Essential guide to Greece
About
Greece is a country well known all over the world for its
glorious history. Democracy was born in Greece and the Ancient
Greek civilization is a stepping stone for the modern western
civilization. The Greek philosophy and Philosophers effected the
western civilisation. In Greece where born some of the greatest
philosophers of all times like Socrates ,Plato ,Aristotle
,Epicurus and many others. Drama and theatre was born here and
great writers like Euripides, Aristophanes, Sophocles and
Aeschylus wrote immortal plays like Electra, Iphigenia, Oedipus,
Medea. During its history Greece had glorious times, during the
Golden Age of Pericles of Athens, the Hellenistic times of Great
Alexander and during the Byzantine times, when the Byzantine
empire lived almost 1000 years, the longest lived empire ever.
The ancient Greek monuments like Parthenon have effected
dramatically the Architecture of the western world and many
famous contemporary buildings have been build according this
architectural style.
The geographic location between the continents of Europe Asia
and Africa was a reason that made the Greeks to travel and make
colonies in many areas in the Mediterranean and along the coasts
of the Black Sea, exchanging ideas and knowledge with other
ancient nations like the Egyptians the Phoenicians the Persians
and nations around the Mediterranean. Many of the Ancient Greek
myths has to do with the Greek colonisation and the exploration
of foreign places by the Ancient Greeks like the journey of
Jason and the Argonauts,
the Trojan war and the journey of Odysseus.
Greece today is a modern western European country and member of
the European Union. Greece is one of the most beloved holiday
destination for many millions of tourists that travel to Greece
every year. The mountains , the islands and the cities of Greece
have everything to offer to the visitor, history ,mythology ,
interesting places and sights to visit , wild nature, rivers and
lakes with unique habitats. The aim of this site is to give
general tourist and travel information for everyone that wants
to visit Greece and know better the Greek History, Mythology and
everyday life of modern Greece..
History
The
Greek civilization is one of the most important civilisations in
the world. Greece was inhabited from the prehistoric times. Its
history is more than 3,000 years old, beginning with the Bronze
Age and the development in this period of the Minoan , Mycenaean
and Cycladic civilization, followed by the Classic Era of
Greece, the Hellenistic period, the Roman period, the Byzantine
era, the Middle Ages and the occupation by the Crusades, the
Venetians and the Turks and finally the modern times since the
Greek war of independence in 1821..
Geography
Greece
is located in the Balkan Peninsula and borders with Albania,
Fyrom, Bulgaria and Turkey. It has ten geographical areas
divided into 13 peripheries and fifty prefectures. The main
geographical areas, or Diamerismata are: Thrace (8.578 sq.km.);
Macedonia (34.177); Epirus (9,203); Thessalia (13.929); Sterea
Ellas and Evia (24,391); Peloponnese (21,379);
Crete (8,335);
Ionian Islands (2,309)Aegean Islands ((9,129); Athens (427). The
mainland of Greece is mostly mountainous with the exception of
the plains of Thessaly, Thessaloniki and Thrace. The highest
mountain of Greece is Olympus 2917 m the largest lake of Greece
is Trichonis 421 sq. km and the longest river is Aliakmon 297
km. Greek major cities: as well as Athens, other large cities of
Greece are Thessaloniki, Piraeus, Patras , Herakleion, Kavala,
Alexandroupolis, Corinth etc.
Climate: The climate of Greece is mild Mediterranean. Although
many places in northern Greece have cold winters with lots of
snow where highly developed ski centres boost the winter tourism
of Greece. The summer can be very hot, especially in the
mainland. The Greek islands however have a milder climate due to
the summer northern winds, known as the Meltemi...
Cuisine
Greek
food is famous and popular in many countries. In Greece you will
have the opportunity to taste it in local taverns and
restaurants. Among the most well-known Greek dishes are stuffed
tomatoes, mousaka, stuffed vine leaves, meat balls (keftedes),
styfado stew, kalamaris, lobster, shrimps, sword fish and the
famous Greek salad. For vegetarians, Greece is a paradise. In
all restaurants you will find a wide variety of fresh vegetables
and salads like green beans, okra, green peas, chorta., radish,
aubergine, courgettes and more as well as delicious stews and
dishes that are made wholly from vegetables and/or pulses. In
big cities and large tourist islands you will also find
well-known international fast-food chains. However, the most
popular form of fast-food in Greece is the ubiquitous souvlaki...
Trasportation
Ports
of Greece.The main port of Greece is Piraeus. From here are the
ferries and passenger boats to the Aegean islands and Crete.
From the port of Voles ferries leave to the Sporades islands and
from the port of Rafina boats depart to many of the main
Cyclades islands. The port of Patras is the second largest port
of Greece and connects Greece with Italy and the Ionian islands.
The port of Igoumenitsa connects also north-west Greece with
Italy and Corfu. Other large ports of Greece are the port of
Heraklion and Chania in Crete and the ports of Thessaloniki,
Kavala and Alexandroupolis which have connections with the north
Aegean islands.
National Roads and Highways: There is a huge road network in
Greece. The three major highways are the E65 that goes from
Athens to Patras in the Peloponnese, the E75 which goes from
Athens to Thessaloniki and the Egnatia highway that starts from
Igoumenitsa in western Greece and goes as far as the
Greek-Turkish borders. Another major highway is the A7 that goes
from Korinth to Kalamata via Tripolis. There are many other road
networks that connects all towns and villages in mainland and
all main Greek islands have as well a good road infrastructure.
Airports:The main airports of Greece are the Athens Airport: ATH
Eleftherios Venizelos. The second largest airport is the airport
of Thessaloniki. In total there are 35 airports in Greece, with
most of them being located on the Greek islands. The main
domestic airlines are Olympic Airlines and Aegean Air.
Mainland Airports: Athens, Thessaloniki, Aktion, Alexandroupolis,
Araxos, Ioannina, Kalamata, Kastoria, Kavala, Kozani, Aghialos
(Volos).
Greek Island Airports: Astypalaia, Chania, Chios, Corfu,
Heraklion, Ikaria, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kassos, , Kefalonia,
Kos, Kythira, Leros, Limnos, Mykonos, Mytilene, Naxos, Patros,
Rhodes, Samos,
Santorini, Sitia, Skiathos.
Trains:The Greek railways (OSE) have two major lines. One is the
line that connects Athens with Thessaloniki with the Balkans,
Russia and all European countries. The other is the line which
connects Athens with Patras..
Services
National
Health System: The Greek NHS (ESY) is free and covers all Greeks
and EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can obtain services only in
cases of emergency. Private doctors and surgeries however are
not expensive in Greece, particularly dentists and General
Practitioners. A visit will cost you around 50 euro. Some
medicines, such as antibiotics do not require prescriptions in
Greece.
Smoking: Smoking is totally banned in public places as is the
case in many other European countries. Smoking is not allowed in
hospitals, buses, trams, trolleys, the metro, ferries, airports,
and all public buildings. You can smoke only in restaurants,
cafes and bars that have an open air space.
Employment: All EU citizens are able to work or carry out their
businesses in Greece. Other laws apply to non-EU citizens...
Travel
Passports and Visas: Greece belongs to the European Union and is
part of the Segen countries. All EU citizens can enter Greece
with or without passports but must show their EU Identity Cards.
Non-EU citizens need passports and some nationalities will
require to obtain a visa. This includes travellers from Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, United States of America
and other countries.
By Train: Greece is connected with all major cities and towns of
western and central Europe. You can travel by rail to Greece
passing through the former Yugoslavian countries, or via
Bulgaria.
By Ferry: Most travellers arriving in Greece by ferry leave from
Italy. The main departure ports in Italy are the ports of
Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi. There are also ferry
connections from Haifa, Israel and Cyprus, as well as boat
connections with Turkey from many Aegean islands.
By Car: You can travel to Greece from Italy, via the ferries, or
you can travel through the Balkan Peninsula.
By Air: There are numerous flights to many Greek Airports from
Europe and the rest of the world, arriving mainly at Athens
airport or Thessaloniki. During the summer there are numerous
charter flights to main tourist islands that depart from many
European countries. Most charter flights fly to Rhodes, Kos,
Crete, Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini.
Many travellers use the ferries because mostly they are
travelling to the islands. Travelling by plane to the islands
during the summer can be difficult because many smaller islands
are served by quite small planes with a capacity for only fifty
or less passengers. Because of this, seats on the planes are
booked up months in advance and during high season it is
extremely difficult to get a last minute booking for air travel.
Therefore, if you intend to visit the islands and wish to travel
by air, it is advisable to book your flights very early in the
year. On the mainland, the most usual form of transport are the
long distance buses (KTEL) There are two main stations in
Athens: one at Kifissou Street and another at Liossion Street.
The Greek trains also give you the opportunity to travel to many
towns on the Greek mainland. You can also rent cars and
motorcycles both on mainland Greece and the Greek islands.
Sailing: Greece is a paradise for sailing. There are large yacht
marinas at many islands and also at Athens. The Aegean sea is
one of the most popular destinations for sailing and many
regattas are organised every summer.
Cruises: Many cruise companies organise cruises of the Greek
islands. The main cruise destinations include the islands of
Mykonos, Santorini, Patmos and Rhodes...
