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• Explore Athens. Begin with the Acropolis rock, home to the fifth-century BC Parthenon, then stroll down to the Ancient Agora, once Athens' civic, political and commercial centre. Do not miss the world class National Archaeological Museum, packed with ancient marble statues, jewellery and ceramics.
• Discover Delphi, believed by the ancients to be the centre of the world. This fascinating pagan religious complex, set on a stunning hillside site, comprises classical temples, a theatre and a stadium. Numerous finds are displayed in the excellent Delphi Archaeological Museum.
• Admire the former city-state of ancient Corinth, once renowned for wealth and elegance, immorality and orgiastic cults. Explore its temples and theatre, then check out the adjoining museum. Also see nearby Acrocorinth, a vast hilltop fortress combining Byzantine, Turkish and Venetian elements.
• Visit the treasure trove that is Mycenae. This hilltop citadel, surrounded by Cyclopean Walls accessed via the splendid Lion Gate, was the powerful Mycenaeans' capital. Golden treasure, including the ‘Mask of Agamemnon', was found here.
• Run the original Olympic race track in Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics, which were staged here between the eighth and fourth centuries BC. Explore the site, then see the Archaeological Museum and the nearby Museum of the Olympic Games.
• Discover the unforgettable landscape of the Meteora, with six medieval monasteries built upon bizarre, rocky pinnacles. The monasteries, which once totalled 24, were originally reached using pulley systems, but are now accessible via steps carved into the rocks.
• Do not miss Thessaloniki, Greece's second city. It is home to the excellent Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum exhibiting ancient marble statues and gold jewellery from the region of Macedonia. Its beautiful Byzantine churches are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.
• Men should head to the peninsula of Mount Athos, an autonomous monks' state since 1060. Twenty monasteries house some 1,700 monks. Only male visitors are permitted, and that upon prior request. All visitors can take a boat ride around the peninsular.
• Explore the extensive ruins of Knossos, a 3,000-year-old frescoed Minoan Palace, home to Europe's earliest civilisation. Finds from the site are displayed in the Archaeological Museum in the nearby Venetian-style port town of Iralkio, on Crete.
• Visit Santorini's whitewashed towns of Ia and Thira, built on a cliff overlooking the caldera, a circular depression in the sea created when a volcanic eruption blew the centre out of the island around 1600 BC. Expect stunning sunsets, black sand beaches, boutique hotels and gourmet cuisine.
• Lap it up in Mykonos, known for its glamorous, hedonistic nightlife. Attracting jet setters and a notable gay community, tiny Mykonos offers charming white, cubic buildings, typical of the Cyclades, chic restaurants, trendy bars, waterside nightclubs, plus several small luxury hotels.
• Invade Rhodes Town. The compact Old Town lies within an imposing 14th-century stronghold built by the Knights of St John during the Crusades. Visit the gothic Palace of the Grand Masters, plus several mosques and a 16th-century hamam (Turkish baths) added by the Ottomans.
Note: The Hellenic Ministry of Culture (website: www.culture.gr) can provide more details on any of Greece's state-run museums and archaeological sites.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Discover Delphi, believed by the ancients to be the centre of the world. This fascinating pagan religious complex, set on a stunning hillside site, comprises classical temples, a theatre and a stadium. Numerous finds are displayed in the excellent Delphi Archaeological Museum.
• Admire the former city-state of ancient Corinth, once renowned for wealth and elegance, immorality and orgiastic cults. Explore its temples and theatre, then check out the adjoining museum. Also see nearby Acrocorinth, a vast hilltop fortress combining Byzantine, Turkish and Venetian elements.
• Visit the treasure trove that is Mycenae. This hilltop citadel, surrounded by Cyclopean Walls accessed via the splendid Lion Gate, was the powerful Mycenaeans' capital. Golden treasure, including the ‘Mask of Agamemnon', was found here.
• Run the original Olympic race track in Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics, which were staged here between the eighth and fourth centuries BC. Explore the site, then see the Archaeological Museum and the nearby Museum of the Olympic Games.
• Discover the unforgettable landscape of the Meteora, with six medieval monasteries built upon bizarre, rocky pinnacles. The monasteries, which once totalled 24, were originally reached using pulley systems, but are now accessible via steps carved into the rocks.
• Do not miss Thessaloniki, Greece's second city. It is home to the excellent Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum exhibiting ancient marble statues and gold jewellery from the region of Macedonia. Its beautiful Byzantine churches are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.
• Men should head to the peninsula of Mount Athos, an autonomous monks' state since 1060. Twenty monasteries house some 1,700 monks. Only male visitors are permitted, and that upon prior request. All visitors can take a boat ride around the peninsular.
• Explore the extensive ruins of Knossos, a 3,000-year-old frescoed Minoan Palace, home to Europe's earliest civilisation. Finds from the site are displayed in the Archaeological Museum in the nearby Venetian-style port town of Iralkio, on Crete.
• Visit Santorini's whitewashed towns of Ia and Thira, built on a cliff overlooking the caldera, a circular depression in the sea created when a volcanic eruption blew the centre out of the island around 1600 BC. Expect stunning sunsets, black sand beaches, boutique hotels and gourmet cuisine.
• Lap it up in Mykonos, known for its glamorous, hedonistic nightlife. Attracting jet setters and a notable gay community, tiny Mykonos offers charming white, cubic buildings, typical of the Cyclades, chic restaurants, trendy bars, waterside nightclubs, plus several small luxury hotels.
• Invade Rhodes Town. The compact Old Town lies within an imposing 14th-century stronghold built by the Knights of St John during the Crusades. Visit the gothic Palace of the Grand Masters, plus several mosques and a 16th-century hamam (Turkish baths) added by the Ottomans.
Note: The Hellenic Ministry of Culture (website: www.culture.gr) can provide more details on any of Greece's state-run museums and archaeological sites.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.