Currency and Politics

The official currency is the euro. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, currency exchange point and hotels. Banks are opened from 8:30 to 14:00 on working days. At most tourist centers, banks are opened from 15:00 to 21:00. On weekends and public holidays all banks are closed.

The Politics of Greece takes place in a large parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament.

Visa, Passport and Customs

Greece is part of the Schengen treaty. Under the agreement, the visa holder has the right to freely visit any of the countries which are part of European Union: Belgium, Britain, Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and France. Visa requirements include a valid passport for the period of intended stay, a certificate of employment, passport size photo (3 х 4), an original birth certificate, a photocopy of the passport and statement of account.

Entry visa to the territory of Mount Athos is limited to outstanding professors, lecturers and students of theology, philosophy, history, architecture and fine arts. Russian tourists can get permission to visit by receiving a recommendation letter from the Russian Consulate in the Ministry of Northern Greece.

Time

It is an hour behind Moscow time.

Geography

Greece is a country located in Southern Europe, on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece is surrounded on the north by Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Albania; to the west by the Ionian Sea; to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by the Aegean Sea and Turkey. The country ranges approximately in latitude from 35°00′N to 42°00′N and in longitude from 19°00′E to 28°30′E. As a result, it has considerable climatic variation. The country consists of a large mainland; the Peloponnese, a peninsula connected to the southern tip of the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth; and around 3,000 islands, including Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, the Dodecanese and the Cyclades. Greece has 15,000 kilometres of coastline.
80% of Greece is mountainous, and the country is one of the most mountainous countries of Europe.

Tourist Attraction

In the capital are varieties of museums: the National Archaeological Museum, Byzantine Museum, the Benaki Museum, Museum Alexander Sutzosa, and Acropolis Museum. Tourist attraction in Athens also includes the National Art Gallery and the Acropolis with numerous ancient temples.

In Olympia, you can visit the old archaeological museum, which is the world’s largest collection of Greek Geometric and Archaic artifacts.

In Rhodes, you have the opportunity to see the Grand Master’s Palace of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, as well as the ruins of ancient Rhodes, founded in 408 BC. There was the famous statue of the Colossus of Rhodes, which is considered one of the wonders of the world.

Tourists in Heraklion may be interested in some Greek and Armenian churches.

Kandy has an archaeological museum, which contains a magnificent collection of art Minoan civilization era.Thessaloniki is the city where Apostle Paul preached. Other attractions in Greece include: a Venetian fortress of the XVI century in the Corfu Palace ‘Achille’ (XIX century), ancient city of Delphi and Mycenae, Meteora monasteries on the rocks of Meteora in Thessaly; Athos monastery in Mount Athos. Also Greece offers the following form of entertainment to its visitors: diving (with instruction), walks on the boat to the rocky coves of ancient monasteries (one-day and half day), fishing in the islands and swimming in the Gulf, a barbecue on the beach (all day), horseback riding the mountains (valley, mountain villages with tavernamii, monasteries), ycling, visiting the island of Santorini, a visit to Palm Bay (where they filmed the famous advertising ‘Bounty’), walking on the ancient city of Chania and Rethymno, caravans on mountain roads and canyons to alpine traditional Cretan villages, visiting the pottery workshop and tasting of authentic Cretan wines, a traditional Cretan evening in the tavern mountain village with dancing and dinner and visiting water parks.

History

Greece (and the Greek Islands) is a country with a particularly rich history and famous personalities.
Excavations show that the first settlement dates from the Palaeolithic era (11,000-3,000 BC). During the second millennium BC, Greece gave birth to the great civilization of the Minoans (2600-1500 BC), the Mycenaeans (1500-1150 BC) and the Cycladic civilization.

The Classical Period of the Greek history (6th-4th centuries BC) is the most famous worldwide. The peak of the classical period is the 5th century BC, when the foundations of western civilization were put in Athens. This city-state became the greatest naval power of Greece that time and developed all domains of culture, including philosophy, music, drama, rhetorics and a new regime, democracy.

Then, the history of Greece is a succession of various invasions and dominations. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire and his army conquered all the way till India. However, in 323 BC, the great general dies in Babylon and his Macedonian empire is torn apart and governed by his heirs. In 168 BC onwards, the Romans conquer Greece and a new period starts for the Greek history.In the 3rd century AD, the Roman Empire are cut in two pieces, the Eastern and the Western Roman Empire. While the Western Roman Empire was gradually invaded by barbaric North-European tribes, the Eastern Roman Empire with Constantinople as capital developed and became the Byzantine Empire that lasted for about 1,000 years.

In 1453 BC, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and gradually the rest of Greece, which had already been dominated by the Venetians. The country suffered a lot under the Ottoman occupation and people tried to rebel many times. However, all rebels were suspended, until March 1821 when the Greek War of Independence started. The country finally got its freedom in 1829, when the first independent Greek state was formed and Ioannis Kapodistrias was set as governor.

After Kapodistrias was assassinated in 1831, prince Otto from Bavaria became the first king of Greece, followed by George I from Denmark in 1863. That time, the Ionian islands were given to Greece by Britain and then Thessaly was attached to the Greek state by the Turks. In the early 20th century, Macedonia, Crete and the Eastern Aegean islands were also attached to the Greek state. This was the time when the figure of an important Greek politician raised, Eleftherios Venizelos.

Greece resisted a lot the Axis forces during the Second World War, but it eventually lost the war. Most of the Greek territory was conquered by the Germans and some parts by the Italians. After the Second World War, the Dodecanese islands also became part of the Greek state. Three decades of political turmoil followed, including a military junta from 1967 till 1974. Since 1975, the regime of Greece is Parliamentary Republic.

Climate

The climate of Greece is Mediterranean. This means that summer is hot and dry, and winter is warm, but rainy. The average annual temperature in Athens is about 17 ° C. The coldest month in Athens – January (9 ° C), the hottest – July (average 27 ° C).Frosts in the country are extremely rare, but the mountain peaks are covered with snow in winter. The best time to visit Greece is from May to June.

Cuisine

Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans,Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also important are olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.

Meze is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs as ouzo or homemade tsipouro. Orektika is the formal name for appetizers and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dipsare served with bread loaf or pita bread. In some regions, dried bread (paximadhi) is softened in water.

Banks and Shops

Shops are opened seven days a week, except Sundays, from 8:00 to 13:30 and also from 17:30 to 20:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Fridays. Supermarkets are open seven days a week, except Sundays, from 8.00 to 18.00 or 19.00 without lunch break. In Greece, most prices of goods are lower than in other Western European countries, with the exception of electronics, electrical equipment and cars. There are winter sales in January and February and summer sales in August and September. Many Russian tourists combine vacation and shopping as well.

Population

According to the 2001 census the population of Greece was 10,964,020. About 92% of the population are greeks.

Festivals and Holidays

January 1 (New Year), January 6 (Epiphany), March 25 (Independence Day), May 1 (Labor Day), June 12, August 15 (Assumption), Oct. 28 (The “Ochi day”), 25 December (Christmas), Dec. 26 (Synaxis of the Mother of God).

Entertainment

Beside the tourists attraction of ancient, Byzantine and modern Greece, you can visit the various concerts, performances, festivals and gatherings held throughout the year. There are annual traditional events, such as ‘Athens Festival’, as well as local festivals, performances and other cultural events. Nightlife in Greece continues until morning. Nightlife includes night clubs, casinos, discos, bouzouki (which performs traditional music on this instrument) etc.

RELIGION

Among religions in Greece, the largest denomination is the Greek Orthodox Church, which represents almost the entire population and which is constitutionally recognized as the “prevailing religion” of Greece. Other major religions in Greece include Catholicism, Islam and Protestantism.

Transportation

Ferry transport between islands remains the prominent method of transport between the nation’s islands. There is also an extensive network of bus service. Also a subway & metro system links the Athens with other cities.

Language

The predominant language in Greece is Modern Greek (Demotik). English and French are also used as well as, and to a lesser degree, German.