Greece is famous worldwide as the cradle of human civilization. All visitors may easily visit museums, archaeological sites, monuments, cultural centers throughout the country, all year round.
Visiting Greek museums and archeological collections throughout the country you can admire flourishing Greek art during a four-thousand-years history.
Neo-lithic, classical, Hellenistic, Byzantine or post-Byzantine, as well as modern pieces of art, are exhibited in more than 240 state or state-controlled museums, including galleries, historical or folk-lore museums.
Traditional architecture, traditional settlements and historical city-centers are substantial elements of the cultural heritage and the character of our land. Ways of life, technical methods, aesthetic preferences, artistic movements and social relations, which were developed through an agitated historical evolution, are integrated in these elements.
The variety of forms of the greek architectural heritage is impressed in the 653 preservable traditional settlements, the 8.000 preservable buildings,as well as in the ancient and byzantine monuments, that can be found all over the greek countryside, the coasts, the mountains, the urban centers.
The preservation and the integration of the architectural heritage into the tourism product is a prerequisite to sustainable tourism development and to creating alternative possibilities for all sorts of activities.
Nowadays, many traditional buildings house new uses, such as accommodation, museums, exhibitions, restaurants, public and communal services etc.
Fortified sites, built with towers, bastions, walls, and citadels and fortified towns, are spread throughout Greece. Built by the Byzantines, sometimes on the same site of ancient fortifications, they have been enlarged and completed by Francs, Venitians, Genoats or Othomans. These castles, built in order to defend some strategic sites as well the populations form pirate or other invasions, they are testimonies of the historical course of the Greek land, bearing the marks of successive historical periods, construction techniques and cultural models.
From the byzantine towers of Macedonia and Thrace, to the Venitian castles of the Aegean islands and Crete, as well as in the citadels of the Peloponnese and the Ionian islands, and also in the fortified monasteries, the visitor can find some relics of successive periods, of an inventive architecture, adapted to the geographical site and the natural ground.
Inside the fortification walls, one can find churches, accommodation buildings for the guard.
Coasts. The country's onshore ecosystems are of extreme importance. The coastline's length is 15,000 km in total (of which about half is the coastline of islands) where there are sandy beaches, sandy strands, dunes, craggy coasts, onshore wetlands (lagoons, morasses, periodically flooded areas, salty fields, shallow brackish waters etc.)
Islands. An essential element of the Greek tourism product peculiarity is the island phenomenon. A total of 227 inhabited islands (of which 164 are washed by the Aegean Sea) are part of the Greek territory. Still, only 78 islands have more than 100 inhabitants (1991 Greek National Statistical Service Census). 59.9% of the whole country's hotel units, 62.2% of the available rooms and 62.2% of the hotel beds is concentrated on the Greek islands.
Greece is famous for its vivid lifestyle. All visitors may have an excellent stay and experience a lot of pleasant activities.
Apart from getting to know the culture, the idyllic countryside, the Greek gastronomy, visitors should meet the tingling greek life style.
To start with, a lot of theatres, music cafes, trendy shops, music stages, cinemas, bars, night clubs, dancing clubs, funky restaurants, classy meeting points, casinos and after hours are easy to access everywhere in Greece, all year round.
Usually, all night clubs opening hours are from 10.00p.m. until dawn. Nevertheless, it is easy to find places for entertainment during the day light as well.
People of all ages may find a suitable place to have fun and to get to know the famous Greek life style.
Almost everywhere visitors choose to go they will have the opportunity to discover their place of interest and feel warmly welcomed .
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| Climate |
Summers are warm/hot with a distinct three month dry period. The wettest season is winter when it is generally mild although cold spells can occur. Snow in winter in the mountain regions is frequent and not uncommon elsewhere although it is rare on the islands. Spring and autumn are short seasons with changeable weather |
| Local Time |
From 31 Oct 04 to 27 Mar 05 GMT +2
From 27 Mar 05 to 30 Oct 05 GMT +3 |
| Health |
Participant of EU Health Insurance Card scheme which allows visitors on short-term stays to other member countries to use the public health care sector on the same terms as a local resident and provides all covered visitors with emergency and necessary care |
| Customs |
Import
Allowances
Alcohol & tobacco for persons of 18 years of age or older:
1) Travellers entering from EU countries (goods obtained duty & tax paid - guidance levels):
a) 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars & 1kg of tobacco
b) 10 lit of spirits, 20 lit of fortified wine, 90 lit of wine, of this not more than 60 lit of sparkling wine & 110 lit of beer
c) Perfume & toilet water unlimited
d) Other goods unlimited
2) Travellers entering from non-EU countries within Europe:
a) 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
b) 1 lit of alcoholic drinks (over 22%) or 2 lit of alcoholic drinks (under 22%) or 2 lit of wine & 2 lit of still table wine
c) 50gr of perfume & 250ml of toilet water
d) Other goods to the value of EUR 73.36
3) Travellers entering from non-EU countries outside Europe:
a) 400 cigarettes or 200 cigarillos or 100 cigars or 500gr of tobacco
b) 1 lit of alcoholic drinks (over 22%) or 2 lit of alcoholic drinks (under 22%) or 2 lit of wine & 2 lit of still table wine
c) 50gr of perfume & 250ml of toilet water
d) Other goods to the value of EUR 73.36
Currency
Alcohol & tobacco for persons of 18 years of age or older:
1) Travellers entering from EU countries (goods obtained duty & tax paid - guidance levels):
a) 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars & 1kg of tobacco
b) 10 lit of spirits, 20 lit of fortified wine, 90 lit of wine, of this not more than 60 lit of sparkling wine & 110 lit of beer
c) Perfume & toilet water unlimited
d) Other goods unlimited
2) Travellers entering from non-EU countries within Europe:
a) 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
b) 1 lit of alcoholic drinks (over 22%) or 2 lit of alcoholic drinks (under 22%) or 2 lit of wine & 2 lit of still table wine
c) 50gr of perfume & 250ml of toilet water
d) Other goods to the value of EUR 73.36
3) Travellers entering from non-EU countries outside Europe:
a) 400 cigarettes or 200 cigarillos or 100 cigars or 500gr of tobacco
b) 1 lit of alcoholic drinks (over 22%) or 2 lit of alcoholic drinks (under 22%) or 2 lit of wine & 2 lit of still table wine
c) 50gr of perfume & 250ml of toilet water
d) Other goods to the value of EUR 73.36 |
| Passport & Visa |
The following details relate to holders of adult normal passports (requirements for children may be different), if any other type of passport or travel document is held, entry requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy or consulate
Required, but NOT by the following:
1) Holders of passports expired a maximum of 5 years issued to nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain & Switzerland
1) British & EU Citizens must have passport valid for duration of stay
2) All other nationals should contact nearest embassy/consulate
The following DO NOT require a visa:
1) Nationals of Greece
2) For stays up to 3 months by:
a) Holders of British passports with `United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland' or `Jersey' or `Guernsey and its Dependencies' or `Isle of Man' on the front cover in which holder is described as `British Subject, Citizen of the United Kingdom, Islands & Colonies'(However, if passport issued in Hong Kong max stay of 1 month permitted)
b) Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland Rep, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Kitts, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Vatican City & Venezuala
3) For stays up to 2 months by nationals of Brazil, El Salvador & Uruguay
4) For stays up to 2 weeks by nationals of Singapore |
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