Five years have passed since the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in 2017 changed the lives of the residents of Athens and visitors to the Greek capital for the better. From then until today it is a favorite destination for cultural and sports activities but also an ideal entertainment destination for the young and old.

About the SNFCC

The SNFCC is an international, environmentally sustainable public space for expression, culture, and recreation. The creation of the SNFCC was initiated by SNF and executed with an exclusive grant from the Foundation and the cornerstone of the more than $750 million in support SNF has allocated to the project in total. It includes the facilities of the National Library of Greece (NLG) and the Greek National Opera (GNO), as well as the 40-acre Stavros Niarchos Park.

From the inception of the idea for the creation of the SNFCC through the cultural institution’s fifth anniversary, SNF gave a total of $739 million toward the project through several grants. This amount primarily went to the construction of the SNFCC but also supported operational and programming costs for its first five years, following the commitment SNF made during the delivery of the SNFCC to the Greek state. In addition, SNF’s support has gone to programs for the development of the SNFCC and to infrastructure projects beyond the original design.

The idea for the SNFCC originated in 1998, with SNF’s decision to support the construction of new facilities for the NLG and the GNO. From these disparate plans and with the opportunities offered by the site allocated for the project in the Municipality of Kallithea came an exciting opportunity for a cultural, educational, and environmental “Triple Project.” This would include the new NLG and GNO facilities, as well as the creation of a major urban green space, Stavros Niarchos Park.

Stavros Spyrou Niarchos (Greek: Σταύρος Σπύρου Νιάρχος, 3 July 1909 – 15 April 1996) was a Greek billionaire shipping tycoon. Starting in 1952, he had the world’s biggest supertankers built for his fleet. Propelled by both the Suez Crisis and increasing demand for oil, he and rival Aristotle Onassis became giants in global petroleum shipping.

The video to celebrate its 5th anniversary 

On the occasion of this anniversary, a video was created, “My Face” written by Giannis Asteris, directed by Andreas Loukakos, and voiced by Harry Frangoulis. The video also stars Angel Martinez Sanchez, a dancer of the National Opera Ballet. The video was created in collaboration with the National Opera and the National Library of Greece and is in Greek. 

To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com

 

At the beginning of time, when gods and monsters roamed the earth, the Titans fought the Olympians for control of the Universe. During the ten-year battle, the Titans gained strength by drinking from the Acheron River. Enraged, Zeus cursed the river which, according to Greek mythology, was the gateway to the underworld.

This is only one of the origin stories of the river. In fact, the 52 km-long Acheron River in Epirus, northwest Greece, is far more than the fame it had in mythology.

Teeming with life, the river enchants the visitors with a complex ecosystem of gorges, lakes, and waterfalls. In riverside villages, nature lovers discover wildlife, learn about the local history, and adrenaline junkies can engage in a range of adventure sports.

Many villages have access to the river, but most travelers head to Ammoudia, Mesopotamo, and Gliki. Located 5 kilometers east of Ammoudia, the settlement is the home of the old Acherousia lake, which ancients believed was the entrance to Hades.

Today’s visitors can combine a stop at the nearby ruins with a visit to Ammoudia, where boat trips explore the wetlands along the river, lined with water lilies and trees. About 20 kilometers up from Ammoudia, Gliki is known for its adventure sports and hiking trails. It also combines swimming with rock climbing.

In addition to the many outdoor activities, Acheron supports a habitat that hosts rare and endangered animals and plants, endemic to the area. In the Straits of Glyki, there are endangered birds such as golden eagles, vultures, and Egyptian vultures. In total, the 11,440 acres surrounding the Acheron Straits and wetlands zone are part of the European Commission’s NATURA 2000 network of protected areas.

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Greek Maritime Golf Event, the top golf tournament for the maritime community returns for the 8th year renewing its annual appointment with the Greek and world maritime industry, on September 8-11, 2022, at Costa Navarino, Messinia.

 

The best golf event in Greece and Cyprus, as distinguished at the Sports Marketing Awards 2020, is expected to bring together more than 80 leading executives from the maritime industry forming 20 teams of four. Golfers will have the opportunity to play in the two new 18-hole signature golf courses, designed by two-time Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend José Marίa Olazábal at Navarino Hills. The action will take place in an idyllic landscape full of centuries-old olive trees with stunning views of the Ionian Sea, the historic Bay of Navarino and the picturesque port of Pylos.

 

Participants will compete on a team level on Friday, September 9, in the two (2) ball better ball (3/4 hcp) at The Hills Course. Respectively, on Saturday, September 10, they will take part in a shotgun scramble that will take place at the International Olympic Academy Golf Course.

Watch the tournament’s teaser video HERE

 

Participating teams will claim the significant prizes for the top three positions in the overall standings; while special awards will be given to individual players who will achieve the best scores in the “Longest Drive” and “Closest to the Pin” categories.

 

IRI/The Marshall Islands Registry is the event’s Platinum Sponsor.

Mainline Shipping Company and Jotun Hellas are Golden Sponsors. 

DNV is the Silver Sponsor. 

Boo Productions is the Audio Visual Partner.

 

Greek Maritime Golf Event, is organized by Birdie Events, through an initiative of the recognized Greek PGA golfer, Mr. Thanos Karantzias. The award-winning sports marketing agency of ActiveMedia Group has undertaken the event’s Golf Production. The tournament is addressed exclusively to distinguished executives of the Greek shipping community.

 

The tournament will bring together representatives of the Greek and world shipping industry, who will have the opportunity to enjoy their favorite sport, golf, in a completely safe destination, with the necessary approvals of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports, taking into account the strict specifications set by the Hellenic Golf Federation and the health & safety conditions that will be valid at that time.

 

More information about the schedule of this year’s event and the unique moments that golfers will experience during the tournament, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo Credit: Greek Maritime Golf Event by Mike Tsolis

Hashtags: #greekmaritimegolfevent #costavarino #navarinohills

Melbourne Museum’s new exhibition ‘Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys’ will be opening on Saturday, April 23.

Melburnians will be able to dive into the trade, spirituality, art, ideas, and culture of ancient Greece in an Australian-first exhibition that brings precious artifacts from Greece exclusively to the Melbourne Museum.

Melbourne famously has the third largest Greek population of any city in the world after Athens and Thessaloniki, and Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys is set to set to engage Melbourne’s Greek community, in addition to the wider Victorian population, in just how crucial ancient Greece has been to humanity’s development.

Melbourne Museum and Greece’s National Archaeological Museum have collaborated on the exhibition, which will take attendees on a journey through the golden age of Greek politics and philosophy, through to the present day. It offers a telling reminder that Greece continues to influence culture, politics, and sport on a wide scale, despite the nation’s population of approximately 10 million people, despite the nation’s deeply troubled economy and position at the forefront of Europe’s struggle with the ongoing migrant and refugee crisis.

Open Horizons will showcase 44 treasures from the Early Bronze age through to the Roman period. Highlights include a 2,500-year-old marble sphinx depicting a female head with the body of a winged lion and a collection of artifacts depicting Heracles, the greatest of all Greek heroes.

“We are excited to be collaborating with the National Archaeological Museum to bring some of the most remarkable artifacts direct from Athens for audiences in Melbourne to enjoy,” Museums Victoria CEO Lynley Crosswell said. 

To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com

Main image: @melbournemuseum

"Oloi Mazi Borume" together with 41 Municipalities of Attica, organizes an event of collecting literary and historical books.

The purpose of this event is to create or strengthen libraries that operate in each Municipality, in the form of a social library, such as libraries in KAPI or wherever books need to be collected.

The action will take place on Saturday 26th February, from 10:00 to 14:00.

Bring life back to the books you read and loved.

Give them away!

The full list of the municipalities can be found in Greek HERE! 

The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) launched a new advertising campaign, touting Greece’s attractions as a city break destination. Coining the word “Greekend,” the campaign encourages people to “end your week like a Greek.”

In its new spot, EOT promotes Athens and Thessaloniki as ideal destinations for travelers looking for a weekend break, stressing the prevailing good weather conditions and easy flight connections. It showcases the offerings tourists can enjoy in Greece’s big cities including the coffee culture, local cuisine, art galleries, shopping destinations, and entertainment venues.

“The Tourism Ministry and EOT are launching the City Break campaign, inviting visitors to discover the well-known and hidden corner of Greek cities,” said Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias.

“Hotels in our cities, particularly Athens and Thessaloniki, have suffered due to the pandemic. This campaign is the first in a series of initiatives we will carry out, inviting visitors to safely enjoy an authentic Greek weekend in our largest cities,” he added.

“The pandemic has negatively impacted urban tourism. In many cases, disproportionately to our other tourist destinations,” said EOT General Secretary Dimitris Fragkakis, adding that “the Greekend campaign seeks to promote a complete tourist product, one that is equal to other established European weekend destinations.”

The new campaign is scheduled to initially run for two months in 10 countries including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Israel.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

 

The Greek Tourism Ministry announced that direct flights from Canada to Athens will begin on April 2.

The announcement followed a meeting between Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and Canada’s Ambassador to Greece Mark Allen at the ministry in Athens.

According to the tourism ministry, Canada’s direct flights to the Greek capital will be carried out for the first time until the end of November, as opposed to previous years when they usually stopped in October.

Minister Kikilias welcomed the development, which he said, combined with the recent lifting of the Covid-19 test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers from Canada, is expected to attract more visitors from the Canadian market.

On his part, Ambassador Allen informed the Greek minister of Tourism that Canada was adjusting its Travel Health Notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2, meaning that the government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Government of Canada will begin a phased easing of travel restrictions as of February 28.

Originally published on: news.gtp.gr

Afrogreco Music Entertainment artistically curates a series of live musical performances in the atmospheric foyer of the historic Jenny Karezi Theater.

On the day of “Tsiknopempti” 24 February the talented Jerome Kaluta steps on the stage of the foyer,where with the accompaniment of guitar, piano and percussion he will present a set of favorite Afro-Funk, RnB and Soul covers as well as songs from his album, Afrogreco as well as passages from more traditional ethnic sounds.

Lipsi, a tiny Greek island in the Dodecanese archipelago, ranks as one of the top 10 alternative travel destinations in the world for 2022, according to Girovagate.com, one of Italy’s largest travel blogs. It. also noted Aspronissi, which has one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Greece, as one of its recommendations for tourists to visit when on Lipsi.-

 

 

What you need to know about Lipsi

There is no direct daily ferry or air connection to the island via mainland Greece, so the options to get there would include a ferry trip from other Dodecanese islands. The Greek islands providing connections to this island paradise are Leros. Patmos, Rhodes, Kalymnos, and Kos.

Lipsi is not just one island, but actually a cluster of islets located in southeastern Aegean. The collective name comes from the largest island of all, Lipsi, which is formed by landmasses joined by a narrow isthmus. Low hills and valleys, as well as a rocky coastline and several bays, are part of the landscape of Lipsi.

Cars and roads are not common on the island; therefore most of the action takes place along the pedestrian seafront promenade. A small fishing port and several must-visit tavernas can also be found, as well. In the town, Chorio, one can taste the famous island octopus dishes in one of the many ouzeries or fish restaurants there. At night, these venues turn into meeting places where people can to go for a drink and live music.

Being a small island, it is quite easy to move around by bike or even by foot on Lipsi. Despite its size, however, there are many churches and monasteries on the island. Locals even say that it’s possible that every family on Lipsi could have a chapel of their very own.

Sights on the Greek island of Lipsi

Koimisis tis Theokou, an austere Byzantine church dating back to the 7th or 8th century AD, is home to an icon of the Virgin Mary holding a crucified Jesus. The church is on the bay that dominates the port, surrounded by a lush landscape with natural springs.

The Archaeological Collection of Lipsi, in the main village, showcases clay artifacts and ancient inscriptions from the Classical, Hellenistic and Christian periods.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com