greek: Ολυμπία, Olympia) was the site of the ancient Olympic Games, which were celebrated every four years by the Greeks. Olympia was situated in a valley in Elis, in western Peloponnese, through which runs the Alpheus River. It was not a town, but only a sanctuary with buildings associated with games and the worship of the gods. Olympia was a national shrine of the Greeks and contained many treasures of Greek art, such as temples, monuments, altars, theaters, statues, and votive offerings of brass and marble. The Altis, or sacred precinct, enclosed a level space about 200 m (about 660 ft) long by nearly 177 m (nearly 580 ft) broad. In this were the chief centers of religious worship, the votive buildings, and buildings associated with the administration of the games.
The French began excavations here in 1829. German explorations of 1875-81 threw much light upon the plans of the buildings (they were resumed in 1936, 1952, and 1960-61). Many valuable objects were discovered, the most important of which was a statue of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, by Praxiteles.

Meteora: Meteora (Greece) (Greek: Μετέωρα, Meteora) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka.
List of Monasteries: The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, The Holy Monastery of Varlaam, The Holy Monastery of Rousanou / St. Barbara, The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen, The Monastery of Holy Trinity.

Mycenae: Mycenae (Greece) (Greek: Μυκῆναι, Mykēnai or Μυκήνη, Mykēnē), is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south, Corinth 48 km to the north. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf.
In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.

Beaches

Greece (and the Greek Islands) is a country that has amazing things to offer to the visitors. One of the main attractions of the country is the many Greece beaches decorating its coasts. With 13,676 km of coastline, one will definitely find the beaches of his dreams: there are long white sandy beaches with turquoise crystal waters, small beaches surrounded by huge cliffs or pine and palm trees forests, beaches with waters that seem to have had their blue colour mixed with beach, creating an amazing shade. The Greek beaches, distinguish not only for their natural beauty but also for their cleaness. Note that almost every year Greece is ranked by the Blue Flag Programme among the top three countries with the best quality coasts. All the beaches of Greece have their own beauty and charm. These are some of the beaches that our team and public opinion consider as of the most beautiful.

Top ten Best Beaches of Greece:
1. Navagio (Zakynthos)
2. Balos (Chania, Crete)
3. Elafonissos (Chania, Crete)
4. Sarakiniko (in Elafonissos Island, Peloponnese)
5. Egremnoi (Lefkada)
6. Myrtos (Kefalonia)
7. Super Paradise (Mykonos)
8. Paradise (Kos)
9. Finikas (Kato Koufonisi)
10. Plaka (Naxos)

Nightlife

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 cafe. 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.