ग्रीस – आवारा मुसाफिर

New Greek metro is archaeological window on the past

December 1, 2024120 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, 2024109 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, 2024245 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, 2024263 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, 2024213 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, 2024377 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, 2024234 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 ...

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Greece to offer exclusive Acropolis visits – for a steep price

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December 23, 2023589 Views

Fancy seeing the ancient Acropolis uncluttered by thousands of selfie-snappers? A solution is in the works, but it will set you back up to 5,000 euros ($5,500). Starting April 1 2024, Greece plans to offer exclusive guided tours of its most powerful tourist magnet to handfuls of well-heeled visitors outside normal opening hours. The measure is part of an overhaul of ticketing policy for Greece’s archaeological sites and museums, which will see across-the-board increases as of April 2025. An official at Greece’s Culture Ministry said Friday that the new Acropolis service will apply to a maximum four groups of up to five people each. It will cost 5,000 euros ($5,500) per group, although individuals prepared to cover the full group fee are welcome to visit on their own. Nikol...

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A futuristic app gives a glimpse of the ancient past

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October 9, 20231121 Views

Tourists at the Acropolis this holiday season can witness the resolution of one of the world’s most heated debates on cultural heritage. All they need is a smartphone. Visitors can now pinch and zoom their way around the ancient Greek site, with a digital overlay showing how it once looked. That includes a collection of marble sculptures removed from the Parthenon more than 200 years ago that are now on display at the British Museum in London. Greece has demanded they be returned. For now, an app supported by Greece’s Culture Ministry allows visitors to point their phones at the Parthenon temple, and the sculptures housed in London appear back on the monument as archaeologists believe they looked 2,500 years ago. A man holds up a tablet showing a digitally overlayed virtual re...

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Wildfire outside Athens as hundreds of blazes ravage Greece

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August 24, 2023689 Views

Greek firefighters backed by aircraft battled a blaze spreading outside Athens for a second day on Wednesday, one of hundreds ravaging a country where wildfires have already killed 20 people this week. Several hundreds have fled their homes nationwide since fires erupted in northern Greece on Saturday, fanned by heat and high winds in the summer's second major outbreak. Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said 355 wildfires had erupted since Friday, including 209 in the last 48 hours. Firefighting teams were making "superhuman efforts" to contain them, he said. Athens is seen in the background as a wildfire burns on Mount Parnitha, in Athens, Greece, August 24. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou The fire brigade warned that more fires could break out, and spok...