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Greece Historic Tour

Ancient cities, beautiful country, and romantic islands.

The Acropolis, Parthenon, theaters, stadiums, and museums.

The World of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Apostle Paul.

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Acropolis, Parthenon, Ancient Agora, & Plaka

Our trip to Greece was very inspiring and most enjoyable. I spent several days exploring Athens. I did this mostly on foot, but on one day with a driver/guide. The most famous sight in Athens is the Acropolis. It is a very prominent feature of the Athens' skyline since it towers over the surrounding area. The Acropolis contains the impressive Parthenon, which is a temple dedicated to Athena the Virgin. Construction on the present building began in 447 BC, and modifications to it have continued for centuries. Nearby is the Erechtheion Temple, which honors a king. A porch to this temple, which faces the Parthenon, will catch your eye because columns in the shape of attractive maidens support it. From the Acropolis you can look down on the Theater of Dionyssos, where festivals were held in the 6th century BC. The entrance to the Acropolis was build by the Romans. In fact, many of the Ancient Greek sights are a combination of both Greek and Roman constructions. Near the entrance to the Acropolis is the Rock of Areopagus. This is where Apostle Paul preached to the Athenians. It is worth climbing the rock to get a great view looking down on Ancient Agora, and especially the Thission Temple. But be careful, the rocks are very slippery and somewhat difficult to climb. In Ancient Agora you can walk in the footsteps of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. You can also visit the prison where Socrates was held and forced to drink the hemlock that took his life. Next to Ancient Agora is the Plaka, which is one of the most popular areas of Athens. It contains many shops, cafes, and restaurants. You can spend days in the Plaka shopping, and we especially enjoyed the restaurants with outdoor seating.

Sights in Athens

For a good view of the Parthenon I went to the Filapappou Hills. The view is good because you are at the same elevation as the Parthenon. There are a number of other fascinating things to see in Athens. It is interesting to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, which is located at the Parliament Building. The marching guards are very impressive. Next to the Parliament Building are the National Gardens, which are very attractive and quite extensive. I took a number of relaxing walks in the gardens. On your walks you encounter a number of the thousands of cats that live there. The National Archaeological Museum is very interesting, and it contains many artistic works of Ancient Greece. I also visited the Panathenaic Stadium. It is big seating 80,000 people. This modern day stadium was built for the first modern day Olympics held in 1896. The original stadium was built in 330 BC. The ancient contests were for men only, and they competed in the nude.

The highest hill in Athens is Mount Lycabettus. At the foot of the hill is an upscale area with nice shops. Rebecca and I enjoyed walking around this neighborhood before hiking all the way to the top. Getting to the top is quite a climb, but once there the view is worth it. You can see all of Athens as well as the coast. If it is operational you can also get to the top by taking the funicular.

Cape Sounion & Temple of Poseidon

A good day trip is to start in the morning with a driver/guide visiting the important sights in Athens. Then in mid afternoon head for Cape Sounion south of Athens. At Cape Sounion is found the Temple of Poseidon, which was built in the 5th century BC. The temple is quite impressive and it rests on a cliff nearly 200 feet above the waters of the Aegean Sea. It is most impressive in the late afternoon when it is bathed by the colors of the setting sun. From the cliff you have great views of the rugged coastline.

Corinth Canal

A very full day and fascinating trip is to visit the Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Nauplion, and Epidauros. Rebecca and I made this trip to the west of Athens with a driver/guide. The Corinth Canal was built across the isthmus between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. Attempts by the Ancient Greeks to build the canal were unsuccessful. So in the 7th century BC a road was constructed across the isthmus so that ships could be moved on rollers. The canal was finally built 1892-93 with the help of dynamite blasting through rock 285 feet deep.

Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth was a prominent city in the 8th century BC. Most of the recovered buildings are of the Roman era. The early Greek buildings were destroyed. The prominent building is the Temple of Apollo, although not much of it remains. It was built in the 6th century BC. Apostle Paul lived in Corinth 51-52 AD, and preached to the Corinthians known for their vices. On the mountain overlooking Ancient Corinth is a medieval fortress. From the fortress are good views of the countryside and waters.

Ancient Mycenae

Not far from Corinth is Mycenae, which in about 1400 BC ruled much of mainland Greece. Located between mountains and surrounded by beautiful fields the ancient city is in an attractive setting. Important things to see are the Lion Gate at the entrance and the Circle Grave. Nearby is the enormous tomb Treasury of Atreus. It was looted long ago, so what it contained is unknown.

Nauplion

We stopped at Argos to visit a pottery factory. They have rediscovered the ancient techniques for making pottery. The showroom is filled with beautiful things, and we bought some pretty vases based on ancient designs. We then went to Nauplion, which is on the Gulf of Argos. You immediately notice a fortress on an island in the harbor and one on the hill above the town. This was a nice place for lunch.

Theater of Epidauros

Our last stop of the day was at Epidauros. Here is found the magnificent Theater of Epidauros. It was built in the 4th century BC. The Theater seats 14,000 people, is well preserved, has impressive natural acoustics, and is still in use today. As we headed back to Athens we realized that this had been a very special day.

Ancient Delphi

One of the prime destinations in Greece is Delphi, and this is another day tour from Athens best done with a driver/guide. The ancient ruins are located next to the steep slopes of a mountain. From the ruins there are spectacular views both up the mountain and of the gentle slopes away from the mountain. Ancient Delphi is famous for oracles, which were used in making important decisions, such as whether to go to war. You can see what remains of the Temple of Apollo, the Theater which seats 5,000 people, and the Sanctuary of Athena, all of which were built in the 4th century BC. There are other things to see including a Stadium and a fine museum that contains many interesting art works of Ancient Greece.

Islands of Aegina, Poros, & Hydra

A totally different day tour is to take a cruise to the islands of Aegina, Poros, and Hydra in the Saronic Gulf. Our first stop was Aegina. This island is known for its pistachio trees. Like other parts of Greece there are many olive trees, and we were shown olive trees that were 1000 years old. The most important ancient sight on the island is the Temple of Alphaia. It is considered one of the best-preserved temples in Greece. The second port-of-call was Poros. The last stop was Hydra. This island has an attractive harbor and buildings. Hydra is considered special, and it has been declared a national treasure by both the Greek government and the Council of Europe. All of the islands have cafes, restaurants, and shops. As we left Hydra for the boat trip back to Athens there was a spectacular sunset over the Gulf Waters.

Photo of Sunny at Theater of Epidauros by Rebecca Breeding. Remaining photos by Sunny Breeding. We sell prints and slides.

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