Month: May 2015

Salamina ( ancient Salamis ) lies nearest to the coast of Attica and can be reached by the motor launch in about 20 minutes from Piraeus. The narrow strait which separates the island from the mainland marks the site of the celebrated Battle of Salamis ( 480 B.C. ) when the combined Greek fleets defeated…

This large peninsula technically forms an island in southern Greece and resembles a huge mulberry leaf. For this reason, it was called in the Middle Ages Moreas ( from the Greek word for mulberry ). Its ancient name was Peloponnese or Peloponnissos ( the island of Pelops, the mythical King of Phrygia, who later ruled…

The apparent simplicity and design of the Parthenon, a building famous the world over for architectural beauty and harmony, is the temple of the virgin ( in Greek “parthena” ) Athena. It Is built of Pendelic marble in the Doric Style on the same site as two previous temples. It took 15 years to build…

ATTICA Attica is the Greek area upon which ancient Athens nurtured philosophy and democracy. In this little corner of the earth, the vitality of the Greeks found expression in all creative fields, and their thoughts helped to transform the whole outlook of Western man by the immortal and splendid Attic Civilization. First inhabited in the…

Traditional Greek Popular art, examples of which a visitor may come across in each of his steps, has to offer a unique sense of form and color. From his dress to the decoration of his home and items of daily use, the Greek can be distinguished for his good taste. The artisan expresses himself with…

 AN OUTLINE OF ANCIENT GREEK SCULPTURE AND PAINTING Greek art developed over a period of 600 years and produced a national genius, a pure, classical school which was to inspire sculptors, painters, and architects up to the present day, and perhaps for all time. As early as the 7th century B.C., men and animals and…

Thessaly has the largest plain in Greece, a densely cultivated area ringed round by the Pindus, Othrys, Pelion, Ossa, Olympus, and Agrapha mountain ranges. The River Penios meanders across the plain, and to the north, it falls through the celebrated Tempi gorge, a narrow pass above which tower the steep slopes of Mt Olympus and…

Volos is a pleasant provincial town at the head of the Gulf of Pagassae ( Pagassitikos ). It has two main Interests. On the one hand, it is a thriving industrial center and a commercial port, especially concerned with fruit, and on the other, it is a popular holiday resort with safe bathing and excellent…

Arta Arta is situated on the River Arachthos and its plain is fertile and intensively cultivated. As early as the 13th century it was the capital of the Despotate of Epirus, a Byzantine principality. Overlooking the town is a medieval fortress. Of interest in Arta is the 18th-century bridge which spans the river and the…

IOANNINA Ioannina ( or Yiannena ) is situated 459 km from Athens ( via Rion-Antirrion ) and some 100 km from Igoumenitsa on the shore of the legendary Lake Parrivotis. It is an important commercial and cultural center. Ioannina was founded by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century A.D. It rose slowly in statue and…

SPORADES ( Skyros, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos ) The four islands Skyros, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos are situated opposite the northern-east coast of Euboea. They are known as the Northern Sporades and all four are accessible from Volos by boat. Life on these Islands ambles along at a leisurely pace, offering simple, carefree holidays with…

Epirus, which is Greek for the continent, is a superb mountain region covering an area of 9,203 square kilometers in northwestern Greece. It has a population of 350,000, and its capital town is Ioannina. Protected in the east by the mighty Pindus range and the serried peaks of Panaetolikon, Epirus is a region with vast…

Igoumenitsa – Prarga Igoumenitsa is situated at the head of a bay, opposite the island of Corfu ( Kerkyra ). It is one of the main gateways to Greece and so visitors’ comforts are well-looked after by small modern hotels as well as other amenities. The daily car-ferry services from Italy and the many more…

Strung along the shores of Western Greece, the Ionian Islands reveal yet another totally different facet of the Greek landscape. Green and luxuriant, they have been for centuries the crossroads between mainland Greece and Western Europe, and as such, they were able to develop their own culture, literature, art, and music. Corfu, Paxi, Lefkas, Cephalonia,…

Corfu Corfu is the gateway to Greece for those arriving from Europe. The island has been mentioned by Homer in his «Odyssey». The island’s most flourishing period began in 734 B.C., when its first colonists, the Corinthians, arrived here. In the following centuries, Corfu shared the fate of the rest of the Ionian Islands. There…

At a distance of 21 km from Delphi is situated Amphissa in the middle of one splendid extensive olive grove. It is the capital of the Province of Phokis and has some remains of ancient walls and a ruined Frankish castle. Itea ( 19 km from Delphi ) is a picturesque port built at the…

Pyrgos ( 319 km from Athens,96 km from Patras,153 kms from Tripolis ) is a colorful agricultural and trading town, the capital of the Province of Eleia. From Pyrgos, the road forks eastwards through the fertile valley of Elis, one of the ancient city-states of the Peloponnese.In the middle of this valley, where the rivers…

A theatre of ancient Greek A theatre of ancient Greek drama where the plays of the great dramatists( Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Menandrus ) were first presented. It lies at the foot of the Acropolis, to the south, next to the “Sanctuary of Dionysus”. Originally the theatre had wooden seats which were replaced by seats…

This theatre at the foot of the Acropolis was built in the 2nd century A.D. by Herodes Atticus as a memorial to his wife Pegilla. It is in the typical form of an ancient Roman Theatre with a seating capacity today of 5,000 spectators. The seating was restored in 1950-1961. Originally it was used for…