"Greece has everything," - Anton Chekhov's well-known phrase from the vaudeville "Wedding" has acquired a new flavor today. Greece is now at the height of fashion among fans to buy property abroad. And it really has everything. And the cleanest sea in Europe, and ski resorts, and flowering slopes, and coniferous forests, and islands for every taste, as well as three hundred sunny days a year, Mediterranean cuisine and friendly Greeks - the heirs of an ancient culture.
Touch of eternity
Greece is called the cradle of modern civilization. She gave the world philosophy, theater, the Olympic Games, the values of democracy and an endless number of architectural monuments. Here, each stone breathes five thousand years of history. Amazing country - museum under open sky, touching eternity. "This is the only place on Earth where I was truly happy," the English poet George Byron once said about Greece.
But how not to be happy in this small but very beautiful country? Greece smells like the sea, a soft sea breeze lives here at any time of the year. Black-haired Greeks with sincere smiles stroll peacefully along the endless beaches against the backdrop of the white sails of yachts and the outlines of the islands on the horizon. By the way, the coastline of Greece is the longest in comparison with other Mediterranean countries - more than fifteen thousand kilometers.
The dream of any inhabitant of the metropolis - your own island - here may well turn into reality. We have about three thousand islands at our disposal. Only one hundred and forty of them are inhabited. You can buy both inhabited and uninhabited. With the latter, it's just more trouble. All this beauty is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, which the Greeks themselves divide into three: Aegean, Ionian and Libyan.
Happily ever after
Greece is currently experiencing a construction boom, foreigners from all over the world are actively buying apartments, houses, villas, townhouses and just land.
Experts see rational reasons for this. Greece - a new real estate market - there is still plenty to choose from, while not overpaying "for the name." In terms of quality of life, European researchers have put Greece in the top twenty world leaders among the most attractive countries for living. The lowest crime rate in Europe helped Hellas to become a leader, strength family values, the nature of social relations, security, geography, climate and favorable environmental conditions.
In Greece, it is true that life is calm and easy to breathe. About 23% of the country's territory is agricultural land, where fruits, vegetables, grapes, cotton and tobacco are grown. People live here longer than in other European countries, with an average life expectancy of 76 years for men and 81 years for women.
The investment attractiveness of Greece was added by the construction of the new EGNATIA highway, which is planned to be completed at the end of this year. The route connects four ports, six airports and provides access to the Balkans and other countries of Eastern Europe. On it you can cross Greece across - from Italy to Turkey - in just six and a half hours, bypassing mountain serpentines and narrow sections of roads. Most of it passes over the ancient Roman road, along its length there are 270 cultural heritage sites.
Greece attracts with a relatively simple mechanism for acquiring real estate. Land and a house can be bought in full ownership by paying 10% tax on the cadastral value, which is several times less than the market price. Real estate worth less than £140,000 is tax-free, and Greek banks can easily issue a mortgage within a few weeks. Maximum interest rate on a loan for non-residents fluctuates between 6-7% per annum, however, Russian clients are still treated with little apprehension here. One "but": in Greece there are "border" regions where the acquisition of real estate by foreigners is associated with an additional formality - the issuance of a ministerial permit. These regions include some coastal areas (eg Chalkidiki), some areas of Attica and most of the islands. Permission is issued by a lawyer within a few months.
Loss of Poseidon
There are more than enough reasons to buy a house in Greece, the main thing is not to get lost among the fancy names of islands, peninsulas, cities and villages. To do this, the whole variety of places where real estate is actively sold can be divided into four parts: Northern Greece, Central Greece, Southern Greece and the islands.
Experts believe that the future belongs to Northern Greece. It is located at the intersection of all sea and land routes passing through the Balkan Peninsula. Its center is the ancient port city of Thessaloniki, one of the most significant commercial and industrial centers of the Balkans. Thessaloniki hosts the largest cross-industry exhibitions in Southern Europe. Huge ships depart from its commercial port all over the world, and snow-white yachts from a modern marina in the east of the city. Businessmen and yachting enthusiasts buy apartments here to admire their own yacht at sunrise in anticipation of exciting trips.
A bright representative of Northern Greece is the famous peninsula of Halkidiki, resembling a trident piercing the Aegean Sea. According to ancient myths, titans lived here - rivals of the gods. In the battle with them, the god of the sea Poseidon lost his trident, so the peninsula of Halkidiki arose. And the giant Athos, in a rage, threw a huge block at the gods - now it is the Holy Mount Athos - the center of Orthodoxy, a monastic state within a state, which is ruled by a council of representatives of twenty Athos monasteries. Houses and plots overlooking the Holy Mountain are in exceptional demand among wealthy Russians who know the value of places of solitude and inspiration, where you can get away from traffic, noise and obsessive popularity.
The titans knew where to live, Halkidiki still captivates with its beauty. A third of the island is deserted and calm, with a centuries-old pine forest and the cleanest bays. Civilization has left its mark here in the form of developed infrastructure, clubs, taverns and other pleasures of the life of mere mortals. In some local village (in Psakudya, for example), you can buy a relatively inexpensive townhouse with its own garden or a house with a fireplace. There are also elite residential complexes on the peninsula, with dozens of villas, swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts and round-the-clock security.
The first "prong" of Halkidiki with the ancient name of Kassandra, the closest to Thessaloniki, is known for its olive groves, Mendi wine and honey, which has been famous since ancient times. Its beaches are marked with the blue flag of the EU. Here, modern villas coexist comfortably with chapels, old monastery courtyards and traditional settlements. In the very center of Kassandra is the small town of Kallithea, where you can buy a townhouse or an apartment with a gorgeous sea view. By the way, Kallithea is translated from Greek as "good panorama".
Place of residence of the Muses
Central Greece is represented by Attica or the Attic Plain, surrounded by mountains and in the south gently falling to the sea with a low ridge of hills. Here skiers and snowboarders join sea lovers. At their disposal is the legendary Parnassus - the place of residence of the muses. The ski center was opened here several decades ago. The elevation difference here is sufficient for intermediate skiers. You can kill two birds with one stone by buying a stone chalet in the nearby town of Arachova, and each time you choose whether to drive twenty minutes to the sea or fifteen to the ski slope. And one more bonus: Arachova is famous for its carpets self made, excellent local cheese and wine. True, for the neighborhood with Parnassus itself, you will have to pay a tidy sum, comparable to the prices for prestigious properties in Athens and on the famous Greek islands.
Of course, Attica is, first of all, the place where the center of the world is located, the city of art and simply the capital of Greece - Athens. Sailing to the port of Piraeus (the port of Athens since 500 BC), past the island of Salamis, you can still recognize the majestic Acropolis from afar. The path to the Acropolis goes through the ancient quarter of the Plan. Narrow exotic streets where two people can barely pass, old houses with ivy-covered balconies, churches and traditional taverns. Despite all this beauty, Athens is a modern metropolis with all the ensuing consequences. It's noisy, dusty, expensive and traffic jams. In summer, when the smog becomes unbearable and you can't even see neighboring houses, personal cars are prohibited from entering the central part of the city. Luxury housing is located in the suburbs of Athens, the closer to the city and to the sea, the higher the level and, of course, the price.
Those who do not like fuss should head south. Southern Greece is the Peloponnese peninsula. In the small towns of the Peloponnese, traditional way the life of the Greeks, it seems that nothing has changed here for hundreds of years. Walking through the narrow streets of mountain villages, one can realistically imagine how people lived five hundred years ago. Here, in the peace and quiet of a coastal tavern, you can eat fresh fish, covered with a crispy pink crust, directly from the coals, and see off the evening sun floating into the sea in a wreath. ionian islands. And nearby, in the shade of eucalyptus and pine trees, sacred Olympia will be buried, on the ruins of which, before the start of the modern Olympic Games, the ritual of lighting the Olympic flame is held. There is a lot of free land in the Peloponnese, therefore land plots from 500 to 5 thousand square meters are actively sold here near the sea. There are also ready-made villas with all amenities and even with their own marinas for yachts.
Treasure Islands
But the beauty of Greece is in its many islands. Buying houses on the islands is now very important. Such a purchase has undoubted advantages. Relatively difficult transport access immediately makes island real estate cheaper than houses on the mainland. And it is much easier to find your own section of the beach, where there will be no casual tourists, on the islands. In addition, the Greek islands are an ideal place for yachting - fantastic landscapes and calm seas between the islands.
It is quite possible to buy the island itself in full ownership. Theoretically, it is easier to acquire an island owned by a private owner, since in order to purchase an island owned by the state, one must win the corresponding tender. It is difficult, but possible - to buy an uninhabited island. We'll have to change its status to habitable. That is, to take on the solution of the problems of water supply and electrification, which, of course, will require considerable additional investments.
The islands of Hydra and Spetses between Attica and the Peloponnese are considered the most fashionable and elite today. These islands are favorites intellectual elite, whose representatives draw inspiration from the silence, emphasized by the chirping of cicadas. Ideal location for filming movies. Hydra and Spetses have crystal clear air. Most of them are protected historical territories. Vehicles are prohibited here. Here they ride horses and donkeys, and fly on airplanes. It is clear that real estate on these islands is much more expensive, and the offer is limited. Sometimes you have to wait for your house for several years.
The rest of the islands can be conditionally divided by the seas washing them into Ionian and Aegean. In terms of the number of properties offered for sale, the Aegean Islands - the Cyclades - are in the lead - with a unique culture and architecture that is unlike anything else in Greece or in the world. The most popular among them are Mykonos and Santorini. Fashionable Mykonos is the place of concentration of the "world party", constant club life twenty-four hours a day. Prince Carlos, Madonna, Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger have been here. You can shell out as much money for a "small" apartment in Mykonos as for a decent villa on some lesser known Greek island, which will be no less beautiful. Santorini is calmer, there are villas that are secluded on the hills or stand together on the coast.
The most famous of the Ionian Islands is Corfu, where you can easily combine a relaxing holiday with a busy rhythm nightlife. The island sells luxury villas with palm groves and orchards and large plots of land up to 7 thousand square meters...
It is worth putting an ellipsis, because you can talk about Greece endlessly.
If XIV - XVI centuries. It is customary to call the Renaissance - the time of the second birth of the forgotten ancient heritage, then what period in the history of mankind should be called the Birth - the time of the appearance of the most ancient culture? Who were they - those whom the Russian poet Valery Bryusov called nice name"teachers of teachers"?
There is no generally accepted answer to these questions, because the origins of human culture are lost in the mists of time. Nevertheless, as such a century of the Birth of ancient culture, we dare to name the VI century. BC e.
It was at this time that the hidden knowledge, dormant in the recesses of the daytime Egyptian temples and ancient Babylonian ziggurats, seems to reach its critical mass and spills out. As if by magic, in different parts of the planet, great insights touched the best minds of mankind. Pythagoras in Ancient Greece, Buddha in ancient india, Confucius in ancient China - all of them in the VI century. BC e. became Teachers, led others, proclaimed teachings that existed for millennia and largely determined future history civilization.
However, upon closer examination in the history of Ancient Greece and Ancient China there are surprisingly many similarities: written monuments appear in both languages in the 2nd millennium BC. e.; both languages, although changed, continue to exist to this day, and as the modern Greeks consider the language of Homer as their language, so the modern Chinese call the language of Confucius their mother tongue; both peoples exceptionally early and dazzlingly brightly illuminated the world with their philosophy and poetry, and both of them had an unprecedented impact on neighboring peoples both in the Far West and in the Far East. All this again and again leads to the thought: did not these peoples have one common Teacher? Did not the legendary Atlantis, about which we read in the dialogues of Plato, carry away to the depths of the sea the name of the true Teacher of Teachers?
This idea should not be considered only as a poetic hyperbole, characteristic of a scientific and artistic book. The greatest modern authority in the history of science, the Dutch mathematician Barthel van der Waerden, in one of his latest works, expresses and argues the hypothesis that in antiquity there was a highly developed tradition of mathematical research, which later became the foundation for Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Greek and Indian mathematics. Van der Waerden traces this tradition to the Indo-European tribes, the creators of megalithic monuments of the 3rd - early 2nd millennium in Britain, who, during the period of settlement, spread mathematical knowledge to the most remote regions of Eurasia.
However, these questions take us too far from the time of the forthcoming narrative, which itself is no less than 2,500 years from today. And if we talk about "old Europe", then there is no doubt that it was Ancient Greece that was destined to become the cradle of European civilization.
Samo geographical position Greece, washed by the sea and scattered in the sea, determined her this great mission (Fig. 1). Since ancient times, the sea has played a huge role in the history of mankind: it not only provides food, but also gives people communication. The sea not only has a beneficial effect on the mind of one person, but also supports the consciousness of community among a group of people - a people and a nation - and thereby contributes to the development national culture. The sea unites people and calls them on the road. It is no coincidence that one of the ancient Greek names for the sea meant a road. And is it not from the ancient Greek "pontus" (πόντος - sea) that Russian word"path"?
Rice. 1. The ancient world in the VI century. BC e.
All geographical names mentioned in the book are shown on the map.
But a special sea is the Mediterranean. It washes three continents at once. Its azure waters caress and warm all living things. And its eastern part is completely unique - the Aegean Sea, lying between the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor. In the whole of the Aegean, there is no point more than 60 km from land - whether it be the mainland or the nearest island - more than 60 km, just as in all of Greece there is no place more than 90 km from the sea.
Placer islands, large and small, cover the Aegean Sea. You will not have time to sail away from one of them, as a second appears on the horizon, then a third. The circle of the Cyclades - the peaks of the once submerged mountain range - and the casually scattered Sporades created ideal conditions for the ancient navigator, for whom losing sight of the coast was madness. These islands became the pillars of an invisible bridge that connected Asia with Europe (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Samoina - Samos warship from the time of Pythagoras.
The Aegean Sea for the ancient Greeks was not just a place for catching mullet or sardines, but it was also a way to other peoples and a different culture, it was a road to unprecedented works of art and fabulous oriental riches, it was a window into an unknown world of knowledge, kept by oriental wise men who were stingy with words . The sea is a journey to a magical wonderland, the way to which the stars indicate.
Starting from the 8th century BC e. each large city-state of Hellas has its own colonies across the sea. These shoots of a strong Hellenic tree appear everywhere: in southern Italy and along the shores of southern Gaul, in Iberia and North Africa, in the Nile Delta and on the distant Ponte Euxinus (Black Sea), where Miletus alone founded about a hundred settlements.
But - and this is the source of the Greek genius - discovering new lands in voyages, entering into direct contacts with the great Eastern civilizations, the Greeks knew how to find in themselves the ability to learn their lessons, and not brush them aside. The Greeks not only absorbed the wisdom of the great teachers, but also creatively refracted it, and most importantly, fabulously enriched it.
"Whatever the Greeks adopted from the barbarians, they always brought it to a higher perfection." These words of Plato from his posthumous dialogue "Epiminos", although they belong to the Greeks, very accurately convey the essence of the intellectual relationship between the East and Hellas. That is why it was the Eastern Greeks, and above all the Ionians and Aeolians, who laid the foundations of philosophy (Thales from Miletus), mathematics (Pythagoras from the island of Samos), lyric poetry (the poetess Sappho from the island of Lesbos). This is how a new original culture was born, this is how ancient oriental wisdom flowed into Europe along an invisible island bridge.
But mainland Greece, cut by mountain ranges and deep valleys, looked more like a group of islands, each of which had its own life. Mountain ranges, like walls of fortresses, protected the inhabitants of the valleys from the deadly whirlwinds of conquest, unhindered sweeping over the defenseless plains. Nature itself contributed to the emergence in Greece of hundreds of separate city-states (in Greek, policies: πόλις - city), tenaciously holding on to their political and economic independence.
Compared to the vast slave despotisms ancient east and even more so by today's standards, the size of these states were ridiculously small. For example, according to the calculations of Professor S. Ya. Lurie, the population of the Boeotian state of Khorsii in the 3rd century. BC e. was 64 people. However, Athens itself in the best of times had no more than two or three hundred thousand inhabitants.
Along a steep path (the Greeks did not like detours and laid paths straight ahead, carving steps in the rocks), one could climb to the nearest peak and take a look at their entire state lying below in the valley. On the other side of the ridge, in another valley, there was already another state. Such a close proximity of different states inevitably led to endless conflicts. Alas, it was an incurable ulcer of the Greek people, which turned out to be fatal for them.
The small size of the Greek policies stimulated participation in public life almost the entire population. The free members of society were citizens, not disenfranchised subjects, as in the East. During its heyday in Athens, some public positions were filled annually by lottery, the city practically did not know the layer of officials, and the assembly of citizens of the policy was the highest legislative body. So, in Greece, long before our era, an unprecedented form of political governance arose - democracy, or in Greek democracy (δημο-κρατία - from δημος, the people and κρατέω - to manage), a form that, even today, two millennia later, is an alluring ideal for many peoples peace.
The opportunity to communicate with all the inhabitants of the state at once gave rise to the spirit of competition, which permeated all layers of public life in Hellas. Each holiday dedicated to any of the gods, and there were a great many gods in Ancient Greece, certainly ended with competitions of athletes, competitions of singers, dancers, musicians, poets, competitions of tragedians, comedians, artisans, beauty contests - both women's and men's. At the time of the national Olympic or Pythian Games, the warring parties laid down their arms, crowds of people rushed along the roads of Greece to the place of competition, life in the cities froze. The reward to the winner was, as a rule, small - a laurel wreath or a basket of wine berries, but this award was always very honorable. In exceptional cases, the winner was erected a monument or elected to responsible government positions. So, the greatest playwright of Hellas Sophocles (c. 496 - 406 BC) after his "Antigone" was elected a military leader and, it must be said, carried out a number of military operations with honor.
A liberated mind, a sense of freedom and dignity gave rise to an explosive surge intellectual forces Greece. A restless thought seethed in the narrow and sometimes dirty streets of the Greek city-states. Not in the pompous powers of the Ancient East with their monstrously huge pyramids, temples, statues, fantastic wealth, but in poverty, but in freedom, a culture unparalleled in the strength of the intellect and spirit grew. The triumph of the human mind became the main wealth and unprecedented conquest of the Greek people.
Hellas poured into the centuries, like wine, -
In a palace fresco, in a marble idol,
In living verse, in sharpened sapphire,
Revealing what was, is and is destined.
(V. Bryusov)
It was the Greeks who were the first of the ancient peoples to seek the secrets of the universe not in religious canons, but in the very universe surrounding man. And it was the Greeks who were the first to feel the aching joy of comprehending the truth.
Thrice happy are the souls to whom it is given
Rise to truths like this and measure the starry sky.
In these two lines of the ancient Roman poet Ovid (43 BC - c. 18 AD) there is another well, which the ancient Greeks owned (and which they generously bestowed on the ancient Romans), is a subtle sense of beauty. With mother's milk, the Greeks absorbed the colors of generous Hellas: the blue of the sky, the azure of the sea, the gold of the sea sand, the green of rearing ridges, the brilliance of impregnable rocks and again the blue of the sky. “The harmonic nature of this country, alien to any monstrous enormity, any monstrous extremes,” wrote V. G. Belinsky, “could not but have an impact on the sense of proportionality and conformity, in a word, harmony, which was, as it were, innate to the Greeks.”
No other people has been so richly and happily gifted by nature. Prone to fun and pleasure, happily indulging in singing, dancing and gymnastic exercises, the Greeks at the same time had an inquisitive mind and a lively desire for knowledge, a penetrating and sober look at nature, devoid of the scholastic philosophies of the Egyptian and Babylonian sages. The whole Greek culture is permeated with a sense of beauty and a sense of harmony. Artists idolized the beauty of the human body, poets sang the joy of life, but scientists, studying everything and testing everything according to the laws of reason, thought not only in logical categories, but also in living images. The Greatest Philosopher Plato (428 or 427 - 348 or 347 BC) wrote tender lyrical verses:
I'm throwing this apple at you. Catch if you love
And give me the sweetness of your beauty...
In general, science and art went hand in hand in ancient Greece, and mathematics and music were called sisters.
Such were the ancient Greeks, who, like a laughing sunbeam, appeared in the sky of history. Such was the great Greek culture, which Hegel likened to a rapidly flowing rose.
Such is the wonderful land of Hellas,
Already dead, but lovely.
(J. G. Byron)
And yet we should not forget about the two millennia separating us from Ancient Hellas. We admire the wisdom of the ancient Hellenes, who foresaw many ways of development and many fundamental problems of modern scientific knowledge, but we also smile indulgently, seeing their concrete results - modern natural science has gone too far ahead. The idea of \u200b\u200bsymmetry, which was put by the ancient Greeks as the basis for the structure of the atom, is in its purest form the idea of the 20th century. - strikes us with its insight, but its embodiment - the atoms themselves, conceived by Plato in the form of regular polyhedra - seems hopelessly naive today. We are captivated by the white marble masterpieces of Hellas, its delightful statues and impeccable temples, and we do not think that during the sacrifices, streams of blood flowed along their polished steps, and the serene azure of a cloudless sky was saturated with the smell of blood and burning fat.
In general, the dazzling light of the Greek intellectual and artistic genius did not penetrate into the gloomy cellars of their customs and superstitions, which were not only amusing, but sometimes monstrously cruel. In order for spring to return to the earth again, a magnificent marriage of the most noble Athenian, the wife of the first dignitary of the city, was held annually in Athens with a wooden statue of the god of fertility Dionysus, which was kept locked up all year especially for this occasion; to rid the city of misfortunes, there was a ritual of expelling "scapegoats", which often turned out to be unfortunate residents of the city: they were severely beaten with twigs from a sea bow, then burned and the ashes were scattered over the sea; the famous commander Themistocles, on the eve of the Battle of Salamis, sacrificed to the god Dionysus the Devourer three noble Persian youths, three handsome men - the nephews of the Persian king, dressed for this occasion in luxurious clothes embroidered with gold; the wise Democritus, the founder of materialism and the creator of the doctrine of atoms, urged the girls to run around the sown field three times during the regular season, so that it would give the peasant abundant shoots. Etc., etc., etc.
Since then, the world has changed beyond recognition. But the strength and glory of ancient culture continues to shine through the ages. Modern philosophers follow the two main roads of philosophy - the roads of Plato and Democritus: the wisdom of Pythagoras, the encyclopedic nature of Euclid, the sparkling ideas of Archimedes continue to delight and nourish modern mathematicians, the perfection of the lines of the Parthenon and the divine beauty of Aphrodite of Milo inspire artists for two and a half millennia (Fig. 3) .
Rice. 3. Nike of Samothrace - the personification of victory, which has also become a symbol of a different take-off of Ancient Hellas. Marble. End of the 4th century BC e. Paris. Louvre.
And yet, how and why exactly in Greece, as if Aphrodite from sea foam, was born amazingly modern culture? For two millennia, the best minds of mankind have been trying to comprehend this incomprehensible phenomenon of the “Greek miracle”. That is why we can only return to the beginning of the prologue and state with pride: Greece is the glory of human culture, Greece is the cradle of European civilization.
Many of us have heard, listened to and read the myths of Ancient Greece, about heroes and monsters, about gods and deeds, about Olympus and about fire. It is Greece that is rightfully considered the cradle of all Western European civilization.
Greek cuisine: moussaka, olives, feta cheese and wine amazing country in which each city is filled with myths and legends. It is a country with a long history and rich cultural heritage. This country with a wonderful climate is a heavenly protected area, which is worth visiting at least once in a lifetime in order to be able to fully enjoy the excellent local culture, communication with the local population, getting to know national dishes and other important moments.
The culture of Ancient Greece gave rise to common cultural values in literally all areas of spiritual and material activity of mankind. Only three generations of cultural figures of Ancient Greece created the art of high classics, laid the foundations of European civilization and role models for many millennia. Having mastered the cultural experience of Egypt and Babylon, Ancient Greece determined its own path both in the socio-political development of society, and in philosophical searches and artistic and aesthetic understanding of the world.
I want to come to Greece, and for those who have visited once, come back here again and again, and it doesn’t matter to mainland Greece or to the cozy Greek islands, here the gentle clear sea awaits you from everywhere, best beaches, the most healthy and healthy cuisine, close in spirit and faith, very hospitable, friendly and hospitable people.
Greece is ideal for a holiday from May to October, although the rest of the time there is always something to do and see. A huge number of relics on the territory of the country will help awaken in your mind a real interest in the history of mankind. Wonderful climate, warm sea, European service, excellent cuisine will leave the most pleasant memories.
Do you know what the secret of Greek cheerfulness and longevity is? In the ability to relax: from the heart, sincerely, enchantingly and contagiously. No wonder the term "rest in Greek" means a completely successful, prosperous and varied holiday in Greece, where every season reveals its own charm to travelers, gives the delight of discoveries and unforgettable impressions. For example, a holiday in Greece in the winter is not inferior to the usual trip in the summer season. It just becomes different: ski resorts, various excursion programs, pilgrimage - this is not all that Greece can boast of. Tourism in this amazing country does not stop developing, which is tirelessly taken care of by the local government, investing a lot of money in the industry, realizing the importance of this direction
Well, now let's look at some of the nuances, for the general development
Geography: Greece is located on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. In the north it borders with Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria, and in the east with Turkey. The southern shores are washed by the Mediterranean Sea, the western - by the Ionian and the eastern - by the Aegean. One fifth of Greece lies on the islands, numbering about a thousand. The largest of them are Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Lesvos, Samos. Due to the large number of islands, Greece has a particularly long coastline (15.020 km), which is the longest of any Mediterranean country.
Climate: Mild, Mediterranean. The average temperature in January is +4 + 12 ° C, in July + 27 + 30 ° C. The swimming season on the mainland of Greece begins in mid-May and ends in mid-September. The average sea temperature in July is + 25 ° C. The holiday season on the islands begins earlier and lasts from April to mid-October.
The beach season in this country lasts from March to October.
Time: 1 hour behind Moscow.
Flight: The duration of the flight from St. Petersburg to Greece is 3.5 - 4 hours.
political system: Greece - republic. The head of state is the president.
Capital: Athens
Population: about 10.7 million people.
Language: Greek.
Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox Church..
ground public transport in large cities it is represented by buses and trolleybuses. Tickets are sold at newsstands or final stops. If a passenger is standing at a stop and sees an approaching bus of the desired route, he must vote, otherwise the driver will not stop.
You can rent a car at a car rental office (rent a car) or contact a travel agency. Vehicles are allowed for persons over 21 years of age. At the same time, in addition to the rights of international standard, you must have at least a year of driving experience.
Greece: the cradle of European civilization
The cradle of European civilization, a country with a long history and a great heritage: all these words are about Greece. This country is unique and interesting for tourists in many aspects. No wonder our ancestors said that Greece has everything. It seems that the gods of the majestic Olympus purposely created a reserved corner where everyone can find what he wants.
One fifth of Greece lies on the islands, numbering about a thousand. It is washed by three seas: Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian. Ancient geographers said that the sea reaches out to Greece with thousands of hands. It has the most indented coastline in the world, hosting an incredible array of ports and beaches.
Most of Greece is covered by mountains. The most famous of them are Olympus (2917m) in the Pindus massif, Falakron (2229m), Kyllini (2376m) on the Peloponnese peninsula
In summer in Greece, the air warms up to 28 C, in July-August sometimes up to 40 C. Winter is rainy and rather cool, but the temperature drops below zero only in the northern mountains.
Greece is one of the Schengen countries, so getting a visa for tourists from Russia is quite simple. In addition, the prices are quite democratic.
The national currency in Greece is the euro. Remember that banks and exchange offices are closed on weekends and holidays.
Of course, you should start your trip to Greece from Athens: the capital and cultural center countries. Tourists are attracted primarily Athens Acropolis symbolizing Ancient Greece, the temple of Athena Parthenos, located right there, the Erechtheion temple, on the site of which a dispute broke out between Poseidon and Athena for the right to rule over the city, the temple of Nike Apteros, where there was a statue of the goddess with cut off wings so that luck would not leave Athens. Without leaving the city, you can see a lot of interesting things, feel yourself surrounded by the revived myths of antiquity.
Do not linger in the city, because you are waiting for an equally fascinating suburb of Athens, where the battle of Marathon took place, the Peloponnese peninsula and the city of Olympia, the birthplace Olympic Games, fertile Macedonia and the holy Mount Athos and much, much more.
Greece is an incredibly historically and culturally rich country. It makes no sense to talk about the types of recreation offered here: the local nature and climate allow absolutely everyone to find a pastime. There is not a single person in the world who, having visited Greece, was dissatisfied. So why don't you join these lucky ones?