Greece: 5000 years old - a masterpiece you can afford - Business Works

Greece: 5000 years old – a masterpiece you can afford

Greece is the country of beautiful contradictions. A constant journey in time, from the present to the past and back again. The birthplace of Western civilization. The origin of drama and philosophy. The land where democracy was born.

In Greece, you are standing at crossroads of cultures and civilisations. You feel the grandeur of history and you discover the evolutionary process of thought, influence and experience. Greece is a country with a uniquely rich historical past, inhabited by people gazing confidently and optimistically into the future.

Come and discover the beauty and the culture. Every historical period, every fragment, every icon and work of art have harmoniously found their place in the modern day of the Hellenic Republic. Ascend green mountains, explore the sublime caves, sail the historic Greek seas with their friendly harbours and their indigo beaches. Descend frozen rivers, stroll through the olive groves, move through clusters of sparsely inhabited islands. Walk through an eternal sign of human civilization and creativity, the Parthenon, considered to be one of the most iconic monuments in the history of humanity.

Plaka and Acropolis

Attend the classical dramas performed in the Epidaurus Theatre during the annual summer festival for a memorable moonlit experience. From Delphi and Delos, to the monastery complex of Agion Oros (Mount Athos), to Thessaloniki, to Vassae, The Temple of Epicurian Apoilli, to Vergina, to Epidaurus, to Meteora, to Mystras, to the monasteries of Daphni (Attica), Ossios Loukas (Central Greece) and Nea Moni of Chios, to Mycenae and Tiryns, to the island of Patmos, Samos and the Medieval cities of Rhodes and Corfu the country is scattered with UNESCO designated “World Heritage Sites”. Roam from beaches to Rocky Mountains and explore the breathtaking scenery. In Greece the fusion of images turns into reality.


Thousands of untold stories

Greece is a country of unmatched history, hospitality, cultural heritage, unique habits and customs and natural beauty. Add to these the infrastructure built for the Olympic Games, now Greece is able to offer the knowledge, experience and safety to successfully organise major events together of a very high standard.

With its thirteen conference centres and more than a hundred hotels at several key destinations, Greece has made a name as host to a number of important professional, corporate, scientific and cultural events.

Imagine taking business on the beach while the sea breeze tickles your nose, listening to the calming sound of the waves, as you rush to make the final points on your paper. Enjoy Athens and its 300 days of sunshine and experience some of the possibilities on offer from a variety of experienced Travel Agents. Fuel your creativity in the scenery of a magical combination of crystal clear waters and green landscapes in one of Chalkidiki’s luxurious convention venues. Organise team-building events in the Olympus National Park or run a treasure hunt in the centre of Thessaloniki to discover the tastes, sounds, smells and history of the city of Alexander the Great. Live the Greek islands experience in one of Crete’s, Kos or Rhodes five-star properties with high levels of professionalism, dedicated staff and a hospitable environment for the effortless exchange of opinions and ideas.

Wintertime or summertime; it doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy it, Greece invites you to attend 12 months a year. Don’t miss it for the world!


Sleepless in …

Athens

Lord Byron described Athens as “the place I preferred on the whole to any I have seen”. Athens is the city where ends meet ... the classic with the contemporary, the ancient with the modern, the conservative with the rebellious, the West with the East. It’s the city that blurs the line between history and legend, myth and reality.

The Acropolis at night

Seize the day and climb up the “sacred Rock”, the Acropolis, and let your eyes feast with the astonishing view of the monument’s great history and glory. Walk on the “Grand Promenade” and stroll down the most important archaeological sites, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Olympeion, Stoa of Attalos, Kerameikos cemetery, Pnyx, Areios Pagos.

Don’t miss a thing! Feel the rhythm of the city with all your heart. Stop at Plaka and take the chance for an al fresco lunch even at winter, followed by a shot of ouzo. Go shopping in the cosmopolitan Voukourestiou Street and discover exclusive designer boutiques, luxury goods and world-renowned jewellery stores. At night, go up go up the Lycabettus Hill and let the view take your breath away. Listen to a classical concert in Megaron Mousikis, the Athens Concert Hall; or enjoy dancing under the stars till dawn in one of the trendy seaside nightclubs.

Take pleasure in the city’s string of beaches, from Paleo Faliro to the Saronic Gulf up to Cape Sounio. Reach the top of the Attica Mountains’ “ring” and its network of trails through natural scenery, several mystic caves as well as ancient and Byzantine monuments. Enjoy horseback riding, mountain bike or rock climbing. Feel a champion in the Golf course of Glyfada, landscaped with mature trees and shrubbery.

From Kifissia to Pireus, discover Athens anew, as a city continually changing, mystifying and enchanting.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki - White Tower

With its two Universities, thriving music scene and passion for food, Thessaloniki is Greece’s second lively city and one of the oldest in Europe. The “Queen of the North”, the “Bride of the Thermaic”, the “city that never sleeps”; stepped in history, it is designated UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the number and value of its Byzantine churches and monuments. Neo-classical and art-deco buildings stand side by side with modern dwellings which make a walk through the city an interesting journey through time.

Thessaloniki is one of the country’s most dynamic cities to visit. Home to the “Thessaloniki International Film Festival”, the “Thessaloniki Book Fair” and an annual International Trade Fair, every September, provides a commercial and business crossroad for the Balkans and the Mediterranean.

Enjoy exciting night life, award-winning cuisine, shopping and culture. Begin your “volta” (stroll) along the main shopping thorough for Tsimiski and follow this up with a leisurely café on comfy sofas at the impressive Beaux-Arts Aristotelous square and enjoy the view of the “Lefkos Pyrgos” (White Tower), the city’s symbol. Taste the deliciously sweet “trigona” and the traditionally creamy “bougatsa”. Choose among the innumerable sidewalk cafés and the hip nightclubs at “Ladadika”, the restored former industrial area, or the trendy bars and restaurants of the Modiano Market. Walk along the ancient city walls, and visit the 5th century Ossios David church, one of the 11 UNESCO- listed churches in Thessaloniki, containing one of its most precious mosaics. Enjoy the “Thessaloniki Jazz Festival” and “Summer Nostalgia”, the open air screenings of classic movies in the Municipal Gardens Theatre.

Although, Thessaloniki is in part a vast metropolis, it is still a village at its heart and her people live to enjoy every minute, from sunset till dawn.


Food for thought

An al fresco delight (as fresh as it gets)

Culinary pleasures

What distinguishes traditional Greek cuisine is the inimitable combination of the first-class ingredients, the epic Greek philosophy regarding eating and sharing meals and the unique relaxed, informal and unpretentious atmosphere of the tavernas, the never-ending sunshine and blue sky, satisfying all senses at a time.

Taste the freshness of vegetables and fruit grown under the generous sunshine, retaining their rich flavour. You will be delighted with the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, onions, parsley and garlic, and the rich flavour and aroma of fresh fruit: grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, watermelons, to name only a few.

A culinary triumph (as Greek as it gets)

Typical Greek food can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want it to be, colourful and packed with robust flavours. Xinimizithra, formaella and metsovone are unique, distinctive and brand-protected cheeses. The Greek feta needs no introduction, as it is one of the best-selling food products around the world.

Taramosalata, stuffed vine leaves, smoky eggplant puree, tzatziki yogurt with garlic, fried calamari, gigantes beans, tomatoes stuffed with rice and grilled octopus are only the introduction to the unique culinary experience of the Greek “mezedes”.

Taste unusual dishes from the olive-laden Peloponnese, such as One-Pot Chicken Simmered with Artichokes; delights such as Pastry-Cloaked Pasta from Corfu filled with cheese and charcuterie and delicious Bread Pudding from Ithaca. Experience the mainland recipes deriving from Greece's impenetrable north-western mountains, offering a tempting range of dozens of mouth-watering savoury pies, unusual green dishes, and succulent meat preparations such as Lamb with Garlic and Cheese Baked in Paper. Feel the saltiness in your mouth. And then change to sweetness. Taste some melomacarona and diples, the nut-rich cookies dipped in honey syrup or try some home-made galaktoboureko, halva or ravani.

Like the people, the Greek cuisine is strong and vibrant - a real gastronomic experience.


To find out more, please contact:

t: 020 7495 9300
e: info@gnto.co.uk

Trade enquiries only:
t: 020 7495 9413
e: trade@gnto.co.uk

Conferneces and incentives:
t: 020 7495 9302
e: trade@gnto.co.uk





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