TOUR IN ATHENS AND THE MUSEUM OF THE ACROPOLIS
DEPARTURE
- Chalkidiki, Thessaloniki
EXCURSION THEME
- Entertainment, Historical
EXCURTION TYPE
- 1-2 (persons) Car, 1-6 (persons) Mini Van, Individual
GUIDE SERVICE
- With Guide, Without Guide
DURATION
- Full Day
SHORT DESCRIPTION
GALLERY
ROUTE
| Time | Description |
| 00:50:00 | Departure from Thessaloniki |
| 06:50:00 | arrival in Athens |
| 07:00:00 | Parliament, Constitution, change of guard (Evzones) |
| 07:30:00 | tour of Athens |
| Ardittos and Kallimarmaro | |
| Temple of Olympian Zeus | |
| Hadrian's Gate | |
| 08:40:00 | Acropolis (Parthenon, Propylaea, Temple of the Victory of Apteros, the Erechtheion, Odeon of Herodes Atticus) |
| 10:30:00 | New Acropolis Museum |
| 11:30:00 | walking tour in the center of Athens |
| Supreme Court | |
| Market (Agora) | |
| Aerides | |
| Cathedral of the Annunciation | |
| Plaka | |
| 12:30:00 | lunch in a traditional tavern / free time |
| 14:45:00 | departure to Thessaloniki |
| 16:45:00 | Thermopylae, monument of Leonidas |
| 21:00:00 | return to Thessaloniki |
EXCURTION DESCRIPTION
Athens
There are many interesting aspects in the history of the Greek capital. The first is that it is no coincidence that the city was founded exactly in this place. The second – a series of characteristics of the location of Athens suggests that the inhabitation of this place required a lot of energy, strength, ingenuity, luck and the ability of the inhabitants to do a lot to achieve the prosperity and success that the city experienced in the 5th century BC. And finally, the third factor is the real rebirth of the city after 1834, which is an unprecedented historical event that has few parallels in world history.
The first centuries of the history of Athens, immediately after the arrival of the first inhabitants, were foggy and covered with darkness. Mythology is closely related to history here. There is an interesting version that in the early stages of their history, many Greek cities developed under strong oriental influence, and even in toponymy and lexicology, this factor failed to be reflected. Some historians attribute to this account names such as ‘Inachos, Foroneas, Aginoras, Danaos, Kodros and, among others, Kekropas himself — the first semi-historical figure among the leaders of Athens that we know. Maybe Kekropas or his ancestors had to do with the Phoenician colonists who came from the Middle East to Greece, like Kadmos in the case of Thebes. But it is important to remember who Kekropas is. Half man-half snake, born from Earth. According to chronological tables compiled in antiquity, its appearance is attributed to 1556 or 1586 BC.
In the Mycenaean era, there was a large fortress on the Acropolis of Athens, the ruins of which have survived to our time – here and there, along the entire length of the Acropolis rock, there are details from the Cycladic masonry, reminiscent of this era. During this period of the prosperity of the Mycenaean civilization, the myths connect with the first known flourishing of Athens and with the name of Theseus.
The Greek Parliament, Syntagma Square and the Change of the Guard
The center of Athens is located so that three streets: Panepistimiou (since 1985 – Eleftheriou Venizelou), Stadiou and Ermou form a triangle and three squares: Monastiraki, Omonia and Syntagma.
In the first decades of the existence of independent Greece in the place of the modern Syntagma Square, next to the parliament building, which was then the royal palace, there was a lawn, which was taken care of by the wife of the first king of Greece Otto – Amalia of Oldenburg. As a result, she was so preoccupied with caring for the palace and the lawn that the queen decided not only to forbid ordinary Athenians from walking in the square, but also took several drinking water tanks to water the lawn and trees, which was one of the the reasons that led to the social explosion. After the ousting of Otto in 1862, Prince George-William Glücksburg of Denmark was chosen as king by the Powers (England, France, Russia).
Within 10 months, the square was paved with marble, fences were installed and it took its name from the Constitution, which Otto proposed to the Greeks after the revolution on September 3, 1843, acquired its modern appearance and became accessible to all.
Kallimarmaro and the hill of Arditto
Ardittou hill has been a part of the center of Athens since the beginning of the city’s history. As in many other places in Attica, there is the influence of mythology. According to legend, at some point in the dawn of the city’s history, the Athenians, who had recently united several areas of Attica, began to disagree about the primacy. A hero with name Ardittis managed to reconcile the opponents. According to him, the inhabitants of different regions should live in equality and harmony.
In the 4th century BC. the land at the foot of Arditto was private, belonged to a citizen, who, knowing about the demand for the construction of a stadium in Athens, decided to transfer the land for public use. The shape of the hill seemed to indicate the position of the stadium horseshoe in its center, so it was decided to build a structure: the entrance was on the west side of the hill and on the slopes there were seats for spectators.
When the orator named Lycurgus in 338 BC. became the treasurer of the city, and in fact, the management of Athen’s finances gave him powers commensurate with the powers of the modern mayor, he allocated the money, and according to Plutarch’s later testimony the stadium was completed.
The first races took place around 330 BC. during the Great Panathenaic Games – a religious festival dedicated to the goddess Athena, which was organized every four years.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The area where the river Ilissos flows in the center of modern Athens has always had a sacred meaning. Thus, on the left bank was the already mentioned hill Ardittos, at the top was the temple of the goddess of Fortune (goddess Tichi), and on the right bank – the sanctuary of Deucalion, son of Titan Prometheus, who, together with his wife Pyrra, survived the flood. It is known that in the place where in our time the temple of Olympian Zeus rises, there was a crack that, according to legend, absorbed all the flood waters. In the days when they honored Deucalion, the locals gathered in the area and poured flour and honey into the crack. Thus was the sacrifice made to Deucalion, who at the same time was considered the ancestor of all Greeks and honored the memory of the generation of people who died during the Flood.
The Hadrian’s Temple, one of the largest in the ancient world, in Corinthian style, had a length of 110.35 m. 43.68 m. Two rows of 20 columns on the long sides and three rows of 8 columns on the narrow ones. It dominated the middle of a large rectangular enclosure with a propylon to the north. The nave housed two oversized ivory statues of Zeus and the emperor Hadrian that were worshiped here as symbols, while a number of statues and votive offerings adorned the courtyard. Inside was a statue of Zeus (made of gold and ivory), which was a replica of Pheidias’s work in Olympia, one of the wonders of the world. Also, statues of Hadrian and his beloved Antinous were installed in the sanctuary.
Hadrian's gate
Another ancient monument rises next to the temple of Olympian Zeus. This is the triumphal arch of the emperor Hadrian, built in 131 in preparation for the second visit to Athens of the leader of the Roman Empire.
The height of the structure is 18.5 meters, the width is 1.5 m. On the sides of the central arched opening there are columns with capitals of the Corinthian order. Similar but taller columns adorn the corners of the construction. The arch is crowned with a composition of Corinthian columns and pillars that support an entablature of the Ionian order, in the middle of which there is a triangular gable. In the entablature above the arched passage there are the inscriptions, in the west: “Here you are in Athens, Theseus before the city” and in the east: “Here you are Adrian’s and not Theseus’s city”. The arch is built entirely of Penteli marble.
During the Middle Ages, the building was probably converted into a kind of monastic complex – in favor of this version, speak the remains of a Christian painting on the walls of the arch. However, the engravings and drawings of 19th century travelers prove that even then nothing was left of the monastery.
In 2006-2008, restoration works were carried out, which mainly concerned the chemical cleaning of the surface of the monument. The project was supervised by the chemical technologist Nikos Belogiannis from the Ministry of Culture.
The Acropolis
The rock of the Acropolis, also called Kekropia in ancient times, has always served as the acropolis of Athens, rising right in the center of the place where the first settlement once appeared.
Between 1400-1250 BC the first fortress was built on the Acropolis. In fact, in Mycenaean culture, the very character of the Acropolis as a fortified center of any ancient city, located on a hill, finally acquires the characteristics known to us. At that time, administrative buildings and temples were probably located on the top of the Acropolis rock. In the area of the temple of the Erechtheion, there was a palace characteristic of the Mycenaean civilization, for which the rock has been carved and this “sign” can be seen to this day. And a thousand years later in the Erechtheion were the main sanctuaries of ancient Attica.
There is no evidence that the Peloponnesian War, which ended in 404 BC, caused damage to the temples of the Acropolis. The era of Pericles and the majestic achievements of the Athenians in culture and art were still fresh in the memory and the code of honor regarding internal conflicts was observed. The Spartans were completely satisfied with the results of the war and no one was going to be the defeated enemy…
Parthenon
In 2019, the Parthenon once again confirmed its value – it was recognized as the most popular cultural and historical site in the world. That is, we are not talking, for example, about the most popular monument of a particular style (neoclassicism or baroque) or about a monument of a particular culture, people or group of peoples, but simply the most popular monument and tourist attraction in the world. This position of the Parthenon and the monuments of the Athenian Acropolis has generally been confirmed more than once. Statistical surveys conducted by various organizations identify the Parthenon and other temples of the Acropolis as the most attractive tourist attraction in the world.
And the inclusion of the architectural complex of the Athenian Acropolis in the list of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1985 is not a surprise, but just another recognition of great work of the ancient Greeks. Also, in the very emblem of UNESCO is the Parthenon that shows, as a symbol of the organization and as a monument associated with the very concept of beauty and harmony in general. In order to see the Parthenon and other wonders of ancient Greek architecture, an average of 19 thousand people climb the Acropolis rock every day, which gives about 7 million visitors a year.
The idea of building a new temple of the patron goddess of the city probably matured in Athens from the end of the 6th century BC. and, apparently, even after the oath of the Greeks not to restore the temples destroyed by the Persians. But, firstly, it was necessary to have a suitable temple for the storage of the main Athenian sanctuaries, and secondly, in combination with the strengthening of Athens in the time of Pericles, the need arose to create a specific symbol that would express the prosperity of the city at that time. era and at the same time the religious tradition of the city.
Propylaea
The Propylaea, as a type of structure, appeared a long time ago, during the Mycenaean period (for example, the famous Lions Gate in Mycenae). However, this architectural form reached perfection in the Athenian version of the time of Pericles.
They were not the first Propylaea on the Acropolis. The ascent to the rock on the west side has existed since the end of the Mycenaean era and the ruins of the Mycenaean masonry are visible everywhere at the foot of the colonnade. The first “known” Propylaea were erected on the Acropolis during the time of Peisistratides, sons of Peisistratos, after 520 BC. Like the other buildings of the Acropolis of the Archaic period, it did not last long – the Persians in 480 and 479 BC. destroyed Athens and most of the buildings on the Acropolis.
Plans to restore the Propylaea were probably approved in 449 BC, but construction began only in 437 BC. – probably due to the fact that initially the privilege was given to the construction of the Parthenon.
Church of the Victory of Apteros
The temple of Athena Nike or Niki Apterou is one of the smallest and cutest constructions of the Acropolis.
The first temple of Victory, built in the same place on a rock – a natural bastion, called the Tower, appeared in the 6th century BC. Initially, it was a small structure, the walls of which were formed of large squares, and thus approached the appearance of Mycenaean buildings. In 480-479 BC. the Persians destroyed the old temple in 449 BC it was decided to build a new sanctuary. Probably then the work of the building was developed, which the historical tradition attributes to Kallikrates, one of the architects who created the Parthenon. Construction began in 427 BC. and ended between 424 and 420 BC. during a break in the Peloponnesian War, known as the Nicene Peace.
The Erechtheion
The temple of the Erechtheion is a real highlight of the Acropolis due to its unusual architecture (especially the Caryatid gallery), and the fact that, unlike the Parthenon, which in all its splendor was intended to personify splendor and power of ancient Athens, was the treasury with the most important sanctuaries of Attica.
Already in our time, researchers have proved that at the site of the Erechtheion in the 15th-11th century BC. was the Mycenaean palace. This fact has been proven due to the nature of the marks on the rock.
Earlier, just southwest of the Erechtheion was a building, the foundations of which are still visible today, and most researchers associate them with the old temple of Athena Poliados, built in the last quarter of the 5th century BC. It is also believed that this is where the dispute between Athena and Poseidon took place. On the west side of the Erechtheion grew the olive tree, which appeared after the goddess’s spear struck. During the Persian invasion of 480-479 BC. it was destroyed by the invaders, but later, according to one version, it was replanted, according to another, it grew on its own and the modern tree was planted in 1964.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The only building of the Athenian Acropolis, which not only is not located at the top of the rock, but also does not belong to the era of Pericles, is the Herodion or the Conservatory of Herodes Atticus, a magnificent concert hall that adorns the foot of the Acropolis rock from in 161 AD
Herod the Atticus lived in the 2nd century AD. in Marathon at 42 km from the center of Athens. He was one of the richest people of his time, and, among other things, a famous personality. It is known that his wife Appia Annia Rigilla was a priestess of the temple of the goddess of Fortune ( goddess Tichi) , which was built at the expense of Herod Atticus at the top of the hill Ardittos. He was also a famous teacher of philosophy – he was the one who once taught it to the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. In those days the activities of the sponsors brought glory and respect.
Herod Atticus donated large sums of money for constructions all over Greece: buildings in Corinth, Delphi, Olympia and Athens not only adorn these cities and holy places, but became attractions in the treasury of world culture and Herod himself was glorified for centuries. He was a descendant of a noble wealthy family, he inherited a huge fortune, most of which Herod gave to charity. Herod Atticus was educated and an influential man, in 143 he served as Roman consul, was a friend of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius and mentor of the adopted son of Marcus Aurelius.
New Acropolis Museum
You should visit this unique museum not only to see the original works of Pheidias and other sculptures of ancient Athens, but it will be interesting to get acquainted with the structure of the building itself, as well as to get an idea of what the Athenian looked like. Acropolis before the Greco-Persian wars.
The first museum on the Acropolis was founded in 1874. It was a building that began to be built in 1865, a little southeast of the Parthenon, according to the plan of Panagi Kalkos. However, the search for the Acropolis rock continued, new objects were discovered and in the end the capacity of the building was exceeded. After the excavations in 1885-1890 in the “Persian ravine”, and in fact – a landfill that was formed during the destruction of Athens by the Persians in 480-479 BC. it became necessary to expand the exhibition space, something that took place in 1888.
During World War II, many exhibits were in the domes of the National Archaeological Museum and even in the nearby hill caves and then gradually returned to the museum in 1946-47.
Hill of the Supreme Court
Some are the hills that form the landscape of the center of the capital of Greece: the rock of the Acropolis, Lycabettus, Pnyx and, among others, the rock of Supreme Civil and Criminal Court, which is sometimes also called the hill of Mars, the god of war in ancient Greek mythology.
It is clear that from the first centuries of Athens’s existence as an urban settlement, this place had a sacred significance, as evidenced by the versions of the appearance of this name. According to mythological legends, Mars was tried here. God, whom even his father Zeus called the most hated of all his children, was finally acquitted. Alirrothios, one of the sons of the sea god Poseidon, tried to steal the daughter of Mars and Agraulus, Alcippi, and was killed by the angry father of the girl.
After Poseidon’s denunciation, the 12 Olympic gods tried Mars, but in the end found that revenge was just. There is also a myth that when Orestes (son of Agamemnon) killed Clytemnestra’s mother and her lover, the Erinyes goddesses of revenge chased him to the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court. As a result he was acquitted by the Athenian judges because his act was revenge for his father. Another version of the origin of the name was expressed by Aeschylus, who claimed that the name ‘Arios Pagos was given in memory of the Amazons who once besieged the city.
Athenian Market
The territory of the modern archeological site of the Athenian Agora was an area of the market of the city from the ancient years until 1862, when after a fire it lost its administrative significance and was turned exclusively into a historical monument. The word “Agora” comes from the ancient Greek word “agero”, which means “gather”. In particular, because the market was not just a place of commerce – but the pulse of the social life of ancient Athens was beating here since ancient times.
And in any ancient city it was the same. Business meetings were scheduled in the market, politicians and orators spoke here, new laws were announced and the latest news. Walking along the Athenian Agora, you can imagine that once legendary politicians and rulers such as Themistocles, Pericles, Peisistratus, Solon, Miltiades, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Macedonia Alexander passed through here. Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and Demosthenes spoke here. This area was also decorated with works by such sculpture teachers as Pheidias, Praxitelis, Lysippos and many others.
Aerides (Tower of the Aerides)
In this part of the Agora, which was already built in Roman times, is the Tower of the Aerides (the Horologio of the Kyrrhestes) – one of the famous monuments of ancient Athens. This structure, which has survived to this day in good condition, is one of the most characteristic monuments of Athens since antiquity. It was once one of the largest research centers, as evidenced by a number of features of this building.
The official version says that the building was built around the 1st century BC. on the initiative and to the detriment of Andronikos Kyrrhestos, a resident of one of the cities of Macedonia. Andronikos was a very educated and at the same time a rich man and decided to make a gift to the citizens of Athens, a city then known as one of the largest educational centers in the Mediterranean. However, there is a version that the tower was built about a century earlier. However, in honor of the benefactor, it is called the Horologion of the Kyrrhestes.
Holy Metropolitan Church of Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
The Holy Metropolitan Church of Annunciation to the Virgin Mary in Athens is the third largest church in Greece and one of the most important churches, the seat of the Athenian Archdiocese and the Church of Greece.
The construction of the church began in the presence of the royal couple Otto and Amalia in 1842. The first work of the building was developed by the famous architect Theophilos Hansen and the lower part of the cathedral was built according to his plans. Subsequently, the main follower of the neo-Byzantine movement in architecture, Dimitris Zezos, worked on the work of the upper part in collaboration with the French Boulange. As a result, they deviated greatly from the original plan.
Plaka
Plaka is the oldest inhabited area of modern Athens and one of the few, if not the only, in the entire area of Greater Athens, which has been continuously inhabited since ancient times. The area developed near the market and the Acropolis and reflects the different periods and aspects of the development of Athens from antiquity as a specific diagram. It is surrounded by other old districts of the city, it borders on the east with the river Ilissos and the temple of Olympian Zeus, on the east with the area of Makrigianni, on the north with the so-called commercial zone of Athens and on the west with Monastiraki.
Plaka developed mainly around a natural core, which can be called the Athens Agora ( Market). During the Turkish occupation, this area was inhabited mainly by the Turks. The battles that took place during the Greek struggle for independence, especially the siege of the Acropolis by the Greeks in 1826, led to the fact that Plaka emptied.
Thermopylae and the monument of Leonidas
Thermopylae – this is the name of the area, because, firstly, it is one of the hottest places in mainland Greece and, secondly, because from antiquity this area was famous for its thermal springs, which give the place its characteristic smell, the which you feel as you approach. The area has long been considered the gateway to southern Greece, from here one would have to pass to reach Attica, and then the Peloponnese.
Today there are few reminiscent of these times, due to the alluvial sediments of the rivers Gorgopotamos and Sperchios, the waters of the Gulf of Malia in the Aegean receded and the coast was removed from the sea in different places from 1.5 to 5 km.
In ancient times the place was considered sacred, especially in Thermopylae near the straits, in the town of Anthili there was a building for the meetings of the amphitheater of Thermopylae. The following Doric tribes participated in it: Thessalians, Boeotians, Dorians, Ionians, Perraivians, Magnites, Lokros, Itaeans, Achaeans, Phocians, Dolopes and Malians.
MAP
- According to research by Victor Davis Hanson, the construction of the Parthenon according to current data cost 206 million euros.
- The second highest density in the EU was recorded in Central Athens with 10,436 people per km2 (Eurostat data for 2019);
- Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, inhabited for at least 5000 years.
- The phrase “draconian measures” has to do with the first legislator of ancient Athens – Dragon. The code of laws of which was distinguished by extreme gravity (for any theft, even minor, the death penalty was imposed)
- According to unofficial data, about 6 million people live in “Greater Athens”, which is about 50% of the country’s population.
- The Acropolis of Athens was not only listed in 1987 as a world UNESCO heritage. The temple depicted on the flag of the organization is often associated with the Parthenon.
- About 7 million tourists visit the Acropolis every year.
- The Temple of Olympian Zeus was the largest temple of antiquity.
- The first ruler of ancient Athens was Kekropas, from the middle and above he was a man and from the middle and below a snake.
- Ancient Kekropia was renamed Athens, after the goddess Athena (giving the inhabitants an olive tree), won a dispute with Poseidon.
- 56 authentic plates of the Parthenon frieze are in the British Museum and 44 in the Acropolis Museum. Bring them back – under this slogan for several years, activists, art historians and various organizations carry out various activities aimed at returning marble masterpieces that were stolen 200 years ago.
- Total kilometer distance of the excursion (departing from Thessaloniki) – about 1050 km.
- Wear comfortable shoes for your safety.
- The program of the excursion can be changed for reasons beyond the control of the company (force majeure); weather conditions and at the discretion of the tour guide, if necessary.
- Due to the distance of the trip – night departure.
610 €
Φόρμα Ενδιαφέροντος
Συμπληρώστε την φόρμα και θα επικοινωνήσουμε μαζί σας το συντομότερο δυνατό!
THE PRICE INCLUDES
- All transfers made with comfortable transport (depending on the selected category).
- Guide services (unless you have selected the “no guide” service).
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Breakfast / lunch.
- Tickets to museums and archeological parks.
SUGGESTED EXCURSIONS
TOUR IN ATHENS AND THE MUSEUM OF THE ACROPOLIS
CORFU – ISLAND OF THE ARISTOCRATS (TWO-DAY EXCURSION)
Cruise to Albania: Saints Saranda and Vouthroto
PILGRIMAGE TO THE MONASTERIES OF CORFU
DISCOVERING NORTH CORFU
FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH GREECE (PREMIUM, THESSALONIKI)
METEORAS – DELPHI (TWO DAYS)
-
EntertainmentMETEORA – ATHENS (TWO-DAY EXCURSION)
1,350 €A two-day trip to Meteora – Athens gives you the opportunity to get to know the Orthodox, cultural and natural sights of mainland Greece and the capital of the country, a city that is the trademark of the achievements of classical Greece. From on the one hand, Meteora is the place where God’s providence meets unique natural landscape. Where is the strength of the human spirit and the desire for knowledge led to the triumph of creation and harmony. And on the other – the uniqueness and originality of Athens, which combines a history of five thousand years with the life of a large city of the 21st century.
Day one: Kalambaka and Meteora monasteries
Medieval Orthodox monasteries of Meteora, located on steep cliffs of the Thessalian plain, are considered to be one of the most significant historical, Orthodox and cultural sites in Greece. This is the second most important monastic complex in Greece (after the monastic Republic of Saint Athos) annually attracts a large number of travelers from all over the world. And this is not surprising – Meteora monasteries are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Moving to Delphi and check-in at the hotel.
Day Two – Athens / Acropolis Museum / Thermopylae
During a sightseeing tour of Athens, you will get acquainted with the main sights of the center of the capital of Greece. Your path will run along the Kifissos River, which, according to one version, is the legendary Eridanus, where the son of the solar god Helios Phaethon fell into, strucked by lightning of Zeus for the inability to cope with the chariot of his father. You will see Cape Piraeus, where the main port once appeared, Athens, which retains such significance today. And marvel at the size columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus, which can surprise even now. Follow the steps of the Evzones – soldiers of the national guard, carrying guard at the parliament building in the very center of the city. take a selfie in the background of Olympic Stadium Kallimarmaro, where the first Olympic modern games were held. You will follow the paths of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle along the agora of ancient Athens and the path “Peripatos” around the hill of the Acropolis, in the honour of which the Peripatetic school of philosophers was named. Dive into the hustle and bustle of the Plaka – one of the old districts of Athens, conveying the mood of the second half of the 19th century. On the way back, a stop in the Thermopylae Gorge is provided, where King Leonidas and 300 Spartans accomplished a feat that even today is not forgotten not only by the Greeks, but by the whole world.
After your visit to the Acropolis, the excursion continues to the new Acropolis Museum, which in 2009 moved from the premises next to the Parthenon to a new building.
On the way back, a stop is waiting for you in Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans gained eternal glory.
-
Entertainment
CORFU – ISLAND OF THE ARISTOCRATS (TWO-DAY EXCURSION)
1,150 €The two-day trip to Corfu gives you the opportunity to get to know one of the most amazing islands of Greece. An aristocratic Island, unique architecture and huge historical and cultural heritage. The classic Greek beauty of Corfu has fascinated sailors, travelers, aristocrats and artists for centuries. The Venetians, the French and the British left behind a legacy in the architecture, culture, daily life and gastronomy of the island. Today Corfu is a mix of eras and cultures, blending traditional Orthodox Greece with the Cosmopolitan influences of Western Europe.
Day one – the city of Corfu.
Once you step into the atmospheric old town of Corfu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will find yourself in a fairytale world. You will hear the footsteps of kings, nobles and Knights who once walked on the cobbled sidewalks and quacks. And the labyrinth of narrow streets will lead you to the Church of St. Spyridon, protector of the city and one of the most revered saints. The port of Corfu, one of the most well-fortified ports in the Mediterranean, is characterized by two fortresses – Old and New. An ideal place to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the magnificent Ionian Sea.
Pontikonisi and the Monastery of Vlacherna off the coast of Kanoni are some of the most famous and photographed sights of Corfu. Here you will not only enjoy the picturesque landscapes, but you will have the opportunity to take truly unique photos (with planes flying just a few meters above the Monastery of Vlacherna).
The evening awaits you a walk in the north of the island, where, on the edge of a cliff in Peroulades, the most romantic sunset awaits you.
Day two – the island of Corfu.
The day will start with an acquaintance with the traditional production of liqueurs and sweets from kumquat, which have long been the trademark of the island and are widely exported to European countries. Then to Paleokastritsa, which is a favorite destination for all visitors and locals of Corfu.Picturesque bays and sandy beaches, olive groves, green hills, steep cliffs and caves that are hidden inside, create a unique atmosphere that attracts visitors to the island and residents of the area. Here, on a cliff, dominates the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, whose history will be interesting not only for pilgrims.
At the end of the route – visit to Achillion, the summer house of the Austrian Empress Elizabeth (Sissi). This is undoubtedly one of the most famous royal mansions in Europe. It was built in 1890 and designed by the Italian architects Rafaele Carrito and Antonio Landi.
It is named after Achilles, Elizabeth’s favorite hero. The palace is surrounded by lush gardens dominated by vigorous bougainvillea and tall palm trees. The gardens contain a large number of sculptures, the most remarkable of which are dedicated to Achilles himself.
A two-day trip to Corfu will give you the opportunity to get acquainted with the most European, cosmopolitan and aristocratic island of the Ionian Sea and the whole of Greece.
-
Cruise
Cruise to Albania: Saints Saranda and Vouthroto
50 €Albania is located just 2 nautical miles from the island of Corfu and the history of its southern coastline is the history of Greek settlements.
A one-day cruise in Albania will acquaint you with the monuments of ancient times, the natural beauty and the customs of this country.
As part of this route, you will visit the town of Agioi Saranda, called the Southern Gate of Albania due to its key position throughout its centuries of history. The main purpose of the trip is the Butrhoto Archaeological Park, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
And at the end of the program, you will have a short tour of the medieval castle Le Cures, located on a hill above the port.
-
CruiseBLUE LAGOON CRUISE
30 €Dreams of relaxation for most people are associated with azure of the sea, endless white sandy beach or sea cruise. The Blue Lagoon cruise is a great opportunity to spend an unforgettable day at the sea and get a lot of pleasant impressions.
Chalkidiki is called “a kaleidoscope of green and blue” because of the rich vegetation that borders the waters of its coasts. The beaches are long and sandy, scattered over small or large bays. The sea is perfectly clean, safe, transparent and calm. The seabed is teeming with life, and if you take diving goggles you can see fish, small octopuses and other marine life.
The cruise will start from the bay of Ormos Panagias and its itinerary will be lie to the south – towards the openwork coast of Vourvourou, after swimming in open waters you will travel to the only one of the inhabited islands in the region region – Ammouliani, where you can stroll through the atmospheric village and relax on the beach.
