A great historical sports event revives, linking past and present along with modern History, reminding people of the timeless values of Ancient Greece. The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna represents the revival of the original marathon swimming route, 2.500 years after it was first accomplished by Skyllias and his daughter Hydna, both of whom helped Greece in the historical naval battle of Artemision in the year 480 B.C. The event includes open water swimming races of 10km, 3km and 1.5km, as well as an 800m. swimming race for kids that will take place on July 4-5, 2020, at Pefki, Evia in the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos, on this Olympic year.

The press conference of this historical sports tourism event was hosted at NJV Athens Plaza, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angela Gerekou, Secretary General of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris, Mayor of Istiaia-Edipsos, Mr. Ioannis Kontzias, silver Olympic medalist and world champion, Spyros Gianniotis, Greek national federal technical coach, Nikos Gemelos who has undertaken the technical direction and design of the swimming routes and Active Media Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Akis Tsolis.

During the press conference, Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis stated: “The organizers of this event need to be congratulated for teaching athletes the value and greatness of the historical achievement of those two swimmers. It is fully aligned with our philosophy of extroversion and the development of sports tourism in our areas. Thanks to this event the history of this land is promoted, and an opportunity for publicizing the natural wealth of the area is created, while also assisting in the development of the local economy and employment through the attraction of visitors from all around the country. The philosophy of this event thoroughly identifies with our main goal of making sport a way of life while achieving: improvement in quality of peoples’ lives, promotion of a healthy model of living and preparation of better citizens through sports. We work systematically in order to attract small and medium-sized events that can establish our country as a force in sports tourism”.

The President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angela Gerekou stated: “We support sports tourism, and the Authentic Marathon Swim. As we move forward with our strategy of sustainable tourism growth with regional and thematic specialization, we promote the development of tourism in all our country’s Regions. Moving towards this direction we are in pursuit of significant events that can offer high added value to local communities and our country. In this context, sporting events adopt a vital role, due to the high level of interaction that they possess and due to the physical presence of participants that leads to a significant reach in the overall population. For Greece, sports tourism is pinpointed as a strategic target in the effort of promoting thematic specialization of the 2 Greek tourism product. The new sporting event “The Authentic Marathon Swim”, driven by the historical moment of Skyllias’ and his daughter’s Hydna swim from Afetes to Artemision, aims at creating an event that can offer international recognition and increase tourism levels. Greek National Tourism Organization aligns its position with the Ministry of Tourism and supports the publicization and promotion of such attempts, providing our Auspices, in order to give organizers another motive to achieve the best possible results. By supporting actions that promote thematic forms of tourism, such as sports tourism, we highlight the multiple capabilities of the Greek tourism product, adding to the well-known saying “sun and sea”. We are proving that through cooperation and methodical work we can apply our principles for balanced tourism growth between islands and mainland destinations, so that each region can be benefited, and give benefit back to the economy and the community. Finally, I would like to add that we are in continuous communications with the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos and all responsible bodies in order to have a successful event”.

On behalf of the event’s organization, Mayor of Istiaia-Edipsos, Mr. Ioannis Kontzias stated: “Our Municipality, through the motivation of the historical and cultural background of this land, initiates through the emblematic swimming event “The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna”, a variety of extroversive actions with the goal of developing and boosting our tourism product”.

A statement was also made by silver Olympic champion in open water swimming, as Spyros Gianniotis stated: “This is an historical event that links our past and our present with the glorious times of Ancient Greece. I am honored to be a part of this sporting event being the first Olympic champion in marathon swimming coming from our country. I wish that through this initiative we can attract young champions and great swimmers from all around the world towards marathon swimming, to enjoy this authentic route”.

The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna aims at uniting people of all nations and areas of this world, providing them with an opportunity of discovering and experiencing the history of the authentic marathon swimming route. In an effort of globally promoting the event, the organizers will collaborate with internationally recognized platforms of global events, attracting athletes from abroad. More information on the swimming races and the opening of registrations will be announced in the following weeks.

Many prominent personalities from the area of swimming were present at the press conference. People who have helped and continue to strengthen the Greek sport, each one in their own way and through their position, such as Marianna Lymperta, Dimitris Manganas, Dimitris Negris, Giannis Kotsiopoulos, Spyros Chrysikopoulos, Ioannis Palantzas and Nikolaos Simantiras.

A statement was sent by the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Harry Theoharis, in which he states: “Culture and Tourism are two concepts that are tightly linked, especially when they “meet” in order to illustrate the history of our land. The organization of events that promote culture and tourism, is considered vital by our Ministry and Government, obtaining our full support. An event of this nature is “The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna”. The event that takes place with the permission of the Hellenic Swimming Federation and under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, will attempt to do exactly that, by promoting the historical wealth of Artemision and Greece. A sporting event, that is simultaneously considered to be a staple of tourism and culture, with added value for the local community and the surrounding area as it contributes towards the promotion and the extension of services offered to tourists and customers that visit our country. Sports tourism identifies one of the main forms of thematic tourism, featuring great potential for growth in our 3 country, being considered as one of the immediate priorities in the strategic planning of the Ministry of Tourism for the following decade. Our country, having a mild climate and an unparalleled coastline, is ideal for the development of sports tourism and the organization of such events. I would like to offer my warmest regards and congratulations to the organizers and participants, while noting that such events contribute towards the overall attempt of developing Greek tourism and the promotion of our country”.

Moreover a statement to the organization was sent by the President of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, Mr. Dimitris Diathesopoulos who mentioned: “The Hellenic Swimming Federation, being the most relevant athletic federation, supports your event as it will be held under our auspices and I would like to believe that, similar to other attempts, it will succeed in terms of its organization and in terms of competition. Through this particular event the history of our country is highlighted, as it revives the authentic marathon swim of Skyllias and his daughter Hydna during the historical Naval Battle of Artemision, 2.500 years later. Best wishes to all participants and good luck”.

The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna will be co-organized by the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos and Active Media Group.

 

Anamnesia was the press event’s supporter providing all guests with Greek made unique gifts.

Sports Production: Active Media

Group Hashtag: #authenticmarathonswim

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An abundance of commemorating events such as museum exhibitions, theater productions, and historical re-enactments was planned in Greece to honor the bicentennial of the Greek War of Independence.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow vocalists performed the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo” in a theater empty of spectators. Despo, the title character in Pavlos Carrer’s 1875 opera chooses death over captivity by detonating ammunition stored in a fortress as Ottoman forces close in.

“Artists prepare two or three months for a production and then take that work to an audience,” she said. “Now, we have to generate that energy with no one there. That’s not easy.”

The bicentennial events intended to illustrate Greece’s modern accomplishments have been postponed, scaled back, or moved online due to the pandemic and school parades were canceled on account of the surge in Covid-19 infections.

Like the National Opera, other cultural foundations have formed small work teams to salvage their celebration plans despite the acute financial pressure they are facing due to the ongoing lockdown measures in Greece.


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

While we’re all about the big museums and historical sites in Athens, we also love to go off the beaten path and find something a little unusual. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. If you’re a jewellery lover, you can’t miss the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum. To learn more about musical instruments in Greece, including the bouzouki, you can head to the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments. And to get a better understanding of modern Greece’s political history, try the Political Exile Museum. 

Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments

Music has shaped Greece’s cultural heritage almost as much as marble. This melodic museum contains about half of the 1200 musical instruments amassed over decades by its founder, Fivos Anoyanakis. They’re tucked away in a glorious mansion in Plaka’s backstreets, with a garden inhabited by two colossal tortoises. Inside, you’ll find unexpected additions like the semantron, a long plank accompanied by wooden hammers or bells to call monks to prayer. By pressing a button, you can hear the instruments played through headphones. Upstairs is Greece’s most famous instrument: the bouzouki, which played a starring role in the works of legendary composers Mikis Theodorakis and Vassilis Tsitsanis. The bouzouki still thrills modern-day audiences at the city’s many rebetiko joints, usually accompanied by amplified beats, trays of gardenias to fling in appreciation at the players and singers, and copious amounts of whisky.

Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum

The perfect museum for those who prefer their history lessons to sparkle. In a handsome building that once served as the workshop of Ilias Lalaounis, a Greek jeweler to the stars, this museum tells the story of adornment through the ages. The glittering collections are based on motifs and artifacts from the Stone Age, the Minoan civilization, and Byzantium, all the way to the 20th century. The most eye-catching items are the massive gold pieces, almost like armor, displayed on life-sized mannequins: huge circular plates dripping with gold discs, and a thick serpent twined from neck to breast. But it’s in the foyer that you’ll find this museum’s rarest showing: a fully functioning artists’ studio, where resident goldsmiths and silversmiths follow traditional techniques, including Lalaounis’ trademark practices of hand-hammering, hand-weaving, filigree ‘embroidery’ and granulation.

Hellenic Motor Museum

Not renowned for its automotive tradition, Greece might seem an odd place for a motor museum. But there are many super-car collectors in Greece, many of them ship-owners with a penchant for sleek, fast-moving machines. One such magnate is Theodore Haragionis, whose car collection got so out of control that he created a museum to house it. Parked on three levels is a rotating display from his 300-strong collection, divided into antique, veteran, vintage, classic, and contemporary. Everything from horseless carriages and a Model T Ford (the first ‘real’ car) to a fleet of flame-red Ferraris. There’s also a small section devoted to models from the little-known and short-lived Greek car industry. Petrolheads of all ages will love it.

To read this article in full and discover even more unique museums in Athens, please visit: thisisathens.org

 

On July 22nd the grand historical exhibition "1974 & 1944: Athens Celebrates Its Freedom" was presented for the first time to journalists, in the presence of the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas. This unique exhibition honors both landmark anniversaries for the city and the country: the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in 1974 and the 80 years since the liberation of Athens from Nazi occupation in 1944.



Designed and implemented by the Technopolis City of Athens in collaboration with the Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI), the General State Archives, and the Historical Archive of the City of Athens, the exhibition is hosted in a space of particular historical significance, in the heart of Athens. The Arts Center of the Culture, Sports & Youth Organization of the City of Athens (OPANDA) at Parko Eleftherias is located in the monumental area of the old detention centers of the EAT-ESA Administration, and now serves as an important cultural space, a hub of free speech, creativity, and cultural renaissance.

In his greeting, Mayor Haris Doukas emphasized, "Every discussion about the past concerns the present and cares for the future. This saying of historians is the starting point for the rich activities and events organized by the City of Athens on the occasion of two landmark anniversaries: 80 years since the liberation of Athens from Nazi occupation and 50 years since the restoration of democracy in 1974. We want Athens to celebrate, remember, learn, reflect, look at its history, and especially consider the future. Defending our democracy is everyone's business. I think we need to take from this year's anniversary the need for a collective effort to safeguard what has been achieved."



Conveying messages of optimism, the exhibition focuses on the feelings of joy and hope that these two great moments for Democracy and Freedom generated among Athenians, while also serving as the centerpiece of the rich program of anniversary events organized by the City of Athens throughout the city until November.

Mayor Haris Doukas and the attendees had the opportunity to tour the two main sections of the exhibition: "A Brief Breath of Freedom" and "The Great Moment of Democracy." Dedicated to the events of 1944 and 1974 respectively, they include more than 500 exhibits, including rare photographs, artworks, period newspapers, posters, proclamations, personal items, newsreels, and rich audiovisual archival material. The tour was conducted by Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Athens and scientific director of the exhibition, Vangelis Karamanolakis, who provided a lively and narrative approach to the historical context of the two anniversaries, highlighting the details, aspects, and emotions that stem from the rare exhibits of the exhibition.

Mr. Karamanolakis stated, "The exhibition is dedicated to two unique moments in the 20th-century Greek history. Two moments in which Athens was at the center of developments and celebrations. Without conflating the two anniversaries, of 1944 and 1974, the exhibition seeks to highlight the common elements that characterized them, as well as to reflect on each historical context and the different burdens each carried, leading in one case to civil conflict and in the other to the foundation of the Third Hellenic Republic. A tribute to those who fought for freedom, a libation to the joy and hopes born from the days of the fall of Nazi Occupation and the seven-year dictatorship."




The exhibition "1974 & 1944: Athens Celebrates Its Freedom" is open to the public from July 23 to October 28, 2024, with free admission.

The City of Athens honors these two significant milestones for the country's free and democratic course as well as the struggles of the Greek people for national independence, freedom, and democracy, organizing a rich program of events. Through various performances, artistic and educational activities spread across many landmarks of Athens and its numerous neighborhoods until next November, with free admission for most of them, the City highlights the living historical memory of the city while opening a necessary dialogue with our recent history.

Starting in September, the activities include lectures, discussions, screenings, guided tours for adults, special guided tours by the exhibition curators, educational programs, and an insert of contemporary dance and dance performances.

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You can see the full program of anniversary events organized by the City of Athens, in Greek, HERE!

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If you’re planning to bring your vehicle to Greece, it’s crucial to understand the legal, tax, and administrative requirements involved. This guide, prepared by the team at Expat Law, outlines the essential steps for importing and registering a used car in Greece, from customs clearance to calculating taxes, and highlights how professional support can streamline the process and reduce the risk of costly delays or penalties.

Importing a vehicle into Greece involves several key stages, especially if it’s coming from another EU member state or a non-EU country. Here’s a breakdown of the main steps:

Expat Law takes the hassle out of vehicle registration by managing every step of the process for you. Instead of filing the NOVA Declaration in Greek yourself, they handle the submission on your behalf. Customs clearance, which would usually require you to coordinate directly, is fully managed by their team. They also take care of calculating the registration levy and environmental tax, ensuring everything is accurately assessed. No need for you to collect or prepare documentation either—the team at Expat Law prepares and submits everything for you. When it comes to the technical inspection (KTEO), they schedule and manage it, so you don’t have to worry about booking or attending. Finally, the license plate registration, which typically involves a trip to the transport office, is completed smoothly through Expat Law, making the entire process stress-free and seamless.

For EU Imports:

• Original foreign vehicle registration
• NOVA confirmation receipt
• Purchase invoice or contract
• Emissions certificate (CO₂ & Euro standard) 
• Declaration of mileage (Law 1599/1986)
• Road insurance policy (Greek-registered)
• KTEO Certificate (if vehicle is older than 4 years)

For Non-EU Imports:

All EU documents, plus:

• Customs clearance documents
• Import duty & VAT receipts

The costs associated with importing a car to Greece are primarily determined by the vehicle’s age, CO₂ emissions, Euro standard, and original list price. The two main tax-related expenses are:

• Registration Levy
• Environmental Tax, if applicable.

To illustrate this, here’s a real-world example based on an actual case handled by the Expat Law office:

• Model: VW Golf TDI
• Year of First Registration: 2018
• Euro Standard: Euro 6d-TEMP
• CO₂ Emissions: 120 g/km
• Original New Price: €25,450
• Purchase Price: €12,000

• Original New Price (Factory List): €25,450
• Vehicle Age: 6 years
• Depreciation Rate (based on Greek tax code): 73%

Taxable Value: €25,450 × (1 - 0.73) = €6,871

• CO₂ Emissions: 120 g/km
• Euro Emissions Standard: Euro 6d-TEMP (latest diesel standard)
• Based on these factors, the registration levy is approximately 32% of the depreciated value: €6,871 × 32% = €2,198

Greece imposes an Environmental Tax on imported used cars that fall below the Euro 6 standard. In this case, the vehicle was fully exempt from this tax.

Item	Estimated Cost (€)	Notes
Registration Levy	€2198	Based on emissions & taxable value
Environmental Tax	€0	Exempt
KTEO Inspection (if applicable)	~€50	Roadworthiness check required after 4 years
Registration Fees & License Plates	€75–€175	Includes Greek registration documents and plates
Subtotal  (Public Charges Only)	~€2323-€2348	Excludes legal, handling, and coordination fees

Note: The subtotal above covers only publicly assessed taxes and registration-related charges. Additional costs may apply for legal representation, document preparation, and coordination services.

If you’re looking for help with importing and registering your vehicle in Greece, Expat Law is here to make the process easy and stress-free. Their approach is transparent, compliant, and designed to save you time and money. Whether you need expert guidance or just have a few questions, Expat Law’s team is ready to assist you every step of the way. 

Get in touch today via email at support@expatlaw.gr, call +30 2108323169, or visit www.expatlaw.gr!

For any other questions, contact us and we will be happy to provide the assistance you need!

 

The Byzantine emperors, it is said, regularly exiled dissident members of their court to Kastoria. Like Ochrid to the north, half-way across the breadth of the Balkans on an artery reaching from Constantinople to the Adriatic Sea, evidently exile in this little Greek lakeside resort was meant to be a chastening punishment.

Today, such punishment is a rare pleasure. Kastoria boasts a Byzantine heritage that seems second to Constantinople. But, unlike Istanbul, this little town in summertime enjoys a captivating serenity. In wintertime, I should add, it is entirely different, so they say. For this is the fur capital of Greece, a status it owes to its ancient heritage of trapping beaver (beaver in Greek being kastori, with the plural being kastoria) in Lake Orestiadha. An inexplicable number of shops fit out Greece’s best-dressed women in bulky coats as well as tight leather, risking political incorrectness in most other European countries.

Lake Orestiadha is graced by pelicans. These bewitchingly beautiful birds circle around the lakeside like jumbo jets before effortlessly descending, twisting then gliding to plop onto the water close to shore alongside the ungainly but distinctive watercraft here. The restless pelicans catch your eye as you enter the town, which has colonised the isthmus of a steep and bulbous promontory reaching out into the northern part of the lake. Refurbished Roman fortifications belonging to ancient Celetrum were probably first renovated in the 6th century AD when this had become Justinianopolis. These were strengthened again with 13th century bastions by the Epirot Despots. The unevenly restored walls extend across the narrow neck, in front of which is the daily market of local farmers, men and women from the slopes of the Grammos mountains, wizened by long summers. Rising steeply behind the walls is the modern town with its roots in Byzantium and the Ottoman age. Along the west-facing shoreline is a string of bright cafés; this is the heart of the present city. By contrast, the east-facing shoreline, tracked by a promenade, is shaded by planes and has an elegiac air. Here the discrete sense of serenity is profound as the trees drift past the excellent Kastoria Hotel into the thicker woodland that shrouds the narrow sylvan track that winds around the promontory a distance of some six miles.