The city of Athens is getting ready to welcome Santa Claus under the massive Christmas tree at Syntagma Square. The city’s tree is scheduled to light up today, December 11, at 7pm.

 

The Mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis will officially launch the festivities to the sound of the City of Athens Philharmonic Orchestra, a children’s choir, and a musical performance by Penny Baltatzi and the Athens Big Band that will take place later on this evening.

 

The city authorities have announced that more than 230 events and happenings will take place around the city for a period of 4 weeks. Music and dance will take over the streets of Athens and dozens of up-and-coming groups and artists will perform everything from swing and jazz music to rock and mainstream beats under the Athens Christmas tree!

 

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

 

Photo Credit: Technopolis City of Athens

A Greek resort was named the World’s Leading Eco-Lodge at the World Travel Awards Grand Final in Lisbon last week.

 

Built in the highlands of Zagori a region in northwestern Greece, the Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas seamlessly blends with its natural, verdant surroundings by maintaining the architectural style of the surrounding villages – a grey and brown stone exterior with natural slate and wood roofing.

This significant distinction praises the efforts of the Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas and underlines Greece’s effort toward sustainable development within the hospitality industry. It is worth mentioning that the World Travel Awards are considered the ‘Oscars of the travel industry'.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greece-Is

Santorini returns dynamically to the sports action for the 5th edition of “Santorini Experience” that will attract the worldwide interest of professional and amateur athletes of running and open water swimming on October 4-6, 2019.

Santorini’s sports tourism event, “Santorini Experience”, which every year exceeds the country’s borders, recently received recognition from the international institution Travel & Hospitality Awards. In particular, the co-organization of the Municipality of Santorini, the Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organization of Santorini (DAPPOS) and Active Media Group were honored for “Santorini Experience” as the Unique Tour Company of the Year 2019.

You may watch the video teaser and get a taste of the energy and adrenaline to be offered by Santorini Experience 2019 HERE.

Runners will have the opportunity to enjoy the three established routes on the Caldera, overlooking the enchanting images of the volcano and the background scenery of Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia. Specifically, the 5km “Aristides Alafouzos” route concerns the running and dynamic walking, the 10km is addressed to the most experienced in distances and the 15km route to those who love strength, endurance and adrenaline.

All routes start from the desalination plant in Oia, including parts of trail track, and finish in Oia. The running routes are designed by the former marathon runner, Greek classic route record holder, running trainer and director of All About Running, Nikos Polias.

Open water swimming will have an honorable position in this year’s schedule as well. Specifically, the participants will have the opportunity to swim from the volcano to the old port of Fira, having the imposing view of the island in front of them, in the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) race. Organization will provide amateur athletes with a high-quality safety lifeguard buoy, giving them extra motive to choose “Santorini Experience”.

Swimming route will take place with the upmost safety in the enchanting sea of Santorini (average water temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius), under the technical direction of federal coach with Olympic and World Championship distinctions, Nikos Gemelos, who has designed this unique route.

Once again, specialized lifeguards will contribute in safety measures, providing staff as well as lifeboats. Distinguished age categories will be formed depending on the final participation entries, while a separate classification for those wearing wetsuits will be added.

The Greek island of Corfu won the 2018 European Film Location Award, the European Film Commission Network (EUFCN) announced yesterday. Corfu was chosen  among 12 European locations as the best filming location of 2018, in recognition of its key role in the filming of the TV series The Durrells.

 

The 2018 European Film Location Award competition was organized by the EUFCN, in collaboration with Cineuropa. The European Film Commissions Network numbers 90 members from 30 countries and its objective is to promote European audio-visual production sites. Last month, the general public had the opportunity to vote for their favorite location, through the Cineuropa website.

 

The award was picked up by Venia Vergou, the director of the Hellenic Film Commission and coordinator Stavroula Geronimaki, who both work hard to promote Corfu's cinematic appeal to the rest of the world.

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The road tax notices for 2021 have been uploaded at the TAXIS online platform and are due by the end of December. Car owners may access the document either through their tax number (AFM) or their licence plate number.

 

In order to help you navigate through the Greek online tax system, Insurance-Greece.com, an insurance advisor site, has uploaded instructions on how to print and pay your 2021 Road Tax.

A fascinating Sunday with lots of food and fun from Vietnam and Thailand!

An all day festival by ''Street Food and Tunes'' and deBop with suburban tropical parties for a different kind of Christmas in Kifissia. Traditional Vietnamese and Thai chefs will prepare the most delicious meals, while live music from the Step Brothers, General Conzou and Athens Gypsy All Stars will light up the party.

Also, a bazaar from the ''Kifissia Animal Rescue'' will take place for you to give our pet-friends some happiness. 

So stay tuned for an all day party that will make history!

Great safety workshop for Women of ALL ages to be conducted in English/Greek by a top Professional trainer. 

In support of this year's U.N. 16 Days of Activism for Eliminating Violence Against Women, FAWCO Rep Greece in collaboration with KRAV Maga Kolonaki, are hosting a 3 hour Krav Maga Women's self-defense workshop, on Saturday, December 15th.

This 3 hr. Krav Maga women's workshop enables women of ALL AGES to learn, from KRAV Maga expert trainer, Michalis Kafetzis, in a short period of time, central self-defense techniques specifically designated to provide them with defense tools while if attacked.Women KRAV Maga methods deal with situations from a woman's daily routine, point out scenarios where a threat may appear and teaches step by step how to maintain your calm and defend yourself.

Additional issues included in women self-defense, have to do with the home invasion, third side protection (protecting your children) and using common objects (keys, handbag, etc.) to block the assailant and counterattack. Krav Maga Women's self-defense techniques can, literally, save your life.

The workshop is open to all women of all ages in Athens.

Contact  to reserverve your spot! Space is limited!

This holiday season, the Stavros Niarchos Park is flooded with light and sound, through a series of interactive installations that create an enchanting winter wonderland. Three of these installations have been specifically designed for the SNFCC and the project has been curated by Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF).

 

The Christmas World at the SNFCC came alive on Saturday, December 1. About 15,000 spectators, of all ages, had the opportunity to witness the magical celebration that brought the spectacular Christmas setting to life. The interactive luminous installations, the ice rink, and the numerous brightly lit Christmas trees will certainly impress visitors thought-out the holiday season!

Even though Athens is not one of the most iconic Christmas destinations, the city literally lights up during the festive season! The city streets and squares are decorated with fairy lights, garlands, and traditional Greek Christmas boats, and the air is filled with the aromas of freshly baked holiday delicacies. Here are 3 things to do in Athens this holiday season that will help you and your loved ones embrace the festive spirit to the fullest!

 

Visit The Christmas Factory In Gazi


@christmasfactory

From December 4 to January 6, the Christmas Factory returns to Technopolis in Gazi, making it the most festive place to be in the heart of Athens. Candy stores, fun factories, interactive workshops, a carousel, the city’s largest Ferris wheel, a colorful Christmas market, and many more exciting activities await you and your family for a fun outing right in the city center.

 

Go Shopping At The Mall Athens


@themallathensofficial

Find perfect Christmas presents for your loved ones at the Mall Athens. Impressive Christmas trees, beautiful decorations, a lot of lights, and many surprises await the visitors of the mall until January 7. Get ready to discover the magic of Christmas and meet elves, reindeer, and, of course, Santa himself!

Go Ice Skating


@icearenagreece

Ice skating has become a popular activity during winter in Athens, and ice rinks can be found in various spots around the city! Here are some of our favorites:

Athens Heart
The largest permanent ice rink in the country is located next to Athens Heart Shopping Mall and has a surface of more than 1,000 square meters which is close to international standards! The ice rink is covered by a specially designed tent, making it possible to skate in all weather conditions.

SNFCC Ice Rink
The SNFCC ice rink is the ideal place to enjoy ice skating in a beautiful set-up, right in front of the decorated Agora. The ice rink is open daily from December 10 to February 6 – admission is free with online pre-registration and a maximum stay of 40 minutes.

Ice Rink at Megaron Concert Hall
This holiday season, the Megaron Concert Hall will host one of the loveliest ice rinks in Athens, located in the Atrium area. Visiting the 375 square meter ice rink is a great opportunity to combine ice skating with one of the festive performances held at the concert hall this holiday season.

 

On Wednesday, October 31, Carnegie Hall hosted the 2018 Golden Classical Music Awards Invited Winners List. It was there that, 6-year-old pianist, Stelios Kerasidis performed Frédéric Chopin's waltz in A minor, becoming the youngest Greek musician to ever perform at Carnegie Hall.

 

The competition was open to all nationalities and ages for the following categories: strings, piano, wind, and vocals. Stelios competed in the Young Musician group and won the first prize.

 

The young pianist became known in Greece as a participant of ‘Greece’s Got Talent’ where he impressed the judges and audience with his talent and passion for the piano. Now, the entire nation is cheering him on, eager to see how much he’ll accomplish with his exceptional talent in music.