Greece is a country that combines mountains and beaches. It offers many opportunities for hiking, including climbing Mount Olympus, the highest Greek mountain. Hikers can also explore the trails around Konitsa and the villages of Papingo tucked into Vikos-Aoos National Park. Greece has many impressive gorges such as Vikos Gorge, the deepest canyon in the world, and the Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe. The country also has several ski resorts like Kaimaktsalan and Arachova built on the slopes of mountains. In addition to natural landscapes, Greece offers historical sites like the Meteora rock monasteries and the Diros Cave, as well as scenic beaches in

1. Greece
My country

2. Greece is a country which combines
mountains and beaches.

3. Hiking lovers can go mountain climbing to:
•
Olympos •
Olympos is the highest Greek
mountain, the residence of the
twelve ancient gods.
•
It was the first area which was
declared as a National Park.
The aim was the preservation
of the natural environment; of
the flora, fauna and natural
landscapes.

4. Konitsa
•
Konitsa is carved into a
hillside, north of Ioannina.
Along the trails that flow from
Konitsa only the crunch of
hiking boots interrupts
birdsong and rushing water.
•
Hunters can also use Konitsa as
a sort of cowboy depot.

5. Papingo
•
Megalo and Mikro Papingo-
respectively, the large and the
small- are two villages tucked
into the Vikos- Aoos National
Park at a dizzying altitude of
960m.
•
The most distinctive element of
Papingo’s setting are the
looming rock formations
known locally as the Towers.
The tallest is 1788m high.

6. Gorges
•
Vikos Gorge
•
It’s the world’s deepest
canyon.
•
Kit yourself out with
sturdy hiking boots and
drinking water and get
going.

7. Samaria Gorge
•
The Samaria gorge is the longest one in
Europe. It is an area of stunning natural
beauty. Rare flora and fauna have survived
in this area and are protected. The
mountains that have formed it are wild,
high and steep. The path starts from
Xyloskalo (near Omalos) in the White
Mountains at an altitude of 1230 meters
and comes to an end at the village of Agia
Roumeli at the Libyan sea.
•
Walking through the gorge usually takes
anything from 3 to 5 hours (excluding the
breaks).

8. For the lovers of snow and skiing one can visit:
•
Kaimaktsalan •
A snow resort
•
After a long ski day, you can relax
at a chalet. Its large windows give
breathtaking views of the
surrounded mountainscape.
•
You can chose to spend the night at
a luxury suite, or in the homy
atmosphere of a beautifully restored
guest house at the old village of
Agios Athanassios (also known as
the “Stone Village").

9. Arachova
•
A snow resort
•
The town of Arachova is built
on the slopes of Parnassus
mountain at an altitude of
950m. Due to the three ski
centers of the mountain that
are nearby, Arachova is the
most popular destination in
Greece.

10. Natural monuments
•
Petrified trunks, scattered over
an area of 150 square
kilometres, mark the geological
history of the Aegean Sea over
20 million years ago. Volcanic
eruptions covered the whole
area where the Petrified Forest
now lies.

11. Diros Cave (Peloponnese)
•
Diros cave is a unique
experience travelling a
subterranean river length
1,600m. The stalactites and
stalagmites make a unique
spectacle. After the ongoing
research at the cave to date, the
total length reaches 6.500 m
and the final length is still
unknown.

12. Dadia Forest (Evros)
•
It is set in the Evros Valley and
overshadowed by the Evros
Mountains, this is another
scenically splendid area of
Greece and mostly visited by
those with an interest in its
wide range of wildlife. It's
especially noted for the fact that
36 of Europe's 38 species of
predatory birds can be found
here.

13. • Meteora is the biggest and most
important group of Greek
monasteries after those in Mount
Athos. We can locate the first
traces of their history from 11th c
when the first hermits settled
there. The rock monasteries have
been characterized by UNESCO
as a unique phenomenon of
cultural heritage and they form
one of the most important stations
of the cultural map of Greece.
Meteora

14. Beaches
•
Elafonissos •
Elafonissos and the opposite
island of Elafonisi / Elafonissi
make the second largest beach
in the west of Crete and are
advertised almost everywhere
(likewise for Vai beach) as "the
most beautiful beach of Crete"
and "it looks like a tropical
beach".

15. Lefkada (Ionian Sea)
•
It is considered as the
Caribbean of Greece, The
beaches have an exotic blue
colour. It is connected to the
mainland through a small
bridge, Lefkada can actually be
accessed by car.

16. Chios
•
The mastic island
•
Chios is famous for its mastic
trees. It is the only place in the
world where mastic grows.
There are 24 mastic villages.
Mastic is a natural aromatic
resin in teadrop shape. It is
used in cosmetic skin care
methods and has anti-cancer
properties.