Greece (Hellas), set in the rugged, mountainous southern extremity of the Balkan peninsula, was the birthplace of Western civilisation. Western philosophy and science, architecture and drama, democratic ideals and athletic traditions had their roots in the land of Homer, Socrates, and Alexander the Great. Ancient Greece experienced its age of greatest glory in the 5th century BC. It declined through the repeated wars of its city-states, which eventually came under Roman rule. The Middle Ages brought decline under the successive domination of Byzantines, Slavs, crusading “Franks”, and Turks. The cities and monuments of the classical age fell into ruins, only to be rediscovered in modern times. Travellers have visited Greece since ancient times in search of this glorious cultural legacy, evident in the great ruins and monuments of the classical age: the Athenian Acropolis, Delphi, Olympia, Delos, and others. In recent years, a different type of visitor has been lured to Greece by the sun, the sea, and the sensual pleasures of a Mediterranean vacation. Greek island-hopping has become a recognised rite of passage for the international backpacking community, while millions take advantage each year of package holidays in Crete or Rhodes.

The modern Greek state was created in the 19th century after a traumatic rebellion and war against Ottoman Turkish rule and survived civil war and military dictatorship to emerge as a full member of the European Union. More than a third of the 10 million Greeks live in Athens, the bustling capital.

The Greek climate is dry, although the landscape displays striking regional variations: the rocky barrenness of the Cyclades contrasts with the lush subtropical greenery of Corfu or the western Peloponnese. The serrated coastline and the presence of 1,300 islands—about 80 of them permanently settled—have made Greeks a seagoing race since ancient times, and shipping remains the country's largest revenue earner after tourism. The villages and small towns of Greece cling to the gulfs and crevices of this mountainous land. Their traditions have been shaped over many centuries of struggle with the elements, and do not easily submit to the levelling forces of modernisation. Nor has modern culture swept through this country with the same vigour as elsewhere in Europe. By international standards, Greece was a cultural backwater until the 1990s, when Athens's new concert hall transformed the city's standing as an international centre for classical music. The annual Athens Festival also lures an international audience.

 

The Parthenon, the greatest monument of classical Greek architecture, crowns the Acropolis of Athens (Athína) like a majestic diadem; a dozen other important ruins and ancient monuments stand amid the busy streets of the modern city as reminders of the glories of a bygone era. Ancient Athens was the birthplace of Greek democracy, philosophy, and drama. It reached the pinnacle of its power under the leadership of Pericles from 462 to 439 BC. Modern Athens (population 3.1 million) is a relatively new city, dating largely from the early 19th century, which was made the capital of the new Greek state in 1834. Despite the size of the capital, the old town district of Pláka, and the nearby bazaar retain the bustling atmosphere of a small Greek town.

 

Greece is situated in Southeastern Europe, with an area of 131,957 sq.km. and a population of 10,964,020.

Athens is the capital of Greece with a population of 3,192,606.

The Greek economy adopts the principles of free enterprise and is bound by the regulations of international organisations such as ECOFIN and WTO, of which it is a member.

 

In Greece, you are standing at a crossroads of cultures, colours and civilisations, you feel the strength of history and the warmth of being in the southernmost part of Europe, you discover an evolutionary process of thought, influence and experience.

Greece has an abundance of resources that tourists with ecological and cultural interests will find attractive. The wealth of cultural as well as ecological resources, both biotic and abiotic, constitute a special comparative advantage of the country for those interested in the conservation of cultural diversity, bio-diversity and eco-systems. These resources are marked by their wide variety, rareness and distinctiveness and are found in areas many of which have already been placed under special protection.  

 

Greece is a country with a vast wealth of cultural tradition and folklore.  Visitors, therefore, have many opportunities to enrich their travels by attending the various cultural or sports events held in every region of the country, to participate in the festivities that often are connected with enchanting customs and get acquainted with unknown but extremely interesting aspects of Greek folklore heritage. 

 

Patras (Pátra), the third largest city in Greece, is a busy modern metropolis with very little to offer in terms of historic sights or urban charm. The chief monument is the new church of Ágios Andréas completed in 1979 to receive the relics of Saint Andrew which were removed from Patras in the Middle Ages and returned by Pope John Paul II. Patras is Greece's second most important commercial port after Piraeus, and there are also passenger ferry terminals for Corfu and various Italian ports. The Patras carnival lasts for three weeks and is the most spectacular in Greece.

 

Iraklion (Heracleion (Iráklio)), the capital and principal port of Crete was formerly the Venetian stronghold of Candia, which the Ottoman Turks captured in 1669 after a famous 21-year siege. Impressive 16th-century bastions still surround the city centre, and a Venetian fortress guards the harbour. Much of the city centre has been rebuilt in the 20th century, but it remains a very important tourist destination because of the outstanding Archaeological Museum, containing finds from the Minoan palace at Knossós. Knossós itself, the legendary home of King Minos, is only 5 kilometres (3 miles) south of the city.

 

Rhodes (Ródos), the capital city of the Dodecanese group of islands, consists of two towns with distinct characters. The modern city is uninteresting except for the lively promenade around Mandráki harbour lined with cafés and tavernas. The old town is a wonderfully attractive historic area enclosed by the medieval city walls, dominated by the fortifications, palaces, and other buildings of the Knights of St John, who controlled Rhodes in the 15th and 16th centuries. The area still carries the scars of bombing during World War II, which left many old buildings in ruins. A few ruins of ancient Rhodes exist on the Acropolis west of the town.

 

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