One of the best carnivals in Greece! Check the program
"Old Man", the "Girl", and the "Frank". . . it’s Carnival season on Skyros, and the custom has endured for centuries, with enthusiastic participants of all ages. It is the main event of the island, and known throughout Greece. Its origins are lost to history, however the first written reference to this unique custom appears circa 1900, by J.C. Lawson, and 1901, in the book The island of Skyros by Michael Konstantinidis.
The legend surrounding this ‘thunderous’ tradition is that a shepherd, having lost his sheep, girded himself with their bells and went wandering in search of them. The sound of a lone shepherd’s bells is one thing; the...
The 6th trail running race under the name of: «CORFU MOUNTAIN TRAIL 2017» has been announced. It will take place on Sunday 26th March 2017 in Corfu with a change in the route of 80km. The route starts from the village Ipsos, rises to the highest peak of the island, the mountain Pantocrator, passing by traditional villages of the northern part of Corfu as old Perithia, Petaleia, Perithia, Klimateia, Lakones, Paleokastritsa, will descend passing by the west coast near the golden beaches of Liapades, Myrtiotissa, Glyfada, Kontogialos, Agios Gordis, trail paths of one of the most beautiful sightseeing, overlooking the Adriatic sea and unite...
Syros is the island where Greek tradition and western influence come to a harmonious marriage. Ermoúpoli (meaning “the city of Hermes”) is the island’s capital town and has been the first important trade and industrial centre of the country in the 19th century. Evidence of this glorious past can be seen on public buildings (the City Hall, the Customs Office, “Apollo” theatre), on the neoclassical houses and at the beautiful squares. Due to its economic activity, Ermoúpoli has been called “Manchester of Greece” and the history of its years of blossom is exhibited in the Industrial Museum.
Syros is also well-known for its gastronomic...
1- 6th of August, an exceptional summer meeting for Accordionists at the island of Syros in the Cyclades
a festival aiming to give rise to new perspectives and broadened horizons for the future!
Free entry and many many events in museums across the country to celebrate the International Museum Day.
From 19 June-26 June 2016 athletes from around the world will pedal through the big mountain range of Pindos.
"A dream among splendid ruins…" A Temporary Exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum
Swimming, running, cycling with background the beautiful architecture of the city of Syros!
After the success of the TINOS RUNNING EXPERIENCE 2014 & 2015 race meetings and in the constant spirit of pursuing the development and economic prosperity of Tinos, the Administrative Board of Tinos Commercial & Business Association announces the organization of TINOS RUNNING EXPERIENCE 2016 road races on Saturday 11th June, in cooperation with ALL ABOUT RUNNING.
Association’s intention and goal is the establishment of this event as an annual athletic meeting on the island, attracting athletes from all over Greece and abroad, as well as people involved in Sports, developing this way an equally significant tourism sector, that of...
Take a seat in the court of ancient Athens as Socrates goes on trial for his life. Hear the philosopher face his accusers with his trademark wit, cutting logic, and the courage of his ideals. Consider his arguments on virtue, justice, politics, corruption, civic duty, love of life and hope in death, and draw your own judgment.
Enjoy the post-performance opportunity to discuss with the actor the ramifications of your verdict, led by acclaimed actor Yannis Simonides.
Think. Question. Change.
Socrates Now is an 80- minute solo performance that captures the essence of Socratic ethics in an accessible and engaging manner. Witness history’s...
on Saturday 16 May 2015 the European Night of Museums and on Monday 18 May 2015 the International Museum Day!
The doors of Greek wineries are wide open and invite you to experience the Greek vineyards in a special weekend filled with the smells of spring and Greek wines. A perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to the magical world of wine and enrich your knowledge on wine. Below you may find all the scheduled events offered by the wineries participating in Open Doors 2015. So select one or more of them, add them in your travel guide and plan your journey through Wondergreece.
Ktima Gerovassiliou
On Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of May 2015, the winery Ktima Gerovassiliou opens its doors with happenings that include tours, tastings...
Young people of our country bring to life myths, science and the ancient cultural heritage
The bears living in Shelter ARCTUROS have awakened from their hibernation and are waiting for your visit!
The bike enthusiasts will have once again the opportunity to put on their best attires and ride their classic bikes in Spetses.
The Acropolis Museum in Athens has announced free admission and access to special events on the occasion of the Greek National Holiday on Wednesday March 25
Freestyle windsurf Contest in Naxos. An ideal place for the development of sports tourism!
Naxian Freestyle Contest from Panteliz Photography on Vimeo.
wander around, get refreshed at the cool streams, make flutes and eavesdrop on the spontaneous sounds of nature
The arrival of September also brings the arrival of wine festivals. The great days of Nemea, on the 6th, 7th and 8th of September 2013, invite you to meet the process of harvesting and the local varieties. One of the most famous is Aghiorghitiko, one of the best and most dynamic red wine varieties in the world. The program includes seminars, book presentations, visits to the wineries and lot of music. During these three days you’ll have the chance to meet the area and participate in cultural events based on the wine culture and the great archaeological tradition of the area. The festival is organized by the Municipality of Nemea, the...
As the number of friends of mushrooms is increasing, meetings and excursions for discovering of mushrooms keep increasing. It is going to be the 10th year that friends of mushroom all around Greece will gather and spend three days dedicated to their favorite wild fungus. The festival will be held in Kastoria, on the 11th, 12th and 13th October 2013. The program includes excursions, seminars, competitions of truffle dogs, mushroom delicacies and concerts. Below is the detailed program of the festival, while you can visit www.manitari.gr for related news.
Festival Program
Friday, October 11, 2013
18:00 Visitor Attendance
Getting to...
Shrove Monday, also called “Koulouma” in Greek, is the first day of the Great Lent and is celebrated with special customs all around Greece. The most traditional Greek customs related to Shrove Monday are picnicking and kite flying on the famous Philopapou hill, near the Acropolis of Athens. You can also find different, more special customs in a short distance from Attica, like the following: “Alevromoutzouromata” (flour smudging) in Galaxidi, “Vlach Wedding” in Thebe, “Gaitanaki” with dancing and singing in Livadeia and “The Ghost of Charmana” in Amfissa. If you attend the flour smudging in Galaxidi you’ll find yourself in the middle of...
The Music Village team announces for the ninth consecutive year the educational, scientific and concert activities that will take place this summer at Agios Lavrentios, Greece. The Music Village is one of the largest music communities in Europe, an institution that uses music to exchange and spread artistic ideas and original educational models. It is organized by the non-profit civil company arTree in collaboration with the Deputy Mayor for Civilisation, Education and Tourism of the Municipality of Volos, the Regional Authorities of Magnesia and Sporades islands of the Thessalia Prefecture and the Onassis Cultural Centre. This year, the...
Every island has its own windmill and in some cases much more than just one.
Windmills are one of the most complex creations of the pre-industrial era and probably date back to 700 A.C in Mesopotamia. Their technique came to Europe with the help of the Crusaders and explorers.
The Greek windmill, which is slightly different from the European ones, was first built in 1 A.C by Ironas. They reached their peak back in 12th-13th century on the islands of the Aegean while many of them can still be seen today.
Generally, their form does not vary. They are cylindrical, made of stone with two or three wooden floors and a cone-shaped roof. In...
Nowadays, it’s possible to travel chiefly for recreation. Longer ago, however, travel had additional importance. The journals and observations of travelers of years past constitute an important, and sometimes unique source of information about a country’s historical situation. You will find ample evidence of this even in the first few pages of “Foreign Travelers in Greece, from A.D. 333 to A.D. 1821,” by Kyriakos Simopoulos. The detailed and often remarkable descriptions left by travelers over the years are surprising. In this worthy volume, you will encounter many stories about pirates, sea battles, treasure hunting, and unexpected...
Old Toys Exhibition "Play", from the private collection of Nina Karakosta - Gavrilaki.
Toys from antiquity to the 20th century. Wooden, Russian, board games, ponies, dolls of all kinds and of course miniatures compose a world so small and playful but at the same time both of great importance and significance.
A collection of "curiosities objects"?
A sweet memory?
Or a ride in storefronts of games of the past?Toys from antiquity to the 20th century. Wooden, Russian, board games, ponies, dolls of all kinds and of course miniatures compose a world so small and playful but at the same time both of great importance and significance.
A collection of "curiosities objects"?
A sweet memory?
How is a room full of old toys, with which toys did my grandfather and my grandmother played with, why Ms. Nina collects toys? What happens in a playroom when the lights go down and the doors close at night?
Come to
The streets are already adorned with tiny lights, and the shop-windows have put on their holiday best. The countdown to the joyous days has begun, wishes flung in all directions, and the question hanging in the air: “where shall we go this year?” We hope the following will help to answer that question, and help you with whatever you need this holiday season.
Rest & Relaxation?
Here, the options are innumerable, since for relaxing by the fireside, the picturesque villages all over Greece offer inviting guesthouses literally too numerous to list. As exemplars, we would mention Zagorochoria (whichever you choose, will be brilliant),...
Each region has its customs as well as its feasts. An opportunity to gather all together, eat from the same giant casserole, drink wine and round dancing. In the Aegean Sea and all the islands, small and large, known and unknown, the feasts celebrate the joy of life all summer. A diachronic way of entertainment originating from folk tradition, when people gathered altogether to celebrate their saint, the return of their relatives from abroad or to raise funds for undertakings of general interest. The fundraising is an Ikarian habit, which are also the most distinguishing feasts in the Aegean Sea. Impressive amounts of food dispensed by...
All musicians are welcomed! In fact, not only musicians, but also different kinds of artists and those now taking their first steps in this ancient form of expression and communication, music! The incomparable beauty of mount Pilio and Agios Lavrentios are something more than an ideal place to host such an international organization.
This will be the 8th year! Every August, musicians not only from Greece, but also from other parts of the world meet in this village and take part in something so special that emits livelihood and creation. This festival is open for people from all walks of life and is an incredible way for children to come...
The sounds and colors of fairytale villages, ice-skating rinks, carousels and Christmas bazaars have begun to beautify city squares all over the country. Imagination has sparked creativity in the theme parks that have been constructed, promising to enchant your little ones, and to welcome the new year with smiles of optimism. We have located and here present where you can make the biggest lollipops, see impressive acrobatic performances, speak personally with Santa Claus, dance amongst elves and fairies, and perform elegant pirouettes on your ice skates!
Athens
Two of the most spectacular Christmas-theme parks in the country have...
Greece would be different–very different–without the silvery sparkle of her olive trees under the life-giving sun. As the poet Odysseas Elytis observed, the olive, the grapevine, and the boat are what make up Greece.
The many symbolic meanings that accompany the olive tree are not by chance. Its endurance over the passage of time imparts wisdom, and its generous bounty highlights its peaceable disposition. Even as its oil turns any old dish into a gastronomic miracle, you can feel Nature as it cares for you and cures what ails you.
Greek mythology is filled with references to the archetypal importance of the olive tree to Ancient...
The renowned, snaky river of the North called us for a visit, and we had no choice but to accept its invitation. Here’s what you’ll need to know if you hear the call of the superb Nestos.
The most usual way to visit the Nestos Straits is to leave your car at the plateau outside the village of Galani, and do a little hiking along the Nestos trail. If you have time and appropriate shoes, there is an alternative way to admire the view of the river and its rich nature, walking in the completely opposite direction, i.e., the path from the abandoned village of Kromniko and then joining the trail before reaching the Straits in the village of...
Inventor, artist, scientist, engineer, sculptor, biologist, musician, architect, philosopher. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest geniuses in the history of mankind. The exhibition "Leonardo Da Vinci: The Man, The Inventor, The Genius" which during the last years has been hosted in more than 20 cities in the world (Europe, America, Asia, Latin America, Canada) is coming on October 18 in Athens, at Culture Center "Hellenic Cosmos", to present the most important aspects of the life and work of this unique historical character.
As an archetype of the "Renaissance Man", as described, Da Vinci was a connoisseur of the arts, science,...
From 1 through 10 November, the vardar winds will blow a cinematic breeze into the city that made an institution of its festival of the Seventh Art. The Thessaloniki Film Festival, oriented towards independent cinema, welcomes creators and viewers alike to a full ten days of events and activities, and naturally, infinite footage. The surprises are many, with special screenings and master-classes that will give an additional flavor to the already successful recipe. Of course there will also be important guests, such as Jim Jarmusch, who will be visiting Greece for the first time, giving us at the opening of the 54th Festival a first...
Compared to ultra modern fabrics with their invisible weave, the traditional loom with its clean, distinct strands looks ancient. And indeed it is!
The history of the loom starts as early as the mid- seventh millennium. The patroness of weaving in ancient times seems to have been the Goddess Athena, so called "Athena Ergane." Also, all the Minoan and Mycenaean palaces of the second millennium had workshops with vertical looms. Possibly the first mention of weaving within the Greek literary tradition is in Homer’s Odyssey, as the faithful Penelope wove during day and during the night unraveled what she had woven, confounding her...
With a lot of ideas and activities the Municipality of Nafpaktos will celebrate the 442nd anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism.
"October 1571 , when hundreds of galleys and thousands of men , including the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes , participated at the Battle of Lepanto , affected the whole of Europe both politically and spiritually ," explains Mr. Ioannis Bulles, Mayor of Nafpaktos and notes : " it is the pulse of this historic event that we wish to convey to the visitor of the celebrations by offering a multifaceted and meaningful program."
Those who will visit the art...
The Acropolis Museum celebrates World Tourism Day on Friday 27 September 2013 and European Heritage Days on Saturday and Sunday 29 & 30 September 2013 with Gallery Talks about the Museum masterpieces and the colors of the archaic statues, held by Archaeologist – Hosts.
On Friday 27 September the Museum will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and admission will be free for all visitors between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. On this day, the second floor restaurant will remain open as usual until 12 midnight.
On Saturday 28 September and on Sunday 29 Septemberthe Museum will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and admission will be free for all...
Exhibitions, art events in museums and monuments; art installations, performances, workshops, conferences, educational programs, interventions in public spaces and guided tours will be taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece, during the 4th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, from September 18, 2013 until January 31, 2014. This year’s Thessaloniki Biennale is being extended with a full program of events on a role, aiming to attract the art lovers’ interest in the city and internationally.
The 4th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is funded under the Operational Programme Macedonia-Thrace 2007-2013 and is co-financed by the...
Are you ready to take part in a series of workshops and talks about games, chase dragons made of laser beams, build human towers, mover borders, whisper secret songs and face implacable princesses?
If so, don’t miss Athens Playthos, which we're supporting once again this year. It's the biggest street games festival in Greece and will turn the pedestrian area around the Thissio metro station into one big playground for both children and grown-ups.
This year, the festival is working with street theatre groups from all around Europe to bring 'dragon rock opera' to Athens. As part of the performance, our UK guests, The Larks and Venice as a...
Are you planning on traveling to Crete and get to known aspects of its tradition? Well, then you should definitely visit a traditional mitato. The largest part of the island is covered by mountainous extents of ground and its inhabitants work mainly on agriculture and stock breeding.
The shepherds, who spent most of their life on the mountains of the island, created a second home there, an "igloo" on the mountain, mitato. These are small dome-shaped buildings, of similar architecture to the dome-shaped Minoan tombs, which you will encounter mainly on the peaks of Psiloritis. There you will also see the oldest mitato in Nida Plateau,...
The great cultural celebration has just begun and will last until August 31.
Bridging the ancient sites with modern shows, classical and modern, domestic artistic creation with international artists, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in spite of the times is here again and it is a good reason for anyone to endure the hot months in the city. Its program includes successful performances from the previous year as the Primal Matter of Dimitris Papaioannou and Insenso of Michail Marmarinos, music ensembles, theater and dance groups from around the world. A different event that the organizers wish that will be continued is Thiranoixia...
From a "war contrivance" of the early tribes of Ethiopia, who chew a kind of handmade dollops from coffee beans to gain strength to the "coffee to go" of modern cities, coffee, the second beverage in consumption after water, has become an art.
Espresso single or double, with or without caffeine, cinnamon or nutmeg for the gourmet friends of coffee, with or without sugar, frappe or Irish with a few drops of alcohol, the options are many. However, Greek coffee is always in our hearts, the heart of the Greeks. This is no coincidence. Greek coffee was introduced in our life during the Ottoman Empire. In Northern Greece, the Greeks included...
Before the invention of GPS, the travelers used to look at the bright signs in the sky to find their way, the astronomers named them after mythology and some interpreted the phenomena of everyday life by observing the stars.
By reading this article you will find yourself in a pristine place on the mountain surrounded by nature, where, during the night, the slightest light (you will have to cover even your flashlight with a red membrane) is not allowed, so that the astrophotographers, who will have set up their colossal equipment, can take photos of distant galaxies and constellations. During the day, the scientists will offer courses for...
In every corner of Greece, in any small or large village, certain centuries-old customs continue to play an influential role in the lives of Greeks.
One such custom is the klidonas, which is commemorated in many areas of the Greece on June 23, the eve of the feast of St. John. It is an ancient custom, dating at least to Homeric times, since he mentions it in his works.
The protagonists of this custom are the unmarried girls who take part in the ritual, which is something like a divination ceremony. The girls select one girl or a small group to go to the village well and bring the ‘silent water’, so called because during this process a...
