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Private
Mainland Tours: Two Days
TOUR
1: ANCIENT
CORINTH, ACRO-CORINTH, CANAL, THEATER OF EPIDAURUS, NAFPLION,
NEMEA, ARGOS, MYCENAE (overnight stay in Nafplion)
includes
a visit to: Ancient Corinth (where you
can see the Long Walls that begin at the summit of Acro-Corinth
and descend all the way to Lechaion, the artificial harbour
on the Corinthian Gulf, the Agora, the Dorian Temple of
Appollo [6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations], the museum
which contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery,
terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings,
relief plaques, the Roman head of the goddess Tyche and
small objects of various kinds, and the Bima where St Paul
preached), Acro-Corinth (the fortress acropolis
of Ancient Corinth and Medieval Corinth, being on a steep
of a rocky hill 575 meters high at its highest peak, with
uninterrupted views across the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs.
It has been a fortified citadel for the Mycenaens, Archaic
Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians,
Ottomans and eventually back to the Hellenes following the
Greek War of Independence), The Canal (which
is about 6 km long and connects the Aegean Sea with the
Ionian Sea; its width upon completion was 25 meters, and
8 meters deep), The Theater of Epidaurus
(which is marbeled for its exceptional acoustics, which
permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken
word from the proscenium or skene to all 15,000 spectators,
regardless of their seating), Nafplion
(where you will climb up the 999 steps to the Venetian fortress
of Palamidi crowning the city, wander around the battlements
of Acronafplia and pop over to the fortified island, Bourtzi),
Nemea (where you can taste some of the
best wines made in the region [Agiorgitiko: Saint George]),
Argos (a city near Nafplion, which was
its historic harbour), and finally Mycenae
(where you will see the Cyclopean Walls, the Grave Circle
A with 6 royal tombs, courtiers houses, sanctuaries, the
Grave Circle B with 14 royal tombs and 12 tombs of private
citizens, the Treasure of Atreus also known as the beehive
tomb of Agamemnon, and the Lions Gate).
TOUR
2: ANCIENT CORINTH, CANAL, MYCENAE, NAFPLION, ANCIENT OLYMPIA
(overnight stay in Olympia)
includes
a visit to: Ancient Corinth (where you
can see the Long Walls that begin at the summit of Acro-Corinth
and descend all the way to Lechaion, the artificial harbour
on the Corinthian Gulf, the Agora, the Dorian Temple of
Appollo [6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations], the museum
which contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery,
terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings,
relief plaques, the Roman head of the goddess Tyche and
small objects of various kinds, and the Bima where St Paul
preached), The Canal (which is about 6
km long and connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea;
its width upon completion was 25 meters, and 8 meters deep),
Mycenae (where you will see the Cyclopean
walls, the Grave Circle A with 6 royal tombs, courtiers
houses, sanctuaries, the Grave Circle B with 14 royal tombs
and 12 tombs of private citizens, the Treasure of Atreus
also known as the beehive tomb of Agamemnon, and the Lions
Gate), Nafplion (where you will climb up
the 999 steps to the Venetian fortress of Palamidi crowning
the city, wander around the battlements of Acronafplia and
pop over to the fortified island, Bourtzi), and finally
Ancient Olympia where you will see The
Archaeological Site (the Prytaneion [where
ceremonies honoring the winners took place], the Philippeion,
next to it the Heraion [a Doric Temple dedicated to Hera],
the Pelopion [an altar dedicated to Pelops from whom the
Peloponnese is named], the Doric Temple of Zeus [472 BC]),
The Archaeological Museum (here are displayed
findings from the area, and among them there are the stone
head of Hera, Praxiteles marble statue of Hermes [330 BC],
the Victory by Paionios [421 BC], Miltiades helmet, the
terra cotta group of Zeus carrying Ganymede, and the sculptures
from the pediments and metopes of the Temple of Zeus, among
the most important works of Classical art. There are also
pottery, terra cotta and bronze figurines, and votive offerings
from the sanctuary), and The Museum of the Olympic
Games (it contains mementos connected with the
history of the Games and a unique series of postage stamps,
designed by Papastephanos Provatakis commemorating the Games).
TOUR
3: ANCIENT CORINTH, CANAL, ACRO-CORINTH, ANCIENT SPARTA &
THE BYZANTINE FORTIFIED CASTLE OF MYSTRAS, NAFPLION,
MYCENAE (Overnight stay in Nafplion)
includes
a visit to: Ancient Corinth (where you
can see the Long Walls that begin at the summit of Acro-Corinth
and descend all the way to Lechaion, the artificial harbour
on the Corinthian Gulf, the Agora, the Dorian Temple of
Appollo [6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations], the museum
which contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery,
terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings,
relief plaques, the Roman head of the goddess Tyche and
small objects of various kinds, and the Bima where St Paul
preached), The Canal (which is about 6
km long and connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea;
its width upon completion was 25 meters, and 8 meters deep),
Acro-Corinth (the fortress acropolis of
Ancient Corinth and Medieval Corinth, being on a steep of
a rocky hill 575 meters high at its highest peak, with uninterrupted
views across the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs. It has been
a fortified citadel for the Mycenaens, Archaic Greeks, Macedonians,
Romans, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans and eventually
back to the Hellenes following the Greek War of Independence),
Ancient Sparta (The Sanctuary of Artemis
Orthia [6th c. BC], The Tomb of Leonidas [5th c. BC], The
Olive Museum , and The Menelaion. The museum with findings
from the area is housed in a neoclassical building in the
centre of the town), The Byzantine Fortified Castle
of Mystras (some of the most important monuments
of the site of Mystra are: The Castle, The Cathedral of
Saint Demetrios, The Church of St. Theodore, The Church
of Aghia Sophia, The Monastery of Our Lady Perivleptos,
The Church of Our Lady Evagelistria, The Monastery of Our
Lady Pantanassa, The Palaces of The Mystra Despotes), Nafplion
(where you will climb up the 999 steps to the Venetian fortress
of Palamidi crowning the city, wander around the battlements
of Acronafplia and pop over to the fortified island, Bourtzi),
and finally Mycenae (where you will see
the Cyclopean Walls, the Grave Circle A with 6 royal tombs,
courtiers’ houses, sanctuaries, the Grave Circle B with
14 royal tombs and 12 tombs of private citizens, the Treasure
of Atreus also known as the beehive tomb of Agamemnon, and
the Lions Gate).
TOUR
4: HIKING IN LOUSIOS GORGE & ANCIENT OLYMPIA (overnight
stay in Olympia)
includes:
In Lousios Gorge (a five kilometer gorge
with several hiking trails, and a very good bridge crossing
Lousios river) you can walk from one village to another
following a dirt road through the mountains in beautiful
scenery that even has some small waterfalls. The Lousios
river is where Zeus used to bath himself, in the spectacular
densely vegetated gorge and in the river’s crystal clear
waters. In Ancient Olympia you will see
The Archaeological Site (the Prytaneion
[where ceremonies honoring the winners took place], the
Philippeion, next to it the Heraion [a Doric Temple dedicated
to Hera], the Pelopion [an altar dedicated to Pelops from
whom the Peloponnese is named], the Doric Temple of Zeus
[472 BC]), The Archaeological Museum (here
are displayed findings from the area, and among them there
are the stone head of Hera, Praxiteles’ marble statue of
Hermes [330 BC], the Victory by Paionios [421 BC], Miltiades’
helmet, the terra cotta group of Zeus carrying Ganymede,
and the sculptures from the pediments and metopes of the
Temple of Zeus, among the most important works of Classical
art. There are also pottery, terra cotta and bronze figurines,
and votive offerings from the sanctuary), and The Museum
of the Olympic Games (it contains mementos connected
with the history of the Games and a unique series of postage
stamps, designed by Papastephanos – Provatakis commemorating
the Games).
TOUR
5: DELPHI & THE MONASTERY OF OSIOUS LUCAS, THE MONASTERIES
OF METEORA & THE BATTLE GROUND OF THERMOPYLAE (Overnight
stay in Meteora)
includes
a visit to: The Famous Sanctuary of Delphi
(which was the site of the Delphic Oracle, the most important
oracle in the Classical Greek world) and The Monastery
of Osious Lucas (In the year 946 AC Osious Loukas
first built his cell, a small church in which to pray. He
also made a beautiful garden in which he grew his vegetables.
He did not, however, manage to finish it. He died in February
7, 953 AC at the age of 56. The monastery is famous for
its wall paintings. Those paintings have been cleaned and
restored recently and they exhibit special interest), The
Monasteries of Meteora (most of the monasteries
were built or renovated in the 16th century. Nowadays six
are in use. A good road leads from Kalambaka to the monasteries
with their wonderful wall paintings, ecclesiastical treasures,
rich libraries with precious manuscripts, and exquisite
icons. Also the movie For Your Eyes Only with JAMES BOND
was filmed there), and finally Thermopylae
(with a modern-day monument of King Leonidas I of Sparta.
Thermopylae means “hot gates” in Greek. This is derived
from the myth that Heracles had jumped into the river in
an attempt to wash off the Hydra poison imbibed in the cloak
that he could not take off. The river was said to have turned
hot and stayed that way ever since).
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