9 days highlights of greece

9 days

Tour itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Athens

Day 2: Athens - Piraeus - Kalambaka

Athens is considered the birthplace of Western art and culture. The Parthenon, built as a symbol of glorious ancient Athens, is still the city's landmark today. Work on the temple began in 447 BC and after nine years of construction, the gold and ivory statue of Athena was erected in the center of the sanctuary. Over the centuries, the Parthenon was used as a temple, church, mosque and arsenal and was severely damaged. Today, after extensive renovation work, it shines in new splendor. We visit the Acropolis and make a short detour to the port of Piraeus. In the late afternoon, drive to Kalambaka.

Day 3: Kalambaka - Meteoric Monasteries - Thermopylae - Delphi

We visit the spectacularly situated monasteries, which are perched on the rocks like eagles' nests. The monasteries not only offered protection in troubled times, but also promised the monks special access to the heavens due to their "remote" position. The natural sandstone towers of Meteora were already being used as a religious refuge around 1000 AD. In the 14th century, the first monastery was founded on one of the approximately 1,000 rock needles, and 23 more followed. Due to their precarious location, many monasteries were abandoned in the 18th century, but monks and nuns still live in some of them today. It is not known how the first hermits reached the top of these rock faces, but they probably hammered pegs into the narrow crevices to carry building materials to the top. On the way back to the hotel, we stop at Thermopylae, where the brave Spartan king Leonidas and his 300 warriors held out against the numerically far superior Persians. In ancient times, the average width of the passageway was only a few meters at the two narrowest points. As a result of silting, it has widened to several kilometers to this day.

Day 4: Delphi - Osios Loukas Monastery - Gulf of Corinth

In ancient times, Delphi was regarded as the navel of the world. People came from all over the then known world to consult the oracle and bring gifts for the gods. Then as now, visitors were captivated by the grandiose atmosphere of the sanctuary! We visit the Temple of Apollo, the treasure houses and the theater. In the oracle, the god Apollo, who spoke through the priestess Pythia, could be consulted. Questioners had to pay a fee and sacrifice an animal on the altar. A priest then passed the question on to Pythia. Put into a trance by vapors from a fissure in the earth, above which she sat on a tripod, Pythia then gave the answer. Her incantations had to be interpreted by the priests and were often ambiguous. In the late afternoon, the tour continues with a stop at the magnificent monastery complex of Osios Loukas, one of the most important medieval buildings in Greece. The octagonal design of the main church became a typical feature of late Byzantine church construction, and the mosaics inside brought Byzantine art to its last great art-historical climax. Hotel on the Gulf of Corinth for 4 nights.

Day 5: Gulf of Corinth - Olympia - Lagadia - Gulf of Corinth

The highlight of the day is a visit to the extensive excavation site of Olympia, the venue of the Olympic Games. Olympia was a religious and sporting place of worship for 1,000 years. Only fragments of the Temple of Zeus remain, but its grandeur is clear from the number of finds. Porous local shell limestone formed the building material of the sanctuary. Although all visible surfaces were covered with marble stucco, the stone carvings were executed with great precision. In the temple stood the 13m high cult image of Zeus, a work by the famous artist Phidias, which was considered a wonder of the world in ancient times. Phidias' workshop can also still be seen - the visible remains belong to the ruins of a Byzantine church. In the museum, we will fall in love with the famous Hermes of Praxiteles - a masterpiece of ancient sculpture.

Day 6: Sparta - Mistras

We drive through the much-praised landscape of Arcadia, pass the no less famous Sparta and finally reach the highly interesting ruined city of Mistras: it is situated on a promontory in the rugged Taygetos Mountains. Founded by the Franks in 1249, it soon fell to Byzantium and grew to 20,000 inhabitants. In the 15th century, the city attracted scholars and artists from all over the Byzantine world. We take a detailed tour of the former center of Byzantine culture. The numerous churches, palaces and magnificent buildings are worthy of admiration. Particularly worth seeing is the decoration of the churches, whose pastel-colored, detailed frescoes show the influence of the Italian Renaissance. Return to the hotel.

Day 7: Mycenae - Epidauros - Nafplion

Drive to Mycenae, the legendary castle of Agamemnon with the Lion Gate and the domed tombs excavated by Schliemann. Mycenae is described in the Homeric epics as a glorious prehistoric world power. At the same time, dark tales of crime surround the ruling family of the Atrides in Mycenae. Heinrich Schliemann was convinced that there was a historical core to these legends and was rewarded for his unwavering thirst for research: although he did not discover the poetic "Mycenae" of his Homeric heroes, he did discover a real Mycenae, thus opening up a new archaeological-historical dimension. We end the day in Epidauros, whose almost perfect "classical" theater has unique acoustics. However, visitors should not forget that Epidauros enjoyed a worldwide reputation as a "religious healing practice" in ancient times and that the sanctuary of Asklepios was world-famous. The theater is one of the most magnificent surviving large buildings of classical antiquity. Anyone who takes a seat on the steps of the semicircle will - in addition to the phenomenal acoustics - have an unforgettable feeling of security and connection with the entire auditorium. Unfortunately, only a few remains of the ancient healing and cult center are still standing. In addition to the main temple, a gymnasium and thermal baths, the reclining hall for the healing sleep of the sick is of particular interest. The sick cured their ailments here by sleeping a lot, and the belief in the high medical authority of the sanctuary worked true miracles. After a detour to Nafplion, considered the most beautiful town in the Peloponnese with its winding old town streets and picturesque squares, we return to our hotel.

Day 8: Corinth - Athens

After breakfast, we visit the excavations of Ancient Corinth: Corinth's strategically favorable trading location on the Gulf of Corinth made it one of the most powerful city-states in Greece in classical times. Corinthian money and Corinthian weight standards were used far beyond the city's territory. Corinthian pottery, weapons and luxury items such as perfume were sold throughout the Mediterranean. Corinth was also a city of culture and art, where not only excellent craftsmanship was promoted, but innovative literature and music also found their audience. What can be seen today on the ruins dates mainly from the Roman imperial period and late antiquity. Only the theater and fountain buildings partially hewn out of the rock date back to the city's Greek era. We see the Glauke Spring, the remains of the monumental Temple of Apollo, the Agora and the oracle sanctuary. The marble-paved street flanked by porticoes leading from the market square to the port of Lechaion still gives a great impression of the splendor of the imperial city. This is also the location of Old Corinth's greatest attraction, the Peirene Fountain: The representative building complex financed by Herodes Atticus is an excellent example of Hadrianic architecture. The now visible limestone ashlar walls were clad with colored marble slabs and the floors were decorated with mosaics.

Day 9: Flight home

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