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DESTINATION: ATHENS
ATHENS AT A GLANCE
Full Name : Athens
Area : 428 sq km / 165 sq miles
Population : 3,271,100
Time Zone : GMT/UTC +2 (Eastern European Time)
Electric Plug Details : European plug with two circular metal pins
Redolent with mythology, smeared with grime, Athens is an affable city enlivened by outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks, gardens and urban eccentrics.
Almost every house and apartment has a balcony bulging with geraniums, and many of the city's streets and squares are fringed with orange trees.
WHY ATHENS?
Athens due to its position in the world map, constitutes the crossroads between Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa. The distance by air is small and the accessibility is quite easy. Athens is reachable from all major cities in Europe and abroad. Also, chartered flights can be scheduled upon request from all parts of the world to Athens.
 Committed to safety, user-friendliness, operation and service excellence, the state-of-the-art Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' opened in March 2001, with upgraded services ensuring the efficient handling of millions of passengers, thousands of aircraft and tons of cargo. Distinguished as one of the best airports in the world in the first three years of operation, the new Athens International Airport offers a wide range of services and facilities, making each moment at the airport a pleasant experience for the travelers, their meters and greeters, and the airport's visitors.
 The Olympic Games constituted for our country a very big opportunity for the growth of tourism in general. Most of the hotels were fully renovated or even re-built. Also the hotels have invested in other installations supplying alternative services. Spa centers and Thalassotherapy, Sports Ground, restaurants of high gastronomic aesthetics, make the stay unique. Exclusive services even in the smaller hotels which make the visitor feel unique.
  In Athens the road network has been developed, especially with the building of the peripheral motorways, like Attiki Odos, which helps to facilitate the fast transportation throughout the entire Attiki Basin. Simultaneously, the country has progressed to large investments in the sector of public transport. The Athens Metro already covers many areas and continues to be developed and extended, the tram, the buses and the trolleys cover the land transportation. Finally with the investment incentives which were given to the owner of tourist and long distance coaches, the overwhelming majority of fleets are vehicles of the latest technology.
  Due to its position, Athens has the ideal weather conditions for the organization of professional meetings, as most of the months of the year summer is evident. The winter is much milder than in other European Destinations, whereas the summer is pleasant particularly in the coastal region of Athens. These weather conditions enable the participants to move easily, and to also appreciate and enjoy the monuments and the sights of the region without any problems.
 Athens and its region offer a large natural variety the give the opportunity to the delegates to also participate in recreational trips parallel to their professional obligations. One can go swimming in the blue waters that surround Athens, skiing on the snow capped mountains, or even to follow more alternative activities, like rafting, trekking, mountain biking, scuba diving, bird watching and many other activities according the taste…
 The Greeks are a deeply cultural population. Every second of their lives is accompanied by music, theater, painting, poetry and literature. They do not miss an opportunity to sing their joy or sadness, taking with them whomever happens to be around them. Each summer in all parts of the country, the well known feasts take place with music, dance and local dishes.
 The works of art which are housed in the museums are famous throughout the world. Even in small temples, one can see hagiographies and stained glass of unique beauty. Unique in the world are the performances at ancient theatres in Athens, as they continue to be materialized at the exact place now for many thousands of years, there, where both ancient tragedy and ancient comedy was born.
- ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES – HISTORY
 If someone was to say one thing that Greece is famous for, surely that would be its history. The Acropolis is the country's most characteristic symbol well known throughout the world. Also in every corner of the city, ancient buildings and monuments reveal a culture that determined all of Europe's History. The country's history is not only evident in the ancient times. Greece being on the border of the European Continent has to offer important monuments from the medieval times, the Byzantine times, the Ottoman Domination and the Venetian domination. It is a place, where history has walked upon it and has left its mark.
 The Greek cuisine is now famous worldwide for its taste and high alimentary value. The term ''Greek Cuisine'' is translated into healthy diet and has been adopted by many dietary faculties.  The dishes are many and vary from region to region. Also, the Greek wines are of the most awarded world wide. Even if one does not have the chance or the time to see anything else of Greece, the experience of a meal with Greek dishes and wine remains unforgettable. Cooking lessons are available while co operatives sell traditional products which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The integration of Greece in the Euro Zone renders it as easy in the monetary exchanges within Europe. Moreover, the relationship quality - good pricing, makes the country quite competitive in relation to other developing neighboring countries.
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