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About Greece
The emergence of the first advanced civilizations in Europe, were rooted in the Minoan civilization in Crete and the Mycenean civilization on the mainland of Greece. Later, city-states emerged across the Greek peninsula and spread to the shores of Black Sea, South Italy and Asia Minor reaching great levels of prosperity that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom, expressed in architecture, drama, science and philosophy, and nurtured in Athens under a democratic environment. Athens and Sparta led the way in repelling the Persian Empire in a series of battles. Both were later overshadowed by Thebes and eventually Macedon, with the latter under the guidance of Alexander the Great uniting and leading the Greek world to victory over the Persians, to presage the Hellenistic era, itself brought only partially to a close two centuries later with the establishment of Roman rule over Greek lands in 146 BC.
The subsequent mixture of Roman and Hellenic cultures took form in the establishment of the Byzantine Empire in 330 AD around Constantinople. Greek culture played a significant role in the Western European Renaissance through the transferring of works of Ancient Greeks to Western Europe.
Greece, much appreciated by travelers for it’s temperate Mediterranean climate, consists of a mountainous mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, the Peloponnesus peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth), and numerous islands including Crete and the many other picturesque and history laden islands of the Aegean Sea.
Regent’s Tour Itinerary of Greece
(12 Days incl. Aegean cruise and visits to Aegean Greek & Turkish cities)
The Tour begins and ends in Athens. There you will have an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides take you to see the center of the city; Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliment, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. Driving down Herod Atticus Street, you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform and the Presidential Palace. On your way to the Acropolis, you will see Hadrian’s Arch, visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and make a short stop at the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896. On the Acropolis visit its Museum and the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally, “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon.
Also on the land tour portion of the itinerary, the town of Thebes connected with the tragedy of King Oedipus- Levadia and Arachova is include as well as Delphi, the "Omphalos" (Navel) of the earth, where the legendar Oracle resided and whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic World. You’ll also visit Kalambaka, to see the astonishing complex of Meteora, where among striking scenery, perched on top of huge rocks stand ageless Monasteries, where youcan see exquisite speciments of Byzantine art. During the return to Athens via Trikala, you’ll visit Lamia & Thermopylae and see Leonida’s Monument.
The fifth day of the tour, we begin the Aegean cruise. The Aegean was the site of the original democracies, and its seaways were the means of contact among several diverse civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean. On this journey you will have the opportunity to take a glimpse of past civilizations and to appreciate unique architectural styles and the breathtaking natural beauty of Greece and Turkey. You will visit the multifaceted Greek Islands of Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes and Santorini and the prosperous Crete, the “Island of the Minotaur” where you’ll venture into the cities of Heraklion & Santorini. In Turkey, you will see the Ancient City of Ephesus, and Instanbul, gateway between East and West and the Islamic and the Christian world. Also on the cruise itinerary are visits to Patmos and Kusadasi.
Please click the links below to learn more information (PDF files):
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