Greece Travel Secrets Blog

Jan 22, 2021

Where To Enjoy The Most Amazing Views In Athens

When you set off to discover Athens, you will be surprised by the amount of amazing vantage points the city has to offer. Due to its unique geography, Athens offers a number of places to visit and take-in the extraordinary views over the city and all the way to the sea! Get ready to feel on the top of the world at one of our favorite viewpoints in Athens.

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Jan 21, 2021

Commission: All Non-essential Travel ‘Strongly Discouraged’

One day before EU leaders meet to discuss actions in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis, the European Commission called on member states to discourage non-essential travel and to accelerate vaccination setting a summer deadline for the immunization of at least 70 percent of the adult population.

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Jan 21, 2021

Strefi Hill Revamp to Create an Oasis in Athens for Residents and Visitors

The Strefi hill, located in the neighborhood of Exarchia near the center of Athens, is set to undergo a major revamp, as part of an ongoing drive for the overhaul of the Greek capital, the Municipality of Athens recently announced.

Strefi, one of Athens’ few green areas, for years has been a known family hotspot, ideal for taking walks, exercising, playing sports and enjoying recreational activities. During the last few years, however, the hill has been mostly abandoned.

“The City of Athens will proceed with a number of interventions that will restore the hill’s glory and breath life into the area,” the municipality said in an announcement.

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Jan 21, 2021

Tough Measures Continue in Greece Due to Covid-19 Variant

Greece plans to keep its strict lockdown measures in place in view of a Covid-19 variant which appears to be spreading at a fast pace.

The new strain of the deadly virus believed to be more contagious has already forced Germany and the UK to extend containment measures until further notice.

In Greece, a 5am to 9pm curfew applies in most regions and a 5am-6pm curfew in “red” areas.

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Jan 21, 2021

Underwater Excavation Off Kasos Uncovers Ancient Shipwrecks and Cargo

A shipwreck of the Roman period and its cargo are among the significant finds of an underwater excavation that was carried out by archaeologists off the Greek island of Kasos in the Dodecanese.

According to the Culture Ministry, the shipwreck dates between the 2nd and 3rd century AD.

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Jan 20, 2021

Conde Nast Traveller Shares its List of the Best Greek Islands to Visit in 2021

UK travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller (CNT) has compiled a list of the “Best Greek islands to Visit in 2021” and features some of Greece’s most popular vacation spots.

After a challenging summer season in 2020 due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, CNT’s writer Rachel Howard reveals the 23 Greek islands worth visiting this year for their culture, authenticity, nature, beaches, gastronomy and nightlife.

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Jan 20, 2021

Athens to Welcome Olympic Museum in 2021

Athens will soon welcome its own Olympic Museum dedicated to the long history of the Olympic Games.

The Athens Olympic Museum will be located at the former International Broadcasting Center of Athens 2004, which today houses the Golden Hall shopping center in the northern suburb of Marousi.

It will operate under the auspices of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as a member of IOC’s Olympic Museums Network.

The museum will revive the history of the Olympic Games from antiquity until the present day through rare exhibits and rich interactive audiovisual material.

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Jan 18, 2021

Greece Extends Ban on Non-essential Domestic Air Travel

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Sunday issued an aviation directive (NOTAM) that extends travel restrictions for domestic flights (travel between prefectures) in Greece by one week, until 6am on Monday, January 25.

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Jan 18, 2021

Greece to Reopen Retail Stores and Shopping Malls Under Rules

Greece will begin to gradually ease lockdown restrictions taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), Greek Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis announced on Friday.

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Jan 18, 2021

Covid-19: Greece Keeps Night Curfew in Place, Lifts Strict Lockdown Measures in Some Areas

Although retail stores and shopping malls will reopen in Greece on January 18, the country’s night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am remains in force, Greek Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Friday.

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Jan 15, 2021

Tourism Minister: Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate Not Required for Greece Entry

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis ruled out on Thursday the need for a Covid-19 vaccination certificate for travelers wishing to visit Greece this summer.

Theoharis was referring to a proposal made this week to the European Commission by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis calling for an EU-wide vaccination certificate which, he said, would facilitate travel.

EU leaders are expected to discuss the issue during a teleconference on January 21.

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Jan 15, 2021

US to Require Negative Covid-19 Tests for International Travelers

All international travelers to the United States will have to present a negative Covid-19 test result to be allowed admission into the country as of January 26, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week.

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Jan 15, 2021

Life-size Replica of Athens’ Herodion Shines at China’s Harbin Ice Festival

An impressive life-size replica of Athens’ Herod Atticus Odeon (also known as Herodion), made exclusively of ice, was recently presented at the 37th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China.

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Jan 15, 2021

Increasing Covid-19 Risk in Central Athens Concerns Experts

Greece’s Covid-19 committee is warning that announcements concerning schools or shops may be revoked at any time due to rising coronavirus incidents, particularly in the wider Athens area.

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Jan 15, 2021

Greece Covid-19 Restrictions: Tourism and Travel-related Information

The Greek Tourism Ministry recently released information on key issues relating to tourism and travel in Greece, following the extension of the lockdown restrictions taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

So far the measures are said to be in force until January 18, except for the restrictions involving international flights to Greece, which will run until January 21.

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Jan 15, 2021

Hiking Mount Ymittos In Athens

Sometimes the best-kept secrets are hidden in plain sight. Mount Ymittos forms the natural eastern boundary of Athens. Here, the dense city grid suddenly gives way to a tree-covered slope dotted with monasteries. This is the ‘Aesthetic Forest of Kesariani,’ a protected nature reserve that is a quick 15-20 minute drive or cab ride from central Athens. Just minutes from the urban hustle of Athens the walkable delights of Mount Ymittos offer a heady escape of nature, wildlife, historic monasteries and heavenly honey.

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Jan 15, 2021

The Acropolis Museum’s Entire Collection Goes Digital

Given the public's increasing familiarity with digital cultural experiences, the Acropolis Museum’s newly launched virtual edition is a delightful development. Digital visitors will be surprised by the virtual tour that will almost certainly instigate the desire to see the breathtaking collection in person once the museum reopens its doors.

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Jan 15, 2021

Old Tobacco Factory To Be Reborn As A New Art Space In Athens

One of Athens’ architectural emblems – the old Public Tobacco Factory – is to be reborn in 2021 with a new cultural identity and well-timed artistic purpose.

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Jan 12, 2021

Greece Taking Covid-19 Actions to Prevent Possible 3rd Wave

Greece announced that it would be adjusting Covid-19 lockdown measures and restrictions week by week depending on the epidemiological situation in each of its cities and regions in efforts to prevent a third wave of the deadly virus, which experts expect to hit in February.

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Jan 12, 2021

Greece to Welcome the First of Five High-speed Trains

Greece is set to welcome the first of five high-speed electrified passenger trains on January 18, announced train operator Trainose.

Trainose said the country’s first “Silver Arrow” will travel with passengers from Athens to Thessaloniki on March 25, Greek Independence Day, marking the 200-year bicentennial since the Greek 1821 Revolution.

According to Trainose, the trip from Athens to Thessaloniki is expected to last approximately four hours but once upgrade works across Greece’s railway networks are completed it will take three hours and 15 minutes.

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