Amalia Hotel Athens is the perfect beginning for your exploration in Athens. Due to its premium location in the historic district of Athens, next to Constitution Square (Syntagma), the main metro station and close to all historical sites of the city of Athens, it is a prime accommodation choice.

The National Gardens are across Amalia Hotel as well as the Greek Parliament, while the new Acropolis Museum, Acropolis and other cultural sites are only a few minutes walk.

Shopping areas like the famous Ermou street, Kolonaki area known for high fashion and its famous cafés and night life, and the picturesque old town of Plaka, are also very close within walking distance.

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The historic, beautifully sited town of Náfplio takes its name from Náfplios, son of Poseidon, and was the first capital of modern Greece.  A powerful naval state during the Mycenaean age, it was conquered in turn by Byzantines, Venetians, Franks and Turks.  Náfplio expands between the twin fortresses of Palamídhi and Akronafplía on the headland.  There is ample pleasure in wandering along the cobbled narrow streets lined with Neoclassical buildings.

The Palamídhi, Náfplio’s principal fort, Boúrtzi, the third fort occupying the Ayíou Theodórou islet offshore from the harbour, and the church of Áyios Spyrídon, where the first prime minister, Ioánnis Kapodhístrias was assassinated, are of special interest. Platía Syndágmatos (Constitution Square), the main square of the old town, is the focus of most interest. Then there is the Archaeological Museum that occupies a Venetian mansion.

Tiryns (Tírynthos) (80km).  The undeniably impressive fortress is over three thousand years old, and the site itself has been occupied for four thousand years before that. The walls formed of huge Cyclopean stones dominate the site.  The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann uncovered Tíryns in 1884.

Árgos (8km).  The oldest inhabited town in Greece (c.5000 years) is a must for visitors. The theatre is said to have held 20,000 spectators.  Alongside are the remains of an odeion and Roman baths.  Above the site looms the ancient acropolis, on the conical hill of Lárissa capped by the Frankish medieval castle. In nearby Kefalári is the convent of Zoödhóhou Piyís hewn from rock.

Mycenae (22km).  The region is one of the longest occupied in Greece, with evidence of Neolithic settlements from 3000 BC.  But it is during the period from 1550 to 1200 BC that the citadel of Mycenae and its legend belong.  Make sure you visit the famous Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus or (as officially called) Tomb of Agamemnon, with its startling tholos.  The archaeological remains unearthed by Schliemann were impelled by his belief that there was a factual basis to Homer’s epics.

Epidaurus (30km).  Visited for its grandiose ancient theatre with a seating capacity of 13,000, built around 330-320 BC. Its extraordinary acoustics have contributed to holding the annual Athens Festival productions of Classical drama.

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The town of Kalambáka lies in the shadow of the rocks of the Metéora, on the left bank of the River Piniós, 20 kilometres distant from the Thessalian metropolis Tríkala. Built on the ruins of the ancient city of Aegínion, it is a town with a rich history, dating from Byzantine times. The spectacular grandeur of this unique cluster of rocks leaves the visitor stunned, while lending an uncanny colour to this sacred spot. The Meteoran monasteries, perched on pinnacles of rock, were founded in the twelfth century. Of the twenty-four monasteries, only six are open to visits, and in these can be found ¾ as in all the others ¾ rare relics, treasures and miniatures of great historical value.

Of the monasteries, the most significant are Megálou Metéorou (Grand Metéoron), Varlaam, Ayías Triádhos and Áyios Stéfanos. The smallest and oldest monastery is Áyios Nikólaos Anapavsá. UNESCO has proclaimed the Metéora a Monument of Cultural Heritage.

The cave of Theópetra (3km), one of the finest in Europe, dates from the Stone Age. The findings outline Greek prehistoric times.

Kóziakas villages. On leaving Tríkala, one may climb up Mount Kóziakas to visit the picturesque villages with their beautiful churches and running waters. Starting with the village Pýli or Pórta (32km), with its singular Byzantine church of Pórta Panaghíaand its arch-shaped stone bridge, we go on to Eláti (48km) and thence to Pertoúli (68km), a popular ski centre, and further on to Neraïdohóri (62km) in a uniquely beautiful environmental setting.

Aspropótamos villages. The district of Aspropótamos is enriched with forests and widespread meadows, through which flow rivers with banks of luxuriant vegetation. Worth visiting are the quaint villages of Kastaniá (40km), Dolianá (55km) and Kraniá(60km). Prominent is the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Dolianá, built in 1770 but destroyed in 1943, save for the main church, a unique example of Greek monastic architecture. You may round off your trip at Tría Potámia for trekking, rafting, canoeing, mountain biking and climbing.

Lake Plastíra (55km). South of Kalambáka, past Tríkala and Kardítsa, is Lake Plastíra and the dam envisaged by the late Nikólaos Plastíras, general and prime minister. It involves a magnificent setting, the creation of man and nature, surrounded by monasteries of the post-Byzantine period.

Métsovo (80km). The small alpine town is built on two sides of a ravine of the Píndhos mountains, in the midst of beeches and firs. It commands a wild scenery and a rich history. The usual heavy winter is ideal for winter sports, whereas it is renowned for its folk tradition, architecture and cheese-making. Via Egnatia expressway reduces well-nigh to nothing the distance to Métsovo.

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The ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the centre of the earth.  Something abiding to this day, considering that UNESCO has proclaimed the Sacred Precinct part of the World Cultural Heritage.  The massive crags of Faedriádes rise above the verdant valley, where the largest olive grove in Greece is to be found.

One would do well to visit the Temple of Apollo and the surrounding memorials; the Stadium; the Theatre; the Marmaria; the Castalian Spring; the Old Temple of Athena; and the renovated Museum.

For ski lovers, there are two main skiing areas available on the northwest flank of Mount Parnassós.  Others can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while observing the snowy landscape. Later on you might like to visit Aráhova, the last town east of Delphi (just 11km further), situated in Parnassós country, with its stone houses of vernacular architecture, and enjoy the marvellous view of the valley.  Aráhova is renowned for its woollen weavings, its wines and gastronomy (formaela cheese, trahanás frumenty, noodles called hilopíttes).

Itéa (15km) took its name from an evergreen willow tree standing next to a spring.  Seen from Delphi seawards, it is the first picturesque village built over the Gulf of Corinth.

Ósios Loukás, a secluded Byzantine monastery containing the finest mosaics, frescoes and icons in the country from the eleventh century.

Galaxídhi (17km southwest of Itéa) was once one of Greece’s major harbours, with a fleet of over four hundred caiques and schooners.  Nineteenth-century shipowners’ mansions embellish the town.  Uphill from the main harbour is situated the Nautical and Historical Museum.  The eighteenth-century church of Áyios Nikólaos is also worthwhile visiting.

Náfpaktos (90km from Delphi) is a lively market town and resort.  Its well-kept Venetian castle towers above a plane-tree-shaded seafront, overlooking the Gulf of Pátra.  You can enjoy a stroll through the oval-shaped old harbour with its fortifications, and climb the ramparts.

Winter in this part of the country is indeed captivating, especially when Mount Parnassós is covered with snow.  Skiers and excursionists from all over Greece flock here.  Spring and summer also afford opportunities to sightseers and explorers, because of the ideal combination of sea and mountains.

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Olympia, situated in northwest Pelopponesus, is the jewel of a luxuriant valley of wild olive and plane trees, spread beside the rivers of Alfiós and Kládhios. From its beginnings the site was a sanctuary. The origins of the Olympic games are rooted in legends related first to the god Pelops, then to Zeus, and later to Hercules. The contests began around the eleventh century BC, and over the next two centuries from a local festival it grew to a quadrennial celebration attended by states from throughout the Greek world.

The main focus of the precinct in provided by the Temple of Zeus. The most complete building on the site is the smaller Temple of Hera. Other places of interest include the gymnasium and the palaestra, the hippodrome, the Bouleuterion (Council Chamber), the Prytaneion, the administrators’ residence, and the Leonídaion (hostel).

The Archaeological Museum houses the famous sculpture of Hermes of Praxiteles and that of Nike of Paionios. Also exhibited are statuary and sculpture finds reassembled from the Temple of Zeus, as well as smaller objects as a Persian helmet, the helmet of Miltiades, the terracotta group of Zeus abducting Ganymede, and finds from the workshop of Pheidias.

Places also worth visiting are:

Lake Kaïáfas (25km). On the way to Zaháro, the largest town between Kyparissía and Pýrgos, is to be found the beautiful Lake Kaïáfas, backed by pine groves separating it from the sea.

With Olympia as a base, you have a choice to visit the spa of Loutrá Kyllínis (45km). It has a long beach which gives way to sand dunes.

Andhrítsena (64km) is a traditional mountain town with a rich history from Frankish times to the first century of independent Greece. Luckily, it remains in its primeval state of condition, with wooden houses, paved streets and central square with Traní Vrýssi fountain, the oldest in Peloponnesus, built in 1724, and set within a plane tree. The town’s library, founded in 1840, is famous for its collection of rare manuscripts dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, select Greek and foreign language books, documents from the War of Independence of 1821, and rich folk material.

A visit to the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae (78km) up in the flanks of Mount Lýkeo is a must. After the Thiseion in Athens it is the best-preserved Classical monument in the country, said to have been designed by Iktinos, architect of the Parthenon.

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The Prefecture of Préveza is of remarkable beauty: profuse greenery, sandy beaches, crystal-clear blue seas.  The modern town, at the mouth of the Amvrakikós Gulf, is a successor to the “Victory City” of Nikópolis.  In the past it was invaded by the Romans, Venetians, Franks and Turks. At the delta formed by the rivers Loúros and Árachthos, a flora and fauna was developed, where over two hundred and fifty species of birds find shelter. This important ecological environment is a pole of attraction for scientists and naturalists the world over.

Nikópolis (8km) was founded by the Roman emperor Octavian on the site where his army had camped prior to the Battle of Actium in 31 BC when he defeated the combined fleets of Antony and Cleopatra.  Over an area of 9,000 acres the visitor can see among the ruins,  remnants of the baths, sixth-century Byzantine fortified walls, the theatre, the sunken outline of the stadium, and the well-kept Roman odeion, where cultural events take place.

Ancient Kassópi (22km) is memorable for its superb location some 600m above sea level with a magnificent view of the Ionian Sea and the Amvrakikós Gulf.  The site’s ruins date mainly from the fourth century BC.  Rebuilding took place in the second century.  Highlights include the agora, the odeion, and the katagóyeion or hostelry for representatives of the Kassopian federation.

Zálongo (24km) is a short distance from ancient Kassópi, overlooking the lush village of Kamarína.  In 1803, when Ali Pasha’s troops overrun the village, sixty-three Souliot women and children fled to the top of the cliff and danced one by one, with their children in their arms, over the edge of the precipice.  This act is commemorated by a sculpture, the work of the famous sculptorYórgos Zagolópoulos.

Lefkádha (25km).  The island, accessible by ferries and boat trips from the mainland, is famous for its blue-green seas and much-advertised shores.  Not far from Nydhrí, the island’s biggest resort, is Aristotle Onassis’ renowned islet of Skorpiós.

Nekromanteion of Ephyra – Ahérondas Gorge (48km).  Above the village of Mesopótamo (ancient Ephyra) stands the sanctuary of Persephone and Hades.  According to mythology, this was the spot from where Charon rowed departed souls across the lake of Acherousia to the gates of Hades.

Párga (65km) is a photogenic seaside town with fine beaches lining several successive bays.  Its arc of tiered houses is set below the Venetian kástro. The ruined ramparts offer excellent views of the town, its waterfront, and the Ionian islands of Páxosand Antípaxos.  More elaborate, intact and arguably more interesting is the castle above Anthoússa, rebuilt in 1814 by Ali Pasha.  The town is ideally situated for excursions to Páxos and Antípaxos, the Nekromanteion of Ephyra, and the Ahérondas gorge at Glykí. Other convenient choices are the towns of Árta, Vónitsa and Ioánnina.

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