Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter’s defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974 following the collapse of the dictatorship, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 2001. Greece has suffered a severe economic crisis since late 2009, due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Since 2010, Greece has entered three bailout agreements with the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the IMF. The Greek Government agreed to its current, $96 billion bailout in July 2015, which will conclude in August 2018.
Greece Tourism Information
Official Tourism Site
Other Sites
The Best of Greece
Here is a break down of some of the most interesting and visited places. Cities or areas listed will always have more than just one thing see and do. With the popular cities or areas we list some of the best known, which should go on everyone’s, must see list when they visit.
Athens
The Acropolis
Parthenon
Ancient Agora
Erechtheus
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Acropolis Museum
Syntagma Square
National Archaeological Museum
Mount Lycabettus
Old Acropolis Museum
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Panathenaic Stadium
National Archaeological Museum
Temple of Athena Nike
Roman Agora
Theatre of Dionysus
Temple of Hephaestus
Attica
Cape Sounion
Hydra
Corinth Canal
Piraeus
Central Greece
Delphi
Thermopylae
Central macedonia
Thessaloniki
White Tower
Rotunda of Galerius
Agios Dimitrios Church
Arch of Galerius
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
Museum of Byzantine Culture
Crete
Chania
Heraklion
Elafonissi
Knossos
Samaria Gorge
East Macedonia & Thrace
Kavala
Epirus
Ioannina
Vikos Gorge
Ionian Islands
Corfu
Kefalonia (Myrtos Beach)
Lefkada
Zakynthos
North Aegean
Patmos
Peloponnesse
Sparta
Mystra
Epidaurus
Mycenae
Nafplio
Ancient Corinth
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia
South Aegean
Milos
Mykonos
Delos
Rhodes (Lindos)
Santorini
Paros
Kos
Naxos
Thessaly
Metéora Monasteries
Larissa
West Greece
Olympia
Patras
Rio–Antirrio Bridge
West Macedonia
Prespa National Park
The Regions of Greece…
Central Greece
- Divisions: Attica, Central Greece, West Greece
- Cities:
- Athens
- The Acropolis,
- Lamia
- Patras
- Athens
- Towns:
- Villages:
- Other Sights & Attractions:
- Delphi
Greek Islands
- Island Groups:
- Crete
- Cyclades Islands – (Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Ano Koufonisis, Donousa, Folegandros, Iraklia, Kato Koufonisis, Kea, Ios, Kimolos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Schinousa, Sifnos,, Sikinos, Syros, Tinos)
- Dodecanese Islands – (Agathonisi, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Kos, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Patmos, Tilos)
- East Aegean Islands – (Chios, Fourni, Ikaria, Lesbos, Lesvos, Samos)
- Ionian Islands – (Antipaxos, Corfu, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefalonia, Paxos, Zakynthos)
- North Aegean Islands – (Agios Efstratios, Limnos, Samothraki, Thasos)
- Rhodes
- Saronic Gulf Islands – Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Spetses)
- Sporades Islands – (Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Spetses)
- Cities:
- Corfu
- Heraklion
- Rhodes
- Towns
- Chainia
- Ithaca
- Thira
Northern Greece
- Divisions: Central Macedonia, East Macedonia & Trace, Epirus, West Greece
- Cities:
- Ioannina
- Kavala
- Komotini
- Kozani
- Thessaloniki
- Towns:
- Chersonissos
- Villages:
- Other Sights & Attractions:
The Peloponese
- Divisions: Peloponese
- Cities:
- Tripoli
- Towns:
- Villages:
- Other Sights & Attractions:
- Olympia
Thessaly
- Divisions: Mount Athos, Thessaly
- Cities:
- Karyes
- Larissa
- Volos
- Towns:
- Villages:
- Other Sights & Attractions:
- Meteora
- Mount Athos