On the eve of the summer season, many are faced with the question - how to spend a long-awaited vacation ?! The choice, as we understand it, is not great, but for those who are not afraid to take risks (remember the recently canceled tours to Turkey), Greece opens its borders for us.
Greece is one of the most amazing and unique in its beauty countries in Europe. Located in the south of the continent, on the Balkan Peninsula, it is small both in terms of territory - the area, together with the islands adjacent to the coast of Asia Minor, is 131,994 km2, and in terms of population, which numbers 10.3 million people. However, in terms of historical, cultural, archaeological and linguistic heritage, not every large state can compare with Greece. The capital of Athens is the oldest and most beautiful city in the world, a metropolis with a population of 4 million, founded around the 7th millennium BC.
Hellas - as the Greeks themselves call their homeland - is filled with various sights, a significant part of which dates back to ancient times. No wonder they say that in Greece, antiquities are found literally at every turn. Wherever you find yourself - in Athens or Delphi, in Thebes or Meteora, on the holy Mount Athos or in rock monasteries - everywhere you will get acquainted with interesting monuments, original folk traditions. Here, in the homeland of Homer and Pythagoras, Sophocles and Democritus, Aristotle, Euripides, Plato and other famous personalities of the past, you will get such vivid impressions that you will definitely want to come here again!
Greece is also a gentle sun, excellent beaches, warm sea with crystal clear water and picturesque islands. It is not for nothing that the country is called a paradise for tourism and recreation. The mild subtropical climate is in amazing harmony with the exquisite beauty of nature. It is unlikely that anywhere else you will see such pretty villages perched on the mountain slopes, or red-tiled houses immersed in dense greenery. And it does not matter at all for what purpose the traveler sets foot on this blessed land - to deeply study its historical heritage or just lazily lie on the beach. One thing is clear: in Greece, everyone will find something to their liking and will never regret the trip.
Athens
Athens is a special city: no European capital can boast of such a historical and cultural heritage. It is rightly called the cradle of democracy and Western civilization. The life of Athens still revolves around the witness of its birth and prosperity - the Acropolis, one of the seven hills surrounding the city, which rises above it like a stone ship, on the deck of which the ancient Parthenon is located.
Athens became the capital of modern Greece since the 1830s, the time when an independent state was proclaimed. Since then, the city has experienced an unprecedented rise. In 1923, the number of inhabitants here almost doubled in one day as a result of the population exchange with Turkey.
Due to the rapid post-war economic growth and the real boom that followed the entry of Greece into the European Union in 1981, the suburbs captured the entire historical part of the city. Athens has become an octopus city: it is estimated that its population is about 4 million inhabitants, 750,000 of whom live within the official city limits.
The new dynamic city has undergone a major transformation since the 2004 Olympics. Years of grandiose works modernized and beautified the city. A new airport has been launched, new metro lines have been launched, museums have been updated.
Of course, the problems of pollution and overpopulation remain, and few people fall in love with Athens at first sight... But you can't help but succumb to the charm generated by the contrasts of this amazing mixture of an ancient holy city and a 21st century capital. Athens owes its uniqueness to the numerous neighborhoods that have an inimitable character: the traditional Plaka, the industrial Ghazi, Monastraki with their new dawn with their flea markets, the shopping Psiri entering the markets, the working Omonia, the business Syntagma, the bourgeois Kolonaki ... not to mention Piraeus, which is, in fact, an independent city.
Crete
The island of Crete, washed by the Libyan, Cretan and Ionian seas of the Mediterranean basin, is located at the meeting point of three parts of the world - Europe, Africa and Asia. Wonderful climate, gentle sea, picturesque landscape, unforgettable cuisine, an abundance of unique ancient sights - everything in Crete is conducive to relaxation and complete detachment from worries.
Crete is the southernmost and largest island of Greece, stretching for 260 km from west to east. It is much narrower in width - from 12 to 57 km. The relief of Crete is mostly mountainous, with many caves and gorges. Mountains and hills alternate with fertile valleys planted with vineyards, olive and citrus plantations.
The island is divided into 4 regions: western Chania, central Rethymno and Heraklion, and southern Lassithi. The beaches of the island are famous for their cleanliness, many of them have been awarded the EU blue flag for cleanliness, safety and environmental friendliness.
There were many dramatic events in the history of Crete: an earthquake and a volcano explosion that destroyed the Minoan civilization, the conquest by the Byzantines, Romans, Turks, Arabs. Each people who came here brought their own elements to the culture of the island, created palaces, churches, monasteries, fortresses, many of which have survived in one form or another to this day.
About 650 thousand people live in Crete. The islanders are famous for their hospitality; they treat Russian guests with sincere disposition based on respect and community of religion.
The climate on the island is mild, subtropical, considered the best in Europe, the atmospheric pressure almost does not change, which is important for weather-dependent people. There are almost no cloudy days in Crete. April and May are perfect for lovers of excursions and nature - the weather at this time is comfortable for frequent trips, and the whole area is immersed in spring flowers. The swimming season starts at the end of April and continues until the end of October. The air in May warms up to +24 degrees, in July and August - up to +30. The sea in summer is heated to a comfortable +26 +27 degrees.
Zakynthos island
Zakynthos is one of the resort islands of the Ionian archipelago belonging to Greece. With its outlines, the island of Zakynthos resembles a cheerful penguin who decided to swim in the warm Ionian Sea to the west of the Peloponnese peninsula. This embossed island of such an original form is actually the top of a mountain, densely overgrown with forests, rising from the depths of the sea.
The ecological situation in Zakynthos is impeccable. There are no industrial enterprises here. Exceptions are an edible olive oil factory and a distillery. However, these productions do not have a harmful effect on the environment.
The island of Zakynthos has a temperate Mediterranean climate. The impartial meteorologists of the European Union recognized the local climatic conditions as the mildest in all of Greece - both among the continental regions and in various island parts of the country. In winter, it is warm on the island of Zakynthos: in January during the day it is usually around +11 ... +15 ° С, at night the thermometer is unlikely to show less than +5 ° С. This is a period of rain and thunderstorms. Frosts here are a rarity, and snow is perceived as a natural phenomenon.
Zakynthos, repeatedly subjected to earthquakes, cannot boast of numerous historical sights, but its fantastically beautiful landscapes, fortunately, turned out to be beyond the control of the natural elements. Many corners of the island are reserved. They beckon travelers with the opportunity to be alone with nature, and for those who like secular resort life, Zakynthos offers to spend time in any of its many modern resorts. Here tourists are welcomed by comfortable hotels, entertainment centers, cozy taverns and respectable restaurants, nightclubs and discos. On the island, you can go scuba diving, horseback riding, play tennis and golf, make a lot of discoveries by going on sightseeing tours by land and by sea.
Mykonos Island
Mykonos is the most famous island of the Cyclades, a modern luxury resort with a vibrant nightlife, where famous artists, famous couturiers, top models, politicians, pop stars, financial tycoons relax every summer. It is famous for the beauty of its landscapes and landscapes, which seem to be woven from the bright blue sky, the emerald sea, low rocky hills and sandy shores sparkling with gold. There are so many beaches on the tourist-filled island that if you wish, you can always find a secluded corner to relax in solitude.
The people of Mykonos are known for their open and friendly nature. They are loyal to the eccentricity of tourists, intoxicated by the spirit of freedom reigning here, tolerant of extremes in their behavior, which is not surprising, because many of the locals have made a fortune in the tourism business.
Romantic winding streets of the main town of the island, snow-white churches in tiny villages, the emerald green of the sea, saving from the scorching Aegean sun, taverns with excellent food in the open air - these are the images that will arise in your memories of Mykonos. Of course, the experience will not be complete if one day you do not go out to sea on a boat or sail to travel to the neighboring islands of the Cyclades archipelago, keeping their own attractive secrets.
Santorini island
The romantic island of Santorini, a tourist gem and archaeological pride of Greece, is located in the southern Aegean Sea - the cradle of ancient civilization. It is part of the group of the Cyclades islands covered with ancient myths, and is often marked as Thira, Fira or Santorini on sea charts and guidebooks.
Settling here in the summer months is not easy - the hotels are overcrowded, but tourists vacationing in Greece consider it a matter of honor to at least visit the legendary island with a tour. Those who settled here for a week or two slowly travel around the ancient island, the area of which is quite small - only 76 km2. But on this small territory there is a huge number of incredibly beautiful corners: ancient villages, spread out in terraces on picturesque mountain slopes, magnificent beaches with black, red, white volcanic sand hiding in cozy bays, rocks soaring into the sky, to whose peaks steep paths lead.
In Santorini, everyone will find something to their liking. Fans of history and archeology can visit the excavations and find out how people lived here 4 millennia ago. Curious tourists will be interested in seeing ancient churches, visiting museums, and divers will find great places to dive off the local coast. Newlyweds from different countries often choose the island of Santorini for their wedding tour, and some couples come here to get married in one of the snow-white Orthodox churches. Cheerful and colorful wedding processions on the narrow streets of Santorini can be seen quite often.
The stunning sunsets of Santorini, captured countless times by masters of cinematography and eminent photographers, are a symbol not only of the island itself, but of the whole of Greece.
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