Greece is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, this is because of its many historical sites as well as its amazingly beautiful surroundings. Visitors are most drawn here because of its beautiful beaches, it dependable sunny weather, and for its rich cultural past.
The Historical monuments in Greece and the Greek islands date from all time periods, from the Mycenaean and the Classical times till the Medieval and Modern Era. You will find bellow a list with the most important tourist destinations and historical monuments in Greece.
Eretria Museum
The Eretria Archaeological museum houses a small, but very important collection of artifacts found in excavations around Evia. Highlights of the museum include the unique terracotta centaur and other finds from Lefkandi, and the sculptures from the archaic temple of Apollo Daphnophoros that depict an amazonomachy. The finds from the Lefkandi heroon have shed new light in a previously little-understood period of ancient Greece:
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Though only a few columns remain of the Temple of Olympia Zeus in Athens it does not take much imagination to realize that this was one gigantic temple. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun.
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and a peninsula in northern Greece. The peninsula, the easternmost “leg” of the larger Halkidiki peninsula houses some 1,400 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. An autonomous state under Greek sovereignty, entry into Mount Athos is strictly controlled and only males are allowed entrance.
Ancient Dodona
The ancient site of Dodona is located on the north western side of Greece, in the region of Epirus. This was the second most famous oracle in Greece, after the Oracle of Delphi. Originally the oracle was devoted to a Mother Goddess, which was either Rhea or Gaia. However, in the historical monument times, the altar was dedicated to god Zeus. Dodona remained an important religious sanctuary until the rise of Christianity in the Late Roman Times.
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island in the Cyclades group of the Greek islands. It is famous for its dramatic views, stunning sunsets, the white-washed houses, and its very own active volcano. Fira, the capital of Santorini, is a marriage of Venetian and Cycladic architecture, whose white cobblestone streets bustle with shops, tavernas, hotels and cafes, while clinging on the edge of the 400 meter (1,300 ft) high cliffs.
The Historical monuments in Greece and the Greek islands date from all time periods, from the Mycenaean and the Classical times till the Medieval and Modern Era. You will find bellow a list with the most important tourist destinations and historical monuments in Greece.
Eretria Museum
The Eretria Archaeological museum houses a small, but very important collection of artifacts found in excavations around Evia. Highlights of the museum include the unique terracotta centaur and other finds from Lefkandi, and the sculptures from the archaic temple of Apollo Daphnophoros that depict an amazonomachy. The finds from the Lefkandi heroon have shed new light in a previously little-understood period of ancient Greece:
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Though only a few columns remain of the Temple of Olympia Zeus in Athens it does not take much imagination to realize that this was one gigantic temple. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun.
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and a peninsula in northern Greece. The peninsula, the easternmost “leg” of the larger Halkidiki peninsula houses some 1,400 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. An autonomous state under Greek sovereignty, entry into Mount Athos is strictly controlled and only males are allowed entrance.
Ancient Dodona
The ancient site of Dodona is located on the north western side of Greece, in the region of Epirus. This was the second most famous oracle in Greece, after the Oracle of Delphi. Originally the oracle was devoted to a Mother Goddess, which was either Rhea or Gaia. However, in the historical monument times, the altar was dedicated to god Zeus. Dodona remained an important religious sanctuary until the rise of Christianity in the Late Roman Times.
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island in the Cyclades group of the Greek islands. It is famous for its dramatic views, stunning sunsets, the white-washed houses, and its very own active volcano. Fira, the capital of Santorini, is a marriage of Venetian and Cycladic architecture, whose white cobblestone streets bustle with shops, tavernas, hotels and cafes, while clinging on the edge of the 400 meter (1,300 ft) high cliffs.
