Athens

131,940 km²
(3.2x the Netherlands)

UTC +3

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Olympus - 2,917 m

During the Greek War of Independence in 1822, a white cross on a blue background was adopted as the national flag. The naval flag of 1822 was adopted in 1978 as the national flag. The cross represents the Greek Orthodox faith. The five blue and four white bars are either for the nine syllables in the sense "freedom or death" or the nine mythological goddesses of the arts and science.

The euro was introduced simultaneously in 12 European countries, as well as in Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City on 1 January 2002. This was the largest monetary exchange operation of all time. On the front of the note is a gate or window and a bridge on the back. These are all fictional. The euro replaces the Drachma that was introduced after Greek independence.

Amorgos is the easternmost island of the Cyclades archipelago. This group consists of more than 220 islands, 24 of which are inhabited. Amorgos is about 40 km long and 5 km at its widest point. Around the 3rd century BC, Amorgos was an important center for art in the Cyclades for the production of Docathismata figures (Cyclade idols) a species marble statuette with mainly feminine features.



Following Saracens attacks, the inhabitants of Katapola moved to Chora in the 9th century, a town founded in the early Byzantine period. Chora is the capital of Amorgos (about 400 inhabitants) and is located at an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, invisible from the sea. From Katapola it is a 45 minute walk to Chora.                             In my opinion, Chora is the most beautiful village of the three visited islands. It has some narrow alleys, white houses and cozy terraces. After the 4th crusade (1204), the Venetian Marco Sanudo assembled a fleet, captured Naxos and founded a great duchy. He gave Amorgos on loan to the brothers Andrea and Geremia Ghizi who immediately had a fortress (kastro) built on the rock that protrudes 64 meters above the village Just outside of Chora are the ruins of 11 windmills, built in the 1930s.

Langada is the second most beautiful village on Amorgos. A nice walk on the island with beautiful views leads from Chora via the Chozoviotisa monastery to Langada. From Langada there is also a beautiful walk to the Stavros chapel in the northeast. Note! This is not a walk for those with a fear of heights.

The Byzantine monastery Panaghia Chozoviotisa (single wall monastery) dates from 1088. It was built by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos who was Byzantine Emperor from 1081 to his dead in 1118. The monastery is located halfway up the steep slope of the Prophetis Elias, with 600 meters the second highest mountain on Amorgos. The single wall is 40 meters long and the smallest width is only 5 meters. There are more than 100 rooms, spread over 8 floors. The church is on top. For those with shorts: you have to cover bare parts.

Katapola is one of three places for arrrival and departure. Katapola was the berth for ships and the suburb of ancient Minoa. Katapola is a small cozy harbor town.
The remains of ancient Minoa lie on the 246 meter high Moundoulia hill above the harbor of Katapola. In the 10th century BC the three cities of Aegiali, Minoa and Arkesini were founded: Arkesini by Naxos, Minoa by Samos and finally Aegiali by Miletus. The upper part of Minoa is the oldest. The bottom part has Helenic remains. The gymnasium in the lower part dates from the 4th century BC and is still fairly intact.

Phoenicians founded a city on the site of Thera and named the island Callista. Followed by Doric settlers in the 9th century BC from Sparta. They named the city after their leader Theras. The old town had a main street with a length of 800 meters and a width of 2 to 4 meters. The buildings were constructed of sandstone from Mount Messavouno on which the city is situated. Thera had two harbors located at the present villages of Kamari and Perissa. In the 3rd century BC a fleet of Egyptian Ptolemans was stationed here. The city was converted for the officers. The fleet left about 145 BC. Until the year 0 any report from the city is missing. Then it became part of the Roman province of Asia. Until the 5th century it was the only settlement on the island. A hike from the base of Messavouna hill at Perissa to Thera and then the top of the highest mountain Profitis Elias is very rewarding.

Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades with an area of ??429 km². The capital is also called Naxos or Naxos chora. On the islet of Portara (gate) in front of the city, which is connected to the mainland by a dam, there is a gate built in 524 BC which served as entrance to a temple built by the tyrant Lygdamis. The temple has never been completed because the tyrant was deposed by intervention of Spartan troops. The old town is located above the harbor and consists of the Kastro (castle), built around 1208 by Marco Sanudo, and the Bourgo, where the native Greeks lived. In the Kastro remain more than twenty imposing mansions with the coats of arms of the Venetian noblemen who lived there. Members of the Sanudo ducal family are buried in the 13th century Catholic cathedral in the Kastro. Wander through the narrow alleys around the Kastro. Here and there you will come across cozy courtyards. You have the alleys to yourself until about half past nine in the morning. After that, the owners of the numerous small shops display their merchandise. Along the harbor you will find numerous cozy terraces.

On Naxos you'll find three unfinished Kouros statues (young man) from the 7th century BC. In the garden of Flerio near Melanes is the smallest (6.4 meters). The other lies there in the quarry. The largest is located near the village of Apollonas, 48 km from Naxos town on the north coast of the island. A staircase leads to the marble quarry where it lies It is 10.5 meters long. It may represent the god Dionysus.

The village of Apiranthos, also known as the marble city, was founded in the 17th century by Cretans. The village has marble-paved streets and residential towers, such as the Zevgoli and the Bardani Tower, built by the Venetian Crispi family. The residents often wear traditional costumes. Try the local wine.

The village of Moni, meaning monastery, is named after the main attraction, Panagia Drossiani, a former Byzantine monastery built in the 6th century. Panagia Drossiani is dedicated to the virgin Mary of the rain. On the walls are frescoes from the 7th to the 14th century. The image of Christ with two faces in the dome is special. Dress codes apply.

Just above Ano Potamia the Apano Kastro (Upper Castle) is located. The strongest castle of Naxos, built in the 13th and 14th century by the Ventian Marco Sanudo was built on older fortifications.

At 1,004 meters, Mount Zas (Zeus) is the highest mountain in the Cyclades. It was formerly believed that the cave on the northwestern slope was the birthplace of Zeus, god of the sky. The length of the cave is 115 meters.

Main attraction at the village of Sagri is the temple of Demeter. Demeter was a sister of Zeus and also the goddess of the grain. The marble temple was built around 530 BC. A church was built over it in the 6th century and later on, parts of the temple were used to build houses.

Santorini is derived from the Ventian Santa Irini. In classical times it was called Thera and officially it is called Thira. The island of Santorini was named in the 13th century. It is a giant caldeira of a volcano which exploded with enormous force somewhere in the second millennium BC, greater than that of the Krakatau between Java and Bali. The ancient city of Akrotiri disappeared under 50 meters of pumice stone. It was not inhabited again until the 8th century BC. Before the eruption it was the cradle of the Cycladic culture given the high architecture of Akrotiri. Santorini is the southernmost island of the Cyclades with an area of approximately 73 km². The walls of the 12 by 7 km caldeira are 300 meters high and 400 meters below water.

Excavations in Akrotiri began in 1967. It is the most famous Minoan site outside of Crete, where the culture started. The houses were up to 8 meters high. In many houses, the stone steps are still intact. Finds prove that it must have been a rich city. They had good sewerage, water pipes and toilets. They are the oldest ever found. The roof of the site collapsed in 2005, killing a tourist and injuring seven. The site reopened in 2012. Finds show that habitation here dates back to about 4000 BC. The city peaked from about 2000 BC until the eruption around 1628 BC. The entire site is located inside a building. No artifacts can be seen on the site. For that you have to go to the archaeological museum in Fira. Many pots and beautiful frescoes from about 1700 BC.

The capital of Fira is located on top of the 300 meter high caldeira. The views are very beautiful and you should visit the archaeological museum. Partly due to the cruise ships, the town is visited by large numbers of tourists. A great hike of about 3 hours starts along the church at the beginning of Fira via the caldeira edge to Oia, another very touristic village in the northwest. The vistas are breathtaking. Oia is much nicer than Fira as long as you stick to the edge of the caldeira. The other side of the village is dominated by many buses, cars and quads.