February 2012
9 posts
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Corfu
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
The Old Fortress of Corfu with the twin towers brings to the surface memories of epic battles, images of ruthless sieges and the smell of blood… Today’s armies though consist of numerous tourists and locals who cross the iron bridge and dare to enter the “stone beast”. A castle full of life, a castle with its own pulse…
The New Fortress was built on...
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Akrokorinthos
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
The weird shadow over the plains of Korinthos. The hollow sound of a forgotten legend. The guardian of Morias. The most ancient yet the strongest castle in the whole region of Peloponnese. This is Akrokorinthos. It was built during the reign of the tyrant Periandros in the 7th Century BC. Today, beyond its walls lie the ruins of the ancient and the medieval towns.
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Didymoticho
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
The three towers of Vasilopoula, Pentazono and Kechri embrace warmly the old city. A big part of Didymoticho’s walls still lie intact. The Byzantine and –later on- Ottoman fortification proves useful even today; many houses use the strong city walls as their own walls! Go for a walk around the city’s alleys and you will encounter plenty of them!
Check the rest...
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Fragokastelo
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
This castle was not built to guard a city. It experienced neither a single great war, nor a notable siege. It is a fortress of the wild, a guardian of the horizon. Only Chatzimichalis Dalianis, the famous chieftain from Epirus along with his 338 men knew the truth until 1928 when they all fell dead.
Since then and every May, the castle’s soul wakes up and...
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Myrina
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
Built in the 12th Century by the Emperor Andronikos Komninos I and fortified by the Venetians, the Castle of Myrina lies on a rocky peninsula, between the two coasts of the Myrina region.
It is the guardian of the capital city and the main port of the isle of Limnos. The castle’s presence in the course of time has been so important that even today, the locals...
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Nafpaktos
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
The castle of Nafpaktos is the only one in Europe that has five defensive zones which begin from the city’s port and continue towards the cliff’s top in an altitude of 200 meters. It was built by the Venetians in the 15th Century on the ruins of the city’s ancient Acropolis and today is one of the most well-kept castles in Greece.
In the stronghold’s small port...
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Monemvasia
(Castles – Treasures of Greece)
The first look from the sea suggests a gray, arid rock of 300 meters height. As we get close, the medieval state looks hooked on it, tied with strong walls, impossible to break away. This is perhaps Monemvasia’s most enjoyable point of view.
The Castle of Monemvasia, the “ship made of rocks” as Yiannis Ritsos wrote, has a standard crew of 8-10 families, hundreds...
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Knives from the homeland
In the settlement of Polydrosos in the broader region of Parnassos, the art of knifemaking still survives. The skilled craftsmen used to work in the early days in the village of Ano Souvala but later moved to Polydroso. They were famous because of their art and the knives from Souvala were in great demand. Their workshops were in Mantamia, in the region of Platanos; the waters from the local...
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At Kritsa’s in Portaria
“Kritsa” is the restaurant’s name; Eleni and Niki are the two ladies who are going to welcome and offer you delicious dishes. The aforementioned sisters are the reason behind the resurrection of the old hotel Kentrikon and the Portaria’s square. The restaurant is warm and neat, offering world-class service and magnificent food. We suggest you to try roasted herbage (horta), grilled kontosouvli,...
January 2012
5 posts
13 tags
Cave of the Lakes
Cave of the Lakes (“Spileo Limnon” –ελ. Σπήλαιο Λιμνών) is one of the most important sightseeing places in the region of Kalavryta. It lies near the village of Kastria at an attitude of 827 meters and bats are its only inhabitants. The water fills perfectly the rocky surfaces along the 2,000 meters of its length; visitors are able to walk only the ¼ of the total course.
The multicoloured...
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Nafpaktos calling…
Construction works on the Motorway will give you a hard time during your trip to Nafpaktos but the city itself will compensate you for your troubles. Besides, no matter how many times you cross the bridge between Rio and Antirrio, it will always be a unique experience.
You will reach Nafpaktos 9 km after the bridge following the main road; go down the old port and you will find yourselves...
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Off for hiking in Parnitha
Fires and other human activities have taken their toll on the natural beauty of Parnitha; however, the mountain has yet to offer plenty of paths that surpass 200 kilometres in terms of length and run across every slope. Get yourselves a good map and explore them!
Funicular – Shelter Mpafi
Distance: 5.6 km
Time (non-stop): 2h 25’
Shelter Mpafi is located at 1,160 m in the Mpafi...
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Syros: The all-weather island
A trip to Syros is worthwhile even in the middle of winter. A lively city lies on two hills, separated and united at the same time, shining proudly under the Aegean sun: Hermoupolis and Ano Syra, the orthodox and the catholics… Memories from the past, images from the present and thoughts from the future tangle up in the marble-paved narrow streets, where mules and islanders sigh under the weight...
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Going for a walk around lake Tsivlou
This is how you could spend your next Saturday or Sunday morning: drive or ride to the region of Peloponnese heading towards lake Tsivlou . It was formed around 1912-13, when a shift blocked the flow of the river Krathi. As a result, the settlement of Tsivlo was lost in the waters of the newborn lake which otherwise is a small and beautiful one that lies at an altitude of 700 meters surrounded by...
December 2011
8 posts
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Πάρτε τα βουνά! - Ο απόλυτος χειμωνιάτικος οδηγός
(The following feature is in Greek. The English version will be up as soon as possible.)
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Σύμφωνα με τα τελευταία δημοσιεύματα η κρίση κρατά τους Ελληνες στα σπίτια τους. Οσοι παίρνουν την απόφαση να κάνουν Χριστούγεννα στη φύση, πάντως, επιλέγουν τα σημεία όπου υπάρχουν χιονοδρομικά κέντρα. Η ταξιδιωτική ομάδα του Experience Greece, σας δίνει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες για τα σημαντικότερα...
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Danai Beach Resort goes... iPad!
Danai Beach Resort, the luxurious resort which is located in Sithonia, Chalkidiki, in cooperation with the Experience Greece team has begun developing an iPad application. It is going to offer broad and analytical information, pictures and photographs of high quality regarding the resort itself as well as extra content about landmarks in the Sithonia and Chalkidiki regions and archaeological sites...
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Greek islands good for a fling, say Aussie women
Paris is the city for true love, but the Greek islands are great for a fling, according to Australian women. New York and Bali are also places to find long-term relationships, while Las Vegas and Ibiza are strictly for lust, not love. The survey found being well travelled boosted men’s appeal, with 70 per cent of single ladies saying a prospective partner is more attractive if they are...
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2011 Pictures of the Year - LIFE →
During 2011, residents of Athens, took to the streets dozens of times to protest austerity measures being considered by the government to prop up the country’s failing economy. Sometimes, the demonstrations were peaceful; sometimes, they weren’t.
Pictured: On October 19, Molotov-cocktail throwing rioters tried to get into the Parliament building but were repelled by police. This...
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This is why you should visit Greece during...
It is the 5th of December. We are in the first month of the winter and Christmas is approaching rather quickly, which means that there is not much time left in order to prepare your festive vacations. You might have linked Greece with summer because of the sun, the islands and the millions of tourists that decide this particular season of the year to visit this small but very picturesque country...
November 2011
8 posts
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Fishermen's tales – Vol.2
Let’s travel a bit back in time. Well, basically not a bit; rather a lot! We are back in the Neolithic Age; Europe, 6000 B.C. It is the place mostly inhabited by fishermen and cattlemen. A vigorous society has managed to settle perfectly in the environment and using wooden structures has faced successfully all the challenges introduced by the nature itself. The whole settlement is built on...
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WatchDo you remember this? Well here is the sequel!
The project is called “Fishermen in Mediterranean Sea” and focuses on the photographer Stratis Vogiatzis’ effort to document the life of the fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea over the past four years.
Stratis has photographed fishermen in their natural environment in places like Corsica, Turkey, Southern France, Greece, Egypt, Spain and Sicily. It...
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Living on the water
Have you ever thought about living in a hut on the water? Are there still left any such settlements in Greece? Do we have such a picturesque place?
Of course we do.
The first photo was taken at the end of the 20th century and this hut was in the Messolonghi lagoon, right next to the small stripe of land that leads to Tourlida. The mountain in the background is called Varasova.
Ten years...
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The legend of the Avgo monastery
The Avgo monastery which is located in the steep slopes of mount Avgo (Greek Αβγό, translated to “egg”) was built in the 14th century and is considered to be a hymn, a true achievement of the man’s faith. It is located in the southeastern portion of Argolida periphery near Pelei village and it is built literally on the edge of cliff, offering a magnificent view of the Rados river’s big canyon.
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4x4 in Kissos, Pelion: The adventure begins!
Autumn is definitely Pelion’s very own season: in this particular time of the year, the region looks like a scene from a Hollywood film! Shortly before the trees’ leaves fall to the ground, forests become full of colors; fire red, orange, yellow…
If you are an off-road driving fan, the exploration of the dirt roads in the outskirts of village Kissos (5km from Mouresi and 7km from Tsagarada) is...
October 2011
6 posts
9 tags
Zagori: The stairs of Vradeto
The stairs of Vradeto are made of stones, carved by exceptional and highly-experienced craftsmen who created 1,120 large steps, covering thus 250 meters of height with a path of more than 1.5 kilometers…
The total distance between Vradeto and Kapesovo, near which the stairs lead, is approximately 3.5 kilometers. If you would like to avoid the steep uphill, you could reach Vradeto using the main...
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Your passport for a new world... →
…and our first post on Tumblr as well! Wish us good luck and please do follow us; we have some splendid photos to share. And we won’t spam. We promise.