ग्रीस – आवारा मुसाफिर

Rare migratory birds lure watchers to Greece’s Lesbos island

May 17, 2025103 Views

Black-winged white stilts wade through a salt pan, plunging their beaks into the water in search for food at the Kalloni bay on the Greek island of Lesbos, as bird-lovers watch through binoculars from afar. Stilts are one of more than 330 species found in the wetlands of Kalloni and elsewhere in Lesbos, which have established the island as a European hotspot for birdwatchers from around the world since the 1990s. "We have some very special birds that are breeders on the island, like the Cinereous Bunting or the Kruper's Nuthatch, the Masked Shrike," local environmental scientist and bird guide Eleni Galinou said. Black wing stilt is reflected at Kalloni's salt pans A black stork flies at Kalloni's salt pans, Lesbos island, Greece The island's main attraction are the migra...

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From Greek monastery on island cliffside, prayer lift up wonders of the night sky

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April 12, 2025138 Views

For more than a millennium, Orthodox Christian monks have woken up in the predawn darkness to start their day with prayer at the Panagia Hozoviotissa Monastery, built high into a cliffside on the island of Amorgos. The tall, whitewashed complex is a speck about half-way up the precipitous mountain that plunges into the Aegean Sea. Except for a few small chapels scattered among the rocks, no other structure is in sight — and no light pollution to dim the swirl of stars as it increasingly does around the world. In this picture is seen the cliffside Hozoviotissa Monastery under the starry night sky. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) The facade of the cliffside Hozoviotissa Monastery stands under a star-filled sky . (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) “Here one is closer to God, and bet...

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Secluded cafes, sandals and sidewalks of Athens

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January 12, 2025303 Views

I was born in a neighbourhood of Athens that separates Kolonaki, an area frequented by politicians and celebrities, from Exarchia, a district favoured by rebels, intellectuals and artists. The location probably helped turn me into a journalist: caught between sides, seeking answers. I returned to the Greek capital as a Reuters correspondent in 2007, on the eve of a decade-long debt crisis. I covered riots, anti-austerity protests, bailout negotiations and repeated elections. The country's struggle for change marked that period and contributed to an Athens' makeover. People enjoy the sunset and a city view with the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis hill, from atop Lycabettus Hill. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis In the heart of the city, shops that shut during the debt crisis are now...

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New Greek metro is archaeological window on the past

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December 1, 2024259 Views

A metro system in Greece's second city Thessaloniki officially opened on Saturday, its stations displaying the same ancient artifacts that nearly derailed the project's completion. During construction, which began in 2006, workers discovered a Byzantine-era market, a Roman cemetery and other treasures of the city's long and varied history. The finds stalled the metro's progress and raised questions about how the city would modernise while protecting its rich past. The answer was to blend the two by displaying the uncovered artefacts for modern-day commuters to enjoy. People view antiquities at Agias Sofias metro station A view of a subway station in Thessaloniki, Greece "This is not just a public works project, which is incredibly important for the city. It is also a mus...

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In a record year for tourism revenues, Greece to ban new short-term lets in Athens

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September 16, 2024257 Views

Ban to be in force for at least a year, tax on holiday lets to be increased A ban on new licences for short-term rentals in three districts in central Athens will be in force for at least a year, the Greek government said on Monday, also raising the tax on such holiday lets. Like many other European tourism destinations, Greece is seeking to balance a profitable industry fuelled by online platforms such as Airbnb with the needs of locals facing a housing shortage. A lack of housing and the rising cost of living prompted the country this month to announce an increase in a tax on short-term rentals, ban new licences in central Athens and give homeowners incentives to switch to long-term rentals. A view of the cityscape with the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill seen in th...

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Greece to tax cruise ship arrivals to protect popular islands from overtourism

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September 8, 2024435 Views

Greece plans to impose a 20-euro levy on cruise ship visitors to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season, in a bid to avert overtourism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday. Greece relies heavily on tourism, the main driver of the country's economy which is still recovering from a decade-long crisis that wiped out a fourth of its output. But some of its most popular destinations, including Santorini, an idyllic island of quaint villages and pristine beaches with 20,000 permanent residents, risk being ruined by mass tourism. Speaking at a press conference a day after outlining his main economic policies for 2025, Mitsotakis clarified that excessive tourism was only a problem in a few destinations. "Greece does not have a structural o...

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Greek wildfire reaches edge of Athens

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August 12, 2024449 Views

Greece's worst fire this year amid months of drought Waterbombing aircraft battle flames on Athens' outskirts Evacuations ordered in 30 areas, power cuts in region Winds to strengthen, high fire alert through Thursday Greece's worst wildfire this year spread into the Athens suburbs on Monday, forcing hundreds of people to flee as it torched trees, homes and cars overnight and choked busy roads with smoke and ash. The government has called in help from fellow EU members to tackle the fire that is burning out of control for a second day, fanned by gale force winds that pushed it from the wooded hills north of the city. Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire burning in Dionysos, Greece, August 12, 2024. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Firefighters said flames, threat...

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Greece’s Santorini bursts with tourists as locals call for a cap

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July 28, 2024378 Views

Armed with selfie sticks and phones, the tourists flood into Santorini from everywhere - on dinghies from giant ocean liners, on coaches that zigzag up the steep hillsides, atop donkeys that clip-clop along the narrow cobbled streets. Some brave the afternoon heat to find a good spot among the white-washed houses and blue-domed churches where they then wait hours to watch the Greek island's famed sunset. As the sun dips, many more join them, squeezing along the cliffside or onto balconies, cameras at the ready. Tourists view Santorini’s famed sunset, on Santorini, Greece, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis "This has been my dream since high school," said American tourist Maria Tavarez, 40. But for many of Santorini's 20,000 permanent residents, the once idyllic island...

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4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists

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June 13, 2024611 Views

A big, round, 4,000-year-old stone building discovered on a Cretan hilltop is puzzling archaeologists and threatening to disrupt a major airport project on the Greek tourist island. Greece’s Culture Ministry said Tuesday that the structure is a “unique and extremely interesting find” from Crete’s Minoan civilization, famous for its sumptuous palaces, flamboyant art and enigmatic writing system. Resembling a huge car wheel from above, the ruins of the labyrinthine, 1,800-square-meter (19,000-square-foot) building came to light during a recent dig by archaeologists. The site was earmarked for a radar station to serve a new airport under construction near the town of Kastelli. Set to open in 2027, it’s projected to replace Greece’s second-biggest airport at Heraklion, and designed to h...

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Greece closes more ancient tourist sites as heatwave persists

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June 13, 2024460 Views

Greece shut more ancient tourist sites in Athens on Thursday and elderly people took refuge at designated air-conditioned spots as the first heatwave of the summer persisted for a third day. The famous Acropolis, set on a rocky hill overlooking the capital, and other nearby tourist attractions were closed on Thursday afternoon as winds from North Africa pushed temperatures towards 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). Tourists visit the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill archaeological site before it closes due to a heatwave hitting Athens, Greece, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi Many primary schools and nurseries across the country were closed to protect students from the heat, which was expected to recede on Saturday. In Athens, tourists stopped at drinking ...