Greece: The Most Interesting Country
Greece is the most interesting and fun-filling tourist destination in the world today. This mainland that juts out of the sea and lies to the southernmost part of the Balkans is today the real pride of Europe. The defining moment comes along when you land at the crossroads of culture and civilization. But apart from knowledge and a rich experience, this place also brings to you lots of entertainment for the entire family.
With a very homogeneous and optimistic crowd, Greece is sure to have long lasting influence on the way you think in life. Though it is a very small country, this Hellenic Republic is today the cradle of western civilization. It has remained witness to the birth of democracy, Olympic Games, western philosophy and western literature, drama and fiction. Today, it is a much more developed European country with immense opportunities and luxuries to make your trip cozy and comfortable.
There is so much more to Greece than any other state in whole of Europe. With over 6,000 islands – only 227 inhabited – this place has the largest coastal line in Europe. This gorgeous state can boast of the best and cleanest sea or coastline, a very capable organization for visitor’s safety as well as proper protection of nature and environmental beauty and education. The state is also famous for being the most mountainous place in the whole of Europe. That explains the huge turnout of hikers and climbers to Greece. Mt. Olympus, the abode of Gods, is the crowning glory of Greece and speaks of only unparalleled beauty.
Today, it is renowned as the only state with the tenth longest coastline and also is one of the most mountainous states in Europe. This is why this place is considered as the abode of travelers.
Welcoming more than 19 million tourists each year, Greece is today amongst the top ten tourist destinations in the world. A huge boom has taken place in ecotourism of the area. Things you can do while you are here include visiting the historic sites, soaking up sun at the Greek Islands, attending Hellenic festival, taking a guided bus tour of Olympia, taking a wine tour of islands of Crete & Santorini, bird watching, etc.
Greece also has an immensely prosperous history to boast of and that is why the place is loaded with some of the best archeological sites, monuments and museums. The famous ones include Monastery Complex of Aghio Oros & Meteora, Vergina – Aegae, Vassae, Delos, Epidaurus, Mystras, Medieval city of Rhodes, Byzantine Museums & Collections, Greek Art Museums, Asian Art Museums, Theatre Museums and many more!
Places to visit
Some of the top attractions of Greece include the Acropolis & Parthenon, National Archaelogical Museum, Cape Sounion & the temple of Poseidon, Walking Athens at night, Piraeus, the Plaka & other neighborhoods in Athens, Lycabettus Hill, Syntagma Square and the Agora.
The top shopping places of Greece include the Center of Hellenic Tradition (59 Mitropoleos and 36 Pandrossou) and the National Welfare Organisation (6 Ipatias and Apollonos). This place is the heaven for needlework lovers with traditional arts and crafts to be found in abundance. The center brings you woodcarvings, ceramics and prints while the National Welfare Organzation has a good collection of hand-loomed rugs and silk embroidery done by village women. Some of the other things they bring to you are excellent copper work and ceramics.
There are special places for each thing you would like to shop. Check out Rhodes and Crete for leatherwork, Kastoria for furs, Zolotas or Chania for jewelry Chios or Mitilini for Ceramics, Metsovo for rugs, Corfu for wood works, official museums for their reproductions, Eleftheroudakis or Compendium for books and Green Farm for natural products.
Hundreds of cultural programs – big and small festivals – are organized throughout the year under the auspices of “the Hellenic Festival”. Some of the significant ones are the Athens festival, Epidauras festival, Musical July and International festival of Ancient Olympia. The major events of the year include those held at the Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall and Greek National Opera.
The famous theatres of the place are National Theatre of Northern Greece and National Theatre of Greece. The other major events of the place include hundreds of open-air cinemas during summer and spring that form a major part of entertainment business here.
All over Greece, Holy Week and Easter (Pascha for Jews) is celebrated in great splendor and religious fervor. Some of the important events held during this time are sports activities like Olympic Games fervor and Carnivals.
When to go
The climate of Greece can be categorized as the Mediterranean, the Alpine, and the Temperate. The mild climate of the place is ideal for such tourism and allows you to visit this place at almost any time of the year.
The best place to come down to Greece is surely summer time when all places are shining bright and also the events are on a full high. This is especially true if you love swimming, diving, and the like. However, the best time to visit Greece depends a lot on what you are looking for in your vacation trip. If you are looking for an economical trip or a trip when the places are less touristy, then September may be the best time. The rates are almost half and there is not much rush in the places. A visit in the months of July or August will give you the exact opposite experience. This is the time when Greece literally rocks. It is the peak season and you will not get any rooms unless you book well in advance.
In general, Greece has all four seasons; viz., summer, winter, autumn, and spring. The summer months can be really hot and humid with very less rainfall while winter months can be real cold with occasional snow falls. So plan your trip according to your tastes.
Getting there and around
Getting around Greece would not be an issue at all with all the modernization that has taken place in the current years. The longest cable-stayed suspension bridge in Europe – Rio-Andirrio bridge and the Egnatia highway is a big step taken to better the transportation means. The metropolitan area of the capital of Athens has a new privately run suburban motorway (Attiki Odos), an expanded motor system and also a new international airport.
Olympic and Aegean Air are the two major airlines of the country that connect most of its islands and other main cities. Even the railway networks have been improved with a new international railway line to connect Greece with the rest of Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.
The singular beauty, renowned shower of elegance and unique forests are what makes Greece stand out as the oldest European beauties. They have been declared as the most ideal destinations for winter and alpine tourism.
With a very homogeneous and optimistic crowd, Greece is sure to have long lasting influence on the way you think in life. Though it is a very small country, this Hellenic Republic is today the cradle of western civilization. It has remained witness to the birth of democracy, Olympic Games, western philosophy and western literature, drama and fiction. Today, it is a much more developed European country with immense opportunities and luxuries to make your trip cozy and comfortable.
There is so much more to Greece than any other state in whole of Europe. With over 6,000 islands – only 227 inhabited – this place has the largest coastal line in Europe. This gorgeous state can boast of the best and cleanest sea or coastline, a very capable organization for visitor’s safety as well as proper protection of nature and environmental beauty and education. The state is also famous for being the most mountainous place in the whole of Europe. That explains the huge turnout of hikers and climbers to Greece. Mt. Olympus, the abode of Gods, is the crowning glory of Greece and speaks of only unparalleled beauty.
Today, it is renowned as the only state with the tenth longest coastline and also is one of the most mountainous states in Europe. This is why this place is considered as the abode of travelers.
Welcoming more than 19 million tourists each year, Greece is today amongst the top ten tourist destinations in the world. A huge boom has taken place in ecotourism of the area. Things you can do while you are here include visiting the historic sites, soaking up sun at the Greek Islands, attending Hellenic festival, taking a guided bus tour of Olympia, taking a wine tour of islands of Crete & Santorini, bird watching, etc.
Greece also has an immensely prosperous history to boast of and that is why the place is loaded with some of the best archeological sites, monuments and museums. The famous ones include Monastery Complex of Aghio Oros & Meteora, Vergina – Aegae, Vassae, Delos, Epidaurus, Mystras, Medieval city of Rhodes, Byzantine Museums & Collections, Greek Art Museums, Asian Art Museums, Theatre Museums and many more!
Places to visit
Some of the top attractions of Greece include the Acropolis & Parthenon, National Archaelogical Museum, Cape Sounion & the temple of Poseidon, Walking Athens at night, Piraeus, the Plaka & other neighborhoods in Athens, Lycabettus Hill, Syntagma Square and the Agora.
The top shopping places of Greece include the Center of Hellenic Tradition (59 Mitropoleos and 36 Pandrossou) and the National Welfare Organisation (6 Ipatias and Apollonos). This place is the heaven for needlework lovers with traditional arts and crafts to be found in abundance. The center brings you woodcarvings, ceramics and prints while the National Welfare Organzation has a good collection of hand-loomed rugs and silk embroidery done by village women. Some of the other things they bring to you are excellent copper work and ceramics.
There are special places for each thing you would like to shop. Check out Rhodes and Crete for leatherwork, Kastoria for furs, Zolotas or Chania for jewelry Chios or Mitilini for Ceramics, Metsovo for rugs, Corfu for wood works, official museums for their reproductions, Eleftheroudakis or Compendium for books and Green Farm for natural products.
Hundreds of cultural programs – big and small festivals – are organized throughout the year under the auspices of “the Hellenic Festival”. Some of the significant ones are the Athens festival, Epidauras festival, Musical July and International festival of Ancient Olympia. The major events of the year include those held at the Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall and Greek National Opera.
The famous theatres of the place are National Theatre of Northern Greece and National Theatre of Greece. The other major events of the place include hundreds of open-air cinemas during summer and spring that form a major part of entertainment business here.
All over Greece, Holy Week and Easter (Pascha for Jews) is celebrated in great splendor and religious fervor. Some of the important events held during this time are sports activities like Olympic Games fervor and Carnivals.
When to go
The climate of Greece can be categorized as the Mediterranean, the Alpine, and the Temperate. The mild climate of the place is ideal for such tourism and allows you to visit this place at almost any time of the year.
The best place to come down to Greece is surely summer time when all places are shining bright and also the events are on a full high. This is especially true if you love swimming, diving, and the like. However, the best time to visit Greece depends a lot on what you are looking for in your vacation trip. If you are looking for an economical trip or a trip when the places are less touristy, then September may be the best time. The rates are almost half and there is not much rush in the places. A visit in the months of July or August will give you the exact opposite experience. This is the time when Greece literally rocks. It is the peak season and you will not get any rooms unless you book well in advance.
In general, Greece has all four seasons; viz., summer, winter, autumn, and spring. The summer months can be really hot and humid with very less rainfall while winter months can be real cold with occasional snow falls. So plan your trip according to your tastes.
Getting there and around
Getting around Greece would not be an issue at all with all the modernization that has taken place in the current years. The longest cable-stayed suspension bridge in Europe – Rio-Andirrio bridge and the Egnatia highway is a big step taken to better the transportation means. The metropolitan area of the capital of Athens has a new privately run suburban motorway (Attiki Odos), an expanded motor system and also a new international airport.
Olympic and Aegean Air are the two major airlines of the country that connect most of its islands and other main cities. Even the railway networks have been improved with a new international railway line to connect Greece with the rest of Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.
The singular beauty, renowned shower of elegance and unique forests are what makes Greece stand out as the oldest European beauties. They have been declared as the most ideal destinations for winter and alpine tourism.