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GREECE
Top Things To See
(provided by worldtravelguide.net)
In Athens, the capital and the country’s largest
city, it is impossible to miss the flat-topped hill of the
Acropolis, site of the 2400-year-old Parthenon, one of the
most famous classical monuments in the world. The ruins
of the civic, political and commercial centre of the Ancient
Agora can be visited, as can the reconstructed Hellenistic
Stoa of Attalos, which houses the Agora Museum. Most artefacts
are displayed in the National Archaeological Museum on Patission
Street.
Then head for the Athens's Parliament Building on Syntagma
Square. Built in 1840 and originally a royal palace, this
enormous building was badly damaged by fire in the early
20th century and was rebuilt for the National Assembly.
One of the main highlights at the Parliament Building in
Athens is the hourly changing of the guard at the front
of the building.
Visit the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, which hosted the
first modern day Olympic games of 1896 and the current stadium
was constructed on the site of the original stadium, which
was built almost 2,300 years ago.
Drive or take a train to Olympia, the original site of the
Olympic Games in the Peloponnese, which begun in 776 BC,
and the site where the Olympic Flame is still lit today.
The site is a mass of marble inscriptions, restored temples
and civic buildings, including the Temple of Zeus, which
once housed the colossal gold and ivory statue of Zeus,
one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ (later
taken to Constantinople and destroyed in a fire). There
is also a good Archaeological Museum on the site, and a
Museum of the Olympic Games located in the modern town of
Olympia. Southeast of Olympia at Bassae (Vasses) is the
well-preserved monumental Temple of Apollo Epicurius, dating
back to the fourth century BC.
Bordering onto Albania, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic
of) and Bulgaria, Macedonia's scenery and climate have more
in common with the adjoining Balkans. The region’s
capital, Thessaloniki, is the second-largest city in Greece.
A modern industrial port, partly protected by impressive
city walls, it is home to the superb Archaeological Museum,
housing the ‘Treasures of Ancient Macedonia’.
On the seafront, the imposing 16th-century White Tower,
built by the Ottomans as part of the city’s defence
system, houses an excellent Byzantine Art Collection. Tha
main ancient sites are the Arch of Galerius and the ruins
of the Roman Agora.
Southeast of Thessaloniki are the three mountainous peninsulas
of Halkidiki: Kassandra, Sithonia and Agio Oros (Mount Athos).
Mount Athos, with its renowned monasteries, is undoubtedly
the region’s highlight.
Crete (Piraeus, 174 nautical miles) is the largest and most
southerly Greek island. Despite a busy tourist industry
concentrated along the north coast, Crete has preserved
its unspoilt nature, local traditions and ancient monuments.
In the capital and main port, Heraklion (Iraklio), the old
town lies within the 16th-century Venetian city walls, while
the harbour is protected by Koules, an imposing Venetian
Fortress. The National Archaeological Museum is one of the
country’s top museums, displaying finds from the Minoan
era, and the History Museum tells the island’s story
from Byzantine times up to the present day. Close to town
stand three wonderful Minoan sites – Knossos, Malia
and Phaestos.
Lying south of Athens and to the east of the Peloponnese,
the Saronic islands are within easy reach of the capital,
with regular ferry and hydrofoil services running from the
port of Piraeus. Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Salamis and Spetses
are the most popular islands. A barren, rocky, car-free
island, Hydra (Idra) (Piraeus, 42 nautical miles) is popular
with artists and jet-setters, primarily for the beauty of
its chief settlement and port, Hydra Town. Built into the
hill overlooking the harbour, Hydra Town is a labyrinth
of steep cobbled streets, filled with chic bars, restaurants
and art galleries. 500m (1640ft) above town stands a monastery,
offering fantastic views out over the sea.
Located off the west coast of mainland Greece, the seven
Ionian Islands (Cephalonia, Corfu, Ithaki, Kythira, Lefkada,
Paxi and Zakinthos) are comparatively isolated from one
another. Consequently, through the centuries each one has
developed its own identity.
The northernmost island of western Greece, Corfu is the
best-known, busiest and most cosmopolitan of the Ionian
islands. The capital, Corfu Town, is presided over by two
imposing Venetian fortresses and gives onto a series of
pretty harbours and bays. Worth visiting are the Archaeological
Museum, which houses finds from local excavations; the Byzantine
Museum, with a fine collection of icons; and the Museum
of Asiatic Art. The Town Hall, a splendid example of 17th-century
Venetian architecture, and the 12th-century Byzantine Church
of St Jason and Sosipater and the Church of St Spyridon
are also of interest. At Kanoni, on the tip of a small peninsular
south of the town centre, a narrow causeway leads to the
much photographed Monastery of Vlacherna. South of Corfu
Town, at Gastouri, romantics will be delighted by the sight
of the 19th-century Achillion, the summer palace of Empress
Elizabeth of Austria, surrounded by beautiful Italian-style
gardens.
Best known as the setting of Louis de Bernières Captain
Corelli’s Mandolin, Cephalonia (Patras, 53 nautical
miles) is the biggest Ionian island. The mountainous scenery,
culminating with the 1600m (5250ft) Mount Enos, is dramatic.
The chief settlement, Argostoli, was largely destroyed in
the disastrous 1953 earthquake. However, the Archaeological
Museum and Folk Art Museum are both worth visiting.
Lying east of the Peloponnese and southeast of the coast
of Attica in the Aegean, a total of 30 islands make up the
Cyclades, the best-known being Mykonos and Santorini. Other
popular islands are Andros, Delos, Naxos, Paros and Tinos.
Take a ferry to the most visited and most expensive of all
the Greek islands, Mykonos, known for its lively nightlife
and some of Greece’s best discos. Mykonos Town (also
known as Hora) comprises a modern harbour, whitewashed houses
and churches, shops selling local arts and crafts, small
tavernas and cafes, and is backed by a hill with five thatched
windmills. The Paraportiani Church, a complex of four chapels,
is considered to be an architectural masterpiece. The Archaeological
Museum exhibits finds excavated from the necropolis on the
nearby islet of Rhenia. Go on an excursion to the monasteries
of Agios Panteleimon, close to Mykonos Town, and the Tourliani
Monastery, close to the old fishing village of Ano Mera.
From Mykonos, take a boat to the tiny and today unhabited
island of Delos, the religious and political centre of the
Aegean in ancient times, also said to have been the birthplace
of Apollo and Artemis. Star attractions include the Avenue
of the Lions, featuring five crouching stone lions, guardians
of the Sacred Lake, and the Sanctuary of Apollo, made up
of three temples. The Archaeological Museum exhibits archaic,
Classical, Hellenistic and Roman sculptures, including the
Archaic Sphinx of the Naxians and Acroteria (Victories)
from the Temple of the Athenians, found in excavations on
the site.
Considered by many as the most dramatically beautiful of
all the Greek islands, Santorini (also known as Thira) was
formed by the eruption of a now dormant volcano around 1600
BC. Arrival by ferry brings one to the west side of the
island, with the whitewashed cliff top villages of Fira
(the capital) and Ia (the Aegean’s most photographed
town) overlooking the circular caldera (a huge depression
created by a volcanic explosion). A steep winding path leads
up from the harbour of Skala to Fira, where one finds many
excellent hotels, chic restaurants and bars, and a vibrant
nightlife. The Archaeology Museum, displaying finds from
the excavations at Akrotiri, is worth a visit. On the east
side of the island lie the archaeological remains of Ancient
Thira, a Dorian city dating back to the ninth century BC.
The four most popular islands of the Northeast Aegan Islands
are Chios, Lemnos, Lesbos and Samos, all of which lie fairly
far apart in the waters of the northeast Aegean, close to
Turkey. Lesbos, home of the ancient poet Sappho, is the
largest island in this group, with vast olive groves, shady
pinewoods, and picturesque monasteries. The capital, Mitilini,
is dominated by a 14th-century castle.
East of the Thessaly region on mainland Greece lie the four
islands of the Sporades – Alonissos, Skiathos, Skiros
and Skopelos.
Planted with pine trees and olive groves, Skiathos is a
popular tourist destination, thanks to its indented coast
with numerous sandy coves. The capital, Skiathos Town, was
built in 1830 on two low hills. The seafront is lined with
cafes and seafood restaurants, and there is a good marina.
Boat trips take tourists around the island to visit the
Blue Cave, the ruins of the medieval walled town of Kastro
on the south coast, and the pebble beach of Lalaria.
The largest of the Sporades, Skiros lies far out from Volos
and is most easily accessed from Kimi on Euboea. The main
settlement, Skiros Town (also known as Horio), is made up
of whitewashed cottages and narrow winding alleys, crowned
by the hilltop Venetian Kastro (fortress). Visit the Folklore
Museum which gives an excellent presentation of local handicrafts,
and includes a reconstruction of a traditional house.
The Dodecanese Islands is a cluster of 12 (dodeca) islands
lying east of Peloponnese, closer to Turkey than to mainland
Greece. All the islands can be reached by ferry from Piraeus,
and distances between them are fairly small, so visitors
can easily hop from one to another, swapping the relative
sophistication of Rhodes and Kos for the calmer and simpler
life on Tilos or Astipalaia.
Rhodes is one of the most popular and best-developed islands
in the Mediterranean. The capital, Rhodes Town, is made
up of two distinct parts – an old town and a new town.
The old town, contained within the walls of a medieval fortress,
centres of the Avenue of the Knights, lined with magnificent
medieval buildings, including the monumental 14th-century
Palace of the Grand Masters. The 15th-century Knight’s
Hospital now houses the Archaeological Museum. 2km (1.2
miles) west of the town walls lies the Acropolis of Ancient
Rhodes. Many impressive ruins can still be seen, including
the Temple of Apollo, and a theatre and stadium dating back
to the second century BC. |
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