Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to go
Sprawling, globalized
Athens
is an obligatory, almost unavoidable introduction to
Greece: home to over a third of the population, it is on first acquaintance a nightmare
for many, but also - as Greeks themselves often joke -
tó megálo horió
: the largest
“village” in the country. Aside from the show-stopping Acropolis it offers a truly
metropolitan range of cultural diversions, from museums to concerts; well-stocked shops;
gourmet restaurants and stimulating clubs, plus an excellent transport infrastructure.
Thessaloníki
, the metropolis of the north, has emerged in its own right as a lively,
sophisticated place with restaurants and nightlife to match that of Athens, Byzantine
monuments compensating for a lack of “ancient” ones, and - among the inhabitants - a
tremendous capacity for enjoying life.
Apart from these cities the
mainland
shows its best side in the well-preserved
Classical
ruins
of Corinth, Olympia and Delphi, the frescoed Byzantine churches and monasteries
at Mount Áthos, Metéora, Ósios Loukás, Kastoriá, Árta and Mystra, the massive
fortiied
towns
of Monemvasiá, Náfplio, Koróni and Methóni, the distinctive architecture of
Zagóri and the Máni, and the long,
sandy beaches
of the
Peloponnese
and the Pelion
peninsula. Perhaps more surprisingly, the mainland mountains offer some of the best and
least-exploited
hiking
, rafting, canyoning and
skiing
in Europe.
Out in the Aegean or Ionian seas, you're more spoilt for choice. Perhaps the best strategy
for first-time visitors is to sample assorted islands from nearby archipelagos - Crete, the
Dodecanese, the Cyclades and the northeast Aegean are all reasonably well connected with
