Greece Hotels

Greece is a country of various opportunities for every tourist; while the beautiful Mediterranean serve the casual beach lover, the lovely locales are appropriate for natura-tourism. Those who are interested in ancient times, ancient Greek -Hellenistic- culture, step right up. Greece is on the south-eastern corner of Continental Europe. The country is located between Ionian Sea (to the west) and Aegean Sea (to the east); both are extensions of the Mediterranean. If you look at the map, you'll notice it lays "parallel" to the boot "Italy". Greece has borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey on the north side. The inland is mountainous, in fact, more rugged than any other European country. These mountains reach down to the sea creating unmatched scenery. Even in the surrounding seas, there are many -more than a thousand- islands, most of which are untouched. You can just hire a boat and get on one of those islands in order to watch the glorious landscape of the mainland where green really meets blue. On the mountains, the weather shows traces of Alpine climate. Generally, this effect combines with Mediterranean effect. As a result, It never gets too cold in winters, and it feels perfect in summers on the seaside. This diversity also creates a very rich ecosystem. If you have eco-tourism in mind, you have to consider Greece seriously because in recent years, many facilities and resorts of high quality aiming the natura-tourists have been founded. Extreme sport enthusiasts will find many great locales to enjoy canoing, kayaking, rafting or mountain biking. Hikers and climbers are more than welcome on the mountains, the famous Mount Olympia has been a hot spot lately. Birdwatchers will fall for the variety. The strongest point of Greece has to be the historical value distinction. At first, it started as city-states doing trades with other ports over the Mediterranean Sea. This brought great wealth to the land and a vast cultural boom followed. The Hellenistic culture was the most advanced of its time. This land is called to be the birthplace of all western civilization! We all know the myths and stories of ancient Greek civilizations, with the father of gods Zeus sitting on top of Mount Olympus. Early advanced civilizations emerged. Olympics, many scientific breakthroughs, especially mathematics, western philosophy, modern democracy, drama and comedy flourished at those times. Socrates', Plato's and Aristotle's name should be mentioned here. Today, you will find many museums and archaeological dig sites featuring the best artifacts of Hellenistic periods. The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most important districts of priceless historical value in the world. The Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, period of Roman rule and Byzantine Empire followed till Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 which led to Greek intellectuals' migrating to Europe and more importantly, transferring ancient scripts with them. This played a significant role in Renaissance movements. You will also find great monuments and influences from these periods, especially Byzantines. For example, Greek music, basically religious oriented monophonic tunes were taken to the greatest heights of perfection in Byzantine period because the Eastern Christianity were rejecting the newly thriving polyphony of Europe. Be sure to create yourself the opportunity to experience the historical music of Greece. The rest of Country's history goes on with Independence war with Ottomans of 1829, Balkan wars, World War I, Greco-Italian War of 1940s, German occupation and finally, Greece joining EU. Greek people are very hospitable for tourists, their passion for life and curiosity is something else... Just ask for help or a small favor, and you will end up making a very good friend. The cuisine of Greece is very rich and unique too. Being a Mediterranean country, of course you will spot seafood, best of olive oil and cheese along with many herbs for that special flavor -very tasty and healthy at the same time. Moussaka, Stifado, Greek Salad, and Souvlaki are already globally known and appreciated brands. One has to taste the great "meze"s, basically unique dips such as tzatziki, and dolmades. Greece is one of the top ten most attractive place of tourism in the world. More than 19 million individuals visited the country in 2007. This alone, would be a definitive reason for your holiday...