What to see in Greece

Nature and history have been generous to Greece, which is one of the few countries in the world that can offer its visitors high-calibre cultural, historical, sport, and nature experiences alongside sun and beach in one complete package.

Only in Greece can one experience the sensation of standing at the crossroads of cultures and civilizations at the very locations that became the birthplace of Western civilization and philosophy.

The shores of Greece's Aegean Sea saw the emergence of the first advanced civilizations in Europe whose impact is inseparable from today's Western institutions and Western cultural and political development.

The heritage of ancient civilizations, classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule have left a lasting imprint in the form of unparalleled historical sites, such as Acropolis and the ancient city of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.

At the same time, Greece boasts a landscape that has given us thousands of postcard images.

Greece is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, has the 10th longest coastline in the world (15,000 km), and comprises around 2,000 islands of astounding beauty, including Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Chios, the Dodecanese, and the Cycladic groups of the Aegean Sea as well as the Ionian Sea islands.

This is a landscape which lends itself to sea tourism as well as ecotourism.

The yachting sector has seen a dramatic increase in the number of yachts frequenting the country's marinas, yacht harbors, coves, and ports.

Inland, Greece has much to offer with superb locations for rafting, canoe-kayak, hiking, and 193 cities characterized by EU standards as Natura 2000 sites (areas of special ecological value).

Greece's wealth in natural and historical resources make for a remarkably experience. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the olive groves, experience the ancient sites, and explore the sparsely inhabited islands, and to roam from beaches to rocky mountains, witnessing the breathtaking scenery.

(China Daily 12/13/2007 page25)