|
 In Greece the gods still stride the heights of Olympus and Parnassus, and Homer's heroes still sail wine-dark seas to island adventures.
Sprinkled around the tourquoise Aegean Sea, the Greek Islands are a tremendous summer hotspot, with Europeans and Americans enjoying the dazzling beaches, villages friendly locals. The Greel Isles are really quite different, but no self-respecting visitor to Greece would ever dream of skipping two of Greece's most famous islands: Mykonos and Santorini. The volcanic isle of Santorini is renowned for its extraordinary blue-domed churches and white-washed houses. The beaches are dark-red and black volcanic sands; everyone should make the scenic climb on the steep winding road to the cliff-top town of Fira to take pictures of the spectacular scenery.
While visiting the island of Mykonos, homage is usually paid to Dionysus—the Greek god of revelry. The beautiful villages on Mykonos have ancient cobblestone streets. The nightlife on Mykonos draws visitors from far and wide; quaint beach bars turn rachet up the music as the sun sets and drinking and dancing begins. On Mykonoa the partying continues into the earrly morning, with lots of cool waterfront bars playing hard until the break of dawn.
If you appreciate history you will be enchanted with Greece and its ancient ruins. The landscape in Greece is charming, the people friendly and casual.
The first notion of democracy was described in the writings of ancient Greece.
The Ottoman Empire took control of Greece in the 15th century and governed until 1821 when the War of Independence began. A monarchy, installed in 1832 under Prince Otto of Bavaria, was abolished and reinstated twice during the 20th century before the last king was ousted by a 1974 referendum, when a military junta that took power in 1967 was also booted out. That year, the nation finally returned to democracy, a concept that was born there two and a half millennia earlier.
It's important for first-time visitors to know that although many of the temples and archaeological sites are well preserved or have been restored, others are in near-total ruin. Initially, travelers should stick to the best-known sites. Once they've become acquainted with Greek history, they will find visits to even the poorest ruins to be rewarding.
The landscape environment of Greece is extremely varied, ranging from somewhat cool, wetter mountainous regions of the northwest and the coastal hills of the Peloponnese to the plains of Macedonia and the sun-baked, rocky islands that lie off the coast in three different seas.Athens is the wellspring of Western civilization, with such ancient glories as the Parthenon and the Theater of Dionysus, where works of Euripides were first performed. The ancient Odeon of Herod Atticus is the showplace each summer of the Athens Festival. The center of modern Athens is Syntagma (Constitution) Square. Piraeus, the port of Athens, is the embarkation point for the Greek islands and other Mediterranean destinations.
Olympia, on the Peloponnesian peninsula, is the origin of the Olympic Games, first held there in 776 B.C. In 2004, the Games return, this time to Athens. The ruins of Mycenae, 600 years old when the Parthenon was built, reveal the Atreus Treasury, defense walls and monumental Lion Gate from the palace of Agamemnon, Troy's epic foe. Sparta once was the mightiest of the city-states. In Corinth, the ruins of the Agora and the Temple of Apollo are still visible.
Thessaloniki, the second-largest city, has the White Tower, the green-domed Aghia Sophia church (8th century) and an exceptional new Byzantine museum. The Archaeological Museum displays riches of Macedonian kings drawn from excavations at nearby Pella, Vergina and the sacred city of Dion.
Crete was home to Europe's 3000 B.C. Minoan civilization, whose traces are displayed at the Palace of Knossos. Rhodes, largest of the Dodecanese isles, resounds with Crusader derring-do. The Knights of St. John (1309) built the impressive castle here. Nearby is Lindos, graced by an 11th-century B.C. Dorian citadel on a magnificent acropolis. Rhodes is famous for fine sand beaches, excellent hotels and night life. Crete and Rhodes both are ideal year-round.
Santorini is a dramatic experience with volcanic-ash beaches and a star-shaped crater. At Akrotiri, archaeologists in 1967 dug up the remains of a Bronze Age city, astonishingly intact despite the devastating volcanic explosion that took place around 1500 B.C.
Select exactly the components you want in your vacation. You choose your hotel, room category -from sea views to suites-, rental car, private transfers and customized sightseeing tours. We do it all! Our Virtuoso Travel and Cruise Consultants will create the Greece vacation you have always dreamed of. |
