Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient Greece.

Corinthian Canal

The Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The builders dug the canal through the Isthmus at sea level; no locks are employed. It is 6.4 kilometers (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 meters (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships.

Epidaurus

Located on the fertile Argolid plain of the east Peloponnese in Greece and blessed with a mild climate and natural springs, the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus was an important sacred center in both ancient Greek and Roman times.

Epidaurus was named after the hero Epidauros, son of Apollo. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the first significant settlement was in the Mycenaean period. Fortifications, a theater and tholos tombs have been excavated dating as early as the 15th century BCE, although it was in the 12th century BCE that Epidaurus Limera, with its harbor linking it to the Aegean trade network, particularly flourished.

Nafplion

Whatever the name or how you say it Nafplion is the historical Jewel of the Peloponnese.A history full of myth, occupancy and revolutions. The name is in honor of Poseidons son Nauplis and the Palamidi Fortress is named after Palamis the local hero of the Trojan War. Palamis was also known for supposedly inventing weights and measures and the Greek Alphabet. The actual area of Nafplion has been inhabited since ancient times, but not much is know from then although Palaeolithic and Neolithic objects have been found nearby. Nafplion during the Greek Classical era again seems not to have played a part of any significance and even Pausinas the famous traveler didn’t have anything to say about the town. It does though come into its own during medieval times and played a major part in the history and making of today’s Greece.

Nafplio – Bourtzi Castle

The small islet named the Bourtzi can be found resting in the harbor of Nafplion. The fortress was first designed as a fortified stronghold in the 1400’s by architect Antonio Gambelo, who was from Bergamo. He had cannons placed around the fortress to protect the entrance to the Nafplion harbor from all sides.

Nafplion – Palamedes

Dominating the town of Nafplion is the Palamidi fortress. Named after Palamedes who was a local hero of the Trojan War, the imposing fortress is lit up at night turning it into an almost magical site.
Strategically built on the highest point 216 meters high, the fortress was first constructed by the Franks and completed by the Venetians from the late 1600″s to the early 1700’s. To reach the fortress there are 999 steps to the very top.

Delphi

Delphi is famous as the ancient sanctuary that grew rich as the seat of the oracle that was consulted on important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. Moreover, it was considered as the navel (or center) of the world by the Greeks as represented by the Omphalos.
Delphi was at a very early stage a place of worship for Gaia, the mother goddess connected with fertility. The town started to have a pan-Hellenic relevance as both a shrine and an oracle in the 7th century BC.

Arachova

Arachova has a panoramic view, uphill small houses and the cobbled streets show a picturesque architecture. The town center includes a huge and steep cliff, the Bell Tower, covered with dense ivy. At the top of the tower is a large 10m height clock. Arachova is famous for its black wine, its “brusque”, the colorful textiles, carpets and rugs, handicrafts and woodcut creations as well.

Panathenaic Stadium

The Panathenaic Stadium also known as Kallimarmaro, is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.

Changing of the guards in front of Parliament

Members of the elite Evzones light infantry unit, provide a 24-hour honor guard, with an hourly guard change, at the Presidential Mansion and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, off Syntagma Square at the foot of the Hellenic Parliament. The Changing the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in particular, has become a tourist attraction, with many people marveling at the guards, who stand motionless for two 20-minute intervals, during their 1-hour shifts.

Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

Acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on an extremely rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495 – 429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site’s most important buildings including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians in the Morean War when gunpowder being stored in the Parthenon was hit by a cannonball and exploded.

Sounio through Athenian riviera

Athens Riviera is the coastal area in the southern suburbs of Athens, Greece from Piraeus to Sounio. It is located about 10 mi from downtown Athens stretching from the southern suburbs of Athens to the southernmost point of Attica, Cape Sounion.

Sounion- Temple of Poseidon

Ancient Greek religion was essentially propitiatory in nature based on the notion that to avoid misfortune, one must constantly seek the favor of the relevant gods by prayers, gifts, and sacrifices. To the ancient Greek, every natural feature, hill, lake, stream or wood, was controlled by a god. A person about to swim in a river, for example, would say a prayer to the river-god, or make an offering to that god’s shrine, to avoid the chance of drowning. The gods were considered immortal and could change shape, become invisible and travel anywhere instantaneously. But in many other respects, they were considered similar to humans. They shared the whole range of human emotions, both positive and negative. Thus, in their attitudes towards humans, they could be both benevolent and malicious. Also like humans, they had family and clan hierarchies. They could even mate with humans, and produce demi-gods.