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Introducing Greece
Greece offers a myriad of experiences, landscapes and activities. It is the pulsing nightclubs of Mykonos and the ancient beauty of Delos; the grandeur of Delphi and the earthiness of Ioannina; the rugged hillsides of Crete and the lush wildflowers of spring. It is the blinding light of the Mykonos sun, the melancholy throb of Thessaloniki's rembetika (blues songs), the tang of home-made tzatziki, the gossip in the kafeneia (coffee shops). It is the Parthenon - solitary and pristine - lording it over the hazy sprawl of Athens.
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Greece is a country with a hallowed past and an at-times turbulent present. Appreciation of the achievements of its classical past has tended to overshadow its development as a free nation since the War of Independence from the Ottomans in 1821. Many foreign Hellenists imbued with a romantic ideal of the Greece of Pericles and the Parthenon are blithely ignorant that Greece today is a vibrant modern European country. It is equally a land where the languages of recent migrant communities from the Balkans, Africa and Asia - not to mention the English and German of EU migrants and retirees - contribute to Greece's status as one of Europe's more recent multicultural societies.
As recently as 1983, when it acceded to the EU, Greece was essentially a conservative, agrarian society famous for olive oil, coups, beaches and islands. Its transformation since its induction - alone, at the time, among the southeastern European nations - to the Brussels-led club of prosperous nations has been no less than dramatic. It could once take up to two years to obtain a landline for a home - now Greeks boast more mobile phones than fixed-line phones. Internet hotspots pop up like mushrooms, while car ownership, once the privilege of the affluent few, is now a consumer commodity enjoyed by the majority. While sleeping on beaches was once de rigueur for travellers in the carefree '70s, tourism is now most definitely pitched to the middle to upper-end markets and sleeping rough is now oh-so out.
This has created mixed blessings for visitors: better facilities inevitably come at higher prices; faster and safer sea travel has replaced more romantic slow boat voyages to rocky isles; wholesome, home-cooked food may be hard to find amid the surfeit of tacos, sushi or stir-fried lamb; homey, boxlike rooms tended to with a smile have been usurped by airy, air-conned self-catering apartments with nary a Greek face in sight to say kalimera (good morning).
Yet the fact that Greece continues to enjoy a steady influx of foreign visitors is easy to explain. The Greek people still have the welcome mat out. It is they who, after all, make Greece. Without the indomitable bonhomie of the Greeks themselves, Greece would be a different place altogether. Their zest for life, their curiosity and their unquestioning hospitality to the visitors in their midst is what makes a visitor's experience in the country inevitably unforgettable. The Greeks may curse their luck at times, distrust their politicians and believe 'oiling' the wheels of bureaucracy a fact of life, but they maintain their joie de vivre, their spontaneity, their optimism.
So, the job at hand is simple: decide which particular Greece you want to experience. Then come and find it.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
- Sail the azure waters of the Aegean and cycle to ancient ruins and unspoilt beaches
- Explore the Peloponnese region of Greece where the ancient world meets the modern meets the modern
- Skip the lines and see all our Athens tours
Last updated: Oct 22, 2009
Tips & articles
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Europe’s 8 best night trains
17 November 2009
The midnight thump and clunk of railway carriages being uncoupled and shunted in a station somewhere...
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The top 10 countries for 2010
6 November 2009
Want a sneak peek into the future? We’ve just released our newest edition of Best in Travel. We’re...
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Your favourite destinations September 3rd-11th
14 September 2009
You may have noticed around the Lonely Planet website that you can save your favourite places. The destinations...
Greece
Our Top Picks For Greece
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1 The Acropolis
Simply the most famous monument from the ancient world – the Acropolis is classically Athens
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2 Olympia
Home of the Ancient Olympic Games; a must see for anyone interested in this world event
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3 Zagorohoria
A land of fairytales, slate-roofed houses and looming, brooding mountains – not forgetting the magnificent Vikos Gorge
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4 Hydra
Car-less Hydra boasts a stone captains' mansion nestled on a pretty yacht harbour
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5 Delphi
Navel of the gods and home to the famous oracle that influenced so many historical events
Fast Facts about Greece
- Cars
4.1 million
- Tourists
14.4 million annually
- GDP
US$256.3 billion
- Unemployment
9.6%
- Inflation
3.3%
- Population
10,706,290
- Per capita income
US$26,920
- GDP growth
4.2%
Our favourite Greece Blogs (beta)
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Saturday Guest Post: The Ancient Theater in Epidaurus
Blog: Atlas Parasite - 7 November 2009
Submitted by: Sofia Kasviki Athens, Greece In Greece you will not find any shiny contests like the Oscars, so actors learn to be more humble. They still aim high but they don’t turn out to be conceited…or at least some of them! So, if you are a Greek artist and you like performing at the theater, your dream [...]Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
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Video - Saving the Caretta Caretta turtle on Zakynthos - Greece
Blog: Heather on her travels - 2 November 2009
Video interview about saving the Caretta Caretta turtles on Zakynthos or Zante with Yannis Vardakastanis from the Earth Sea and Sky wildlife centre at Gerakas on Zakynthos, Greece
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Flavours of the Aegean.
Blog: theboywhoatetheworld - 23 October 2009
Santorini, Greece | 36°23′N, 25°27′E | August 2009 As the days get shorter and a little colder in London, I’m finding myself looking back at the summer that’s come and gone for some much needed sunshine and cheer. Despite the feverish tourist crush come summer-time, Santorini definitely still makes it into my list of [...]
