Month: November 2015

Thrace is mostly mountainous and was first inhabited by Pelasgians, a race closely connected to the other Greek tribes. Thracians founded Eleusis in Attica and the mythical musicians Orpheus and Mousaios were from Thrace. In ancient times, Thrace stretched from Mt. Olympus in the south to the Danube in the north, and among its most…

INTRODUCTION Our tour of Chalkidiki begins from coastal Nea Herakleia, a settlement founded by refugees from Asia Minor, expelled from their homelands in 1922. Here was found a silver reliquary of the early Christian period, which is exhibited in the Museum of Byzantine Civilization of Thessaloniki. Taking the road to Nea Moudania, a drive of…

In antiquity, Olynthos, Potidaea, Stageira, and other cities of Chalkidiki, most of which were colonies founded by southern Greek cities, were very much part of the flourishing civilization that developed in the rest of the Greek world. Finds from excavations – pottery, sculpture – show the influence of southern Greek workshops, the products of which…

NISYROS According to legend, Nisyros, which lies at the center of the Dodecanese group, was formed when Poseidon broke a piece of rock of’ Kos and hurled it at the Giant Polybotes. The Carians were the first inhabitants of the island, which, during the classical period, was independent. It continued to be a free island…

CHIOS The history of Chios goes back to legendary times. Its first inhabitants were Pelasgians, then Cretans, and perhaps Carians and Leleges lived there too. During historical times, Ionians from the Asia Minor coast arrived, and soon turned Chios into a flourishing commercial, artistic, and literary center, until it was taken by the Persians in…

IERAPETRA Ierapetra is the only town on the southern coast of Crete. It is a prosperous agricultural center with long stretches of beach on either side. The people live off fishing, vegetable growing, and tourism. The town’s strong oriental flavor comes from its maze of alleyways lined with single-story houses, which must have been owned…

NAXOS Naxos is the largest, most fertile of the Cyclades. It has vineyards, olive groves, and orchards and also grows vegetables. It also has emery and marble quarries. Naxos town is a small, picturesque town with a strong medieval character. Not far from the town are the ruins of a Mycenaean settlement and an impressive…

This group of islands has been called the Dodecanese ( 12 islands ) because the main ones are twelve in number: Patmos, Kalymnos, Leros, Kos, Nisyros, Astypalaea, Tilos, Symi, Chalki, Karpathos, Kassos, Rhodes, and Kastellorizo. In the next several articles, we will describe all of them, one by one. RHODES Rhodes with its constant sunshine,…

Alexandroupolis Alexandroupolis ( 341 km from Thessaloniki via Amphipolis ) is one of the new towns of Greece and its most easterly port in the north. Its visitors enjoy modern amenities, such as comfortable hotels, camping sites, good restaurants, and sandy beaches. Alexandroupolis is the capital of the Prefecture of Evros, and the last important…

KASOS This tiny island, almost nudging Karpathos, is 17 km long and about 4 km wide. A mountain range extends the length of the island and the south coast is almost inaccessible. On the northern side, several small villages are clustering around the island capital, Ophrys. Inland is a fertile plain. Access to Kasos is…

PATMOS Patmos is a rocky barren island that must have been practically unknown in ancient times since it is very rarely mentioned by ancient writers. The Romans turned it into a place of exile. Here, Saint John spent some time in exile and during his stay in a cave he wrote his «Book of Apocalypse»….

Xanthi Xanthi lies at the foot of Mount Rodopi ( 219 km from Thessaloniki ) and preserves many of its old traditional houses, as well as its castle on the top of the hills which shelter the town from the north winds. It Is the capital of the Prefecture of Rhodope and an Important center…

LIMNOS Administratively, Limnos belongs to the district of Lesvos. it has an area of 477 square kilometers and is situated in the South Thracian sea between Chalkidiki and the Turkish coast. It boasts a pleasantly dry climate, a lot of greenery, and sandy beaches. The chief town of the island is Myrina or Castro. Another…

«Wooded Zakynthos» as Homer called the island, is the garden island lying opposite the north-western coast of the Peloponnese. Several times a day, car ferries ply between Kyllini and Zakynthos. This enchanting island was almost destroyed in the tragic earthquake of 1953. The capital, also called Zakynthos, has been rebuilt in a modification of the…

Florina Florina is a commercial center charming 161 km west of Thessaloniki and only 18 km from the frontier post of Nike on the former Yugoslav border. Near Florina ( 22 km ) is the mountain refuge of Pissoderi, starting point for skiers and mountaineers. Serres Serres, one of the largest Macedonian towns center of…