Lonely Planet has recently released their 'Best In Europe' list for European destinations you must see in 2016. Coming in at #1 is the Peloponnese in Greece! Here’s what the popular travel website had to say about this must-see European destination!

‘Travellers to Greece tend to flock to the myriad islands or marvel at the iconic Acropolis, but one of the country’s most diverse, vibrant regions is often forgotten: the Peloponnese. It remains an affordable enclave of magnificent ancient sights like Olympia, Mycenae and Mystras, which are scattered across a rich landscape of stone villages, teal seas and snow-capped mountains.

2016 brings the chance to hike the Peloponnese’s new Menalon trail or take a tipple in the Nemean wine region, with its vintages gaining prominence around the globe. You can dive shipwrecks off the Navarino coast or visit the wild and remote Mani, home to ancient stone towers converted into boutique luxury lodgings. Beautiful Nafplio blends contemporary art with atmospheric architecture and classic town squares, ideal for a long, lazy lunch.’

Lonely Planet also says that the Peloponnese is a great place to see traditional Greek life, its history, and beautiful landscapes!

To see this article in full and the rest of the 'Best In Europe' list, please visit: Lonely Planet

Homer’s Iliad is widely considered the founding text of western literature and is generally regarded as a piece primarily concerned with war and conflict. It has been compared to the Hebrew Old Testament in that it emphasizes the moral nature of man, his vices, flaws, fears, and finally, the redemptive, cathartic notions that allow its protagonists to achieve peace.

Apart from concepts dealing with man’s psyche, the Iliad also reveals ideas that would generally be considered more modern. These two profound passages reveal that Homer even dealt with ideas of animal activism and environmentalism.

In book 17 of the Iliad, Homer sings how the two immortal horses of Achilles cried for the death of Patroclus, his corpse covered in dust and blood. Zeus from his heavenly throne looks upon the suffering animals “Unhappy pair, why did we give you, ageless and immortal, to that mortal king, Peleus? Did we mean you to sorrow with these wretched men? For what is there more miserable than man, among all the things that move and breathe on earth?”

However, Homer did not just write about the nobility of animals but went on to script on environmental defense.

In book 21 of the Iliad, the warrior Achilles wishes to avenge his friend Patroclus and kills all the enemies he can, throwing their corpses into the river Xanthus. The river Xanthus stinks with the pestilence of rotten bodies and its waters run full of blood and flesh. The great river god asks Achilles to stop contaminating its waters, formerly clean and crystalline. Achilles replies that he will throw whatever he wants wherever he so chooses! The great river god then raises himself, pounding with turbulent waters and tides upon Achilles who begins to drown. Achilles is only saved thanks to the help of the god Vulcan who burns the river with fire.

There are many interesting things to do in Berlin, Germany, and it might surprise you that many of the city's sights are influenced by Greek art and culture. Here are few things not to miss while in Berlin.

Here you will find Greek artifacts including the reconstruction of Greek buildings from the ancient city of Miletus in Ionia, such as Pergamon Altar and the market gate of Miletus, whose parts were transported from the ancient city itself. You will also discover a piece of Greek history as the brilliant collection of antiquities that includes the altar of Pergamon, which dates back to the 2nd century BC.

Built between 1788-1791 and located in the center of the city, the Brandenburger Gate was designed by Karl Gkotcharnt Langkchans and is based on the Propylaea of the Acropolis in Athens. If you look closer, you will find that on both sides of the monument there are scenes from Greek mythology!

At the outdoor/indoor history museum in Berlin called the Topography of Terror museum, you will see compelling exhibits documenting the terror of the Nazi regime. The museum is built on the site where buildings were used by the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 as the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS.

The Nazi regime destroyed much of Greece and completely demolished many Greek villages. It is a dark time in the history of Europe, and you can learn more about it at the museum through photographic and audiovisual material which has a special section dedicated to Nazi occupation in Greece.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

Greece is one of the best countries in the world to travel with children. Rather than just catering to kids with entertainment parks and special menus, the Greeks will welcome them with true warmth and a natural sense of inclusion in all activities. Expect locals to make a friendly fuss over your kids and try to treat Greek kids the same way, and a good time will be had by all.

With ruins to clamber over and child-geared sights to explore, there is plenty to keep children busy in Athens. From the Acropolis to the Ancient Agora, kids can retrace ancient history. Bring a book of Greek myths to read for bedtime stories, and they will have plenty to enliven the imagination.

Athens’ shady National Gardens has a playground, duck pond and mini zoo, or look for the fountain stocked with swimming turtles in neighbouring Zappeio Gardens. You can escape the heat and entertain the kids with a virtual-reality tour of Ancient Greece at the Hellenic Cosmos or explore the universe at the impressive Planetarium. At the War Museum, kids can climb into the cockpit of a WWII plane and check out other aircraft in the courtyard.

The Museum of Greek Children’s Art has a room set aside where children can let loose their creative energy and learn about Ancient Greece. At the Hellenic Children’s Museum kids can join Greek cooking and craft classes. A bit like a play centre, it has a games room and a number of exhibits for children to explore.

Further afield on the outskirts of the city, the enormous Allou Fun Park and Kidom is Athens' biggest amusement-park complex.

The sugar-cube island villages, glorious beaches and speedy catamarans linking the Cyclades daily make this island group ideal for families. In fact, when you think ‘Greek island holiday’ you’re probably imagining the iconic Cyclades. Many of the islands also offer outdoor activities and beach-side gear rental. For budding teenage kitesurfers, Paros has some world-class sandy beaches with ideal conditions for kitesurfing. Wee coastal explorers will enjoy Milos with its multihued volcanic beaches. Naxos offers both beach life and striking temples, plus interior mountains so you can mix water play with relaxed local culture. You can easily set up on one island for your whole holiday, or jump between several.



From the ancient theatre at Epidavros where you can hear a pin drop a hundred meters away, to Ancient Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games, the Peloponnese is a playground of splendid kid-friendly historical sites. It also has the wonderful, walkable Venetian city of Nafplio. You could easily spend your whole holiday criss-crossing the villages and ruins of the Peloponnese, where the way of life remains refreshingly non-touristy.

To read more, please visit: Lonely Planet

Public transport services in the Greek capital will be reduced over the holidays to allow workers the chance to enjoy Christmas and New Year's with their families, operator OASA has said.

 

On December 31, Athens buses and trolley buses will start pulling-off the streets at around 9 p.m. in order to be in their respective depots by 11 p.m. Between January 1 and 3, buses and trolley buses will run at less frequent intervals, according to the typical Sunday bus schedule.

On New Year’s Eve, the last ISAP electric railway service will be at 10.00 p.m. while the railway will run on a restricted weekend schedule through Sunday, January 6.

 

The same measures apply for lines 1 and 2 of the Athens metro which, on New Year’s Eve, will run its last service at 10 p.m. These changes will also affect service to and from Athens International Airport.

 

Tram commuters are advised that service will be less frequent through January 4, while the last service on New Year's Eve will be at 9 p.m. 

 

For details and schedules, visit www.oasa.gr or call 11 185

Article Source: Greece-is.com

August is not only the most laid back month in Greece, it also has one of the most celebrated hoidays in the country, August 15th. Learn all about this big day and how locals celebrate it with different traditions!

As part of its anti-graffiti campaign, the Municipality of Athens took on the initiative of delivering Ermou street back to the public free of paints and slogans. 

This big operation was conducted by the municipality's cleaning units, under the coordination of Deputy Mayor for Cleaning and Recycling, Nikos Avramidis. The specialized crews worked for more than 18 days in order to overturn the image of abandonment in an area brimming with important archaeological findings. 

After years of aesthetic vandalism, the stone-built wall of 2,300 m², located at the archaeological site of Kerameikos, is now, once again, sparkling clean. Six hundred liters of solvent and 88 tons of water were used in order to remove years of graffiti, while the specialized crews used 200 liters of special liquid to ensure the wall's protection against future vandalism.  At the same time, graffiti of aesthetic and artistic value was protected with special coverings, which act as a deterrent against any type of vandalism. 

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.

 

The Unique Olympic Road Running Race returns with a magnificent sports, cultural, tourist and covid-safe Olympic event spreading a message of global solidarity, unity and hope for a brighter future.

The 4th "Olympic Day Run" Greece, the only Olympic Road Running Race in the country, which is organized under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee to celebrate the International Olympic Day bearing the hallmark of the Olympic cycles, is fast approaching. The entire Olympic family has set its appointment at the event’s starting line, on Sunday, September 26, 2021, in Thessaloniki.

Olympians, Paralympians, distinguished athletes and coaches, sports clubs and associations from all over the country, as well as active citizens, will meet at the starting line for the supreme Olympic road running event of the country, People of all ages will join their steps honoring the Olympic spirit and ‘fair play’ by spreading a message of global solidarity, unity and hope for a brighter future. This year, the Olympic Day Run GREECE joins forces with “The Smile of the Child” in order to offer more smiles to children who need it. With every registration in the social contribution packages of the 10, 5 or 2 km races, you offer 3 euros to the Organization’s continuous effort so that all children can have everything they deserve and are entitled to.

The 4th Olympic Day Run Greece promises a covid-safe experience, with a health & safety protocol approved by the Health Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports and the responsible health bodies. The races’ approved health protocol gives the right to runners over 12 years old to take part. All participants must provide a vaccination certificate or a recovery certificate up to 15 days before receiving their participation kits from the Registration Center or a 48-hours negative rapid test or a negative 72-hours PCR test. For unvaccinated children 12-16 years old, a negative 24-hours self-test must be provided before the event.

All finishers will receive a commemorative medal and a commemorative certificate of participation by the International Olympic Committee, while the winners will receive special prizes of the 4th "Olympic Day Run” Greece.

The “Olympic Day Run” Greece, the certified Race by AIMS, Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, will start at 18:00 in the afternoon with the 10km running race. At 19:30 the 5km race will follow, while the event’s schedule will be completed at 21:00 with the 2km road running race of social contribution and dynamic walking. All routes have a starting and finishing point on Alexander the Great Avenue (at the height of the "Umbrella" sculpture).

“Olympic Day Run” Greece offers a unique sports tourism experience. In collaboration with “Greece on the Go” the event suggests 2-7 days tourist accommodation packages, to get acquainted with Greece’s culture. At the same time, the “Grand Tour”, the race’s special vacation package which includes tours in archeological sites promises the acquaintance with the country’s Olympic history. For more information you may visit the websites of olympicdayrun.gr and greeceonthego.gr.

Special jewelry line inspired by the Olympic spirit
For the first time, Olympic Day Run Greece introduces a new line of jewelry specially designed and inspired by the Olympic spirit. The “ANATASIS” limited edition jewelry series has been designed by the jewelry artist Sofia Zarari. Inspired by the Olympic Idea’s values ​​and ideals, the “Anatasis” jewelry collection is the artistic expression of collaboration and inspiration between Sofia Zarari and the Olympic Museum. At this time of critical juncture for all humanity, the glorified way of life that Olympism promotes through the principles of peace, tolerance, fair play, sportsmanship, is an imperative need for society, so that all people can coexist peacefully. Values ​​that on an individual and collective level strengthen the spirit and elevate the soul. For more information about the collection, you may visit olympicdayrun.gr.

The 4th Olympic Day Run GREECE is organized by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Academy, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Olympic Museum, the Hellenic Olympians Association, SEGAS and EAS SEGAS Thessaloniki and DKO OLYMPiA  with the participation of Olympians, Paralympians, Distinguished Athletes, Sports Clubs and Institutional Bodies from all over the country, with the support of the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, the Greek Paralympians Association, the Region of Central Macedonia and Thessaloniki International Fair-HELEXPO. The event is held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for Unesco, the Ministry of Interior of the Macedonia-Thrace Sector, the General Secretariat of Sports, and the Municipalities of Ampelokipi-Menemeni, Thermi, Kalamaria, Kordelio-Evosmos, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Pylaia-Chortiatis, Volvi, Delta, Thermaikos, Lagadas, Chalkidona, Oreokastro, Almopia, Aristotelis, Dion-Olympos, Emmanuel Pappas, Iraklia, Kavala, Kassandra, Kilkis, Naoussa, Polygyros, Serres and Skydra.

The Olympic Museum and Olympic Day Run Gold Sponsor, PROTERGIA, the Grand Sponsor, Ethniki Asfalistiki, the Race’s Silver Sponsors, Thessaloniki Transport Authority (OSETH) and Alumil, the Bronze Sponsors, Masoutis and Evlogimeno, the Sponsor, Goulidis, the Supply Sponsors, Athos, Dole and Red Bull, the hospitality sponsor Grand Hotel Palace, the Transportation Sponsor, EcoCar, the Equipment Sponsor, Thessaloniki Tourism Organization and the event’s Tourist Support Agency, Greece on the Go, they all serve the vision of Olympism and offer their kind assistance for the implementation of the project. Moreover, they contribute to the country’s promotion on the Olympic world map, as well as to the dissemination of the Olympic values ​​to a better future. 

The Olympic Day Run’s ultimate Olympic experience is waiting for you!

Register now HERE until 22/09.

The Olympic Day Run GREECE is the official global institution for the celebration of the International Olympic Day. Established by the International Olympic Committee, the organizing authority of the Olympic Games, it aims at spreading the Olympic idea. The worldwide celebration for the establishment of the International Olympic Committee and its decision of organizing the first Modern Olympic Games (ATHENS 1896), sheds the light on Greece, while it raises the country’s position in the Olympic and tourism world map.

With low pollution levels and CO2 emissions, Rhodes has been crowned as the world's most sustainable tourist destination, according to a survey by DiscoverCars.com, with Santorini coming in fourth.

Researchers explored a number of ranking factors in order to discover which of this year’s trending holiday destinations are the most sustainable.

They used the following criteria: closest airport, climate impact (in terms of CO2 emissions by a round flight from London Heathrow to the destination), hotels with electric vehicle charging points, the number of vegan restaurants and nature spots, and pollution levels.

Rhodes scored 67 points out of 100, ahead of Spain’s Ibiza (64) and Majorca (63). Santorini also scored 63.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

Main image: @lindos.rhodes.greece

Athens airport has been crowned the ultimate best in Europe according to rankings from user review ratings on Google compiled by Holidu, a British search engine for holiday rentals.

Being Greece’s main and largest airport, the Eleftherios Venizelos – Athens International Airport scored a whopping 4.4 stars out of 5 from 24,467 reviews.

The ratings placed the airport in top position outcompeting Zürich Airport -Switzerland, Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport – Portugal, Alicante International Airport – Spain, and Malta International Airport in second to fifth positions, respectively.

What is outstanding about Athens Airport?

Located thirty-three kilometers away from the city center, Athens International Airport according to user ratings, “has so much to offer its travelers” revealed Holidu.

In case of a layover, passengers at Athens Airport “can enjoy baggage storage options, airport lounges, archaeological artifacts exhibitions, and a wide selection of restaurants and cafes,” Holidu said.

The airport also offers a conducive play area for children and a health and wellness center, which make makes it outstanding for travelers in Europe.

The above qualities crown the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport the European aviation giant base for many travelers.

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