The very first sprint race of the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. was won by Coroebus of Elis, a cook!
Alexander the Great, one of history’s greatest warriors and leaders of all time, was Greek. Alexander the Great conquered land all the way from Greece to Asia. His achievements and conquests gave rise to the later Hellenistic period (323 BC - 31 BC).
Did you know that in Greece, 47 mountains are over 2000m., 105 mountains between 2000 and 1500m., 155 mountains are between 1500m. and 1000m. The number of mountains under 1000m. have yet not been recorded.
Did you know that Epirus is the most mountainous territory of Greece and the poorest in the EU; however it has a unique natural wealth!
Did you know that Greece has the biggest EU consumption of olive oil per capita, with around 12 kg per person per year?
In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name in a similar way to their own birthday.
Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world; in-fact they are around 196!
Greece is a leading producer of sea sponges.
Greece's national drink is ouzo. Ouzo is a dry anise-flavoured aperitif. Cheers, "stin igia mas" in Greek!
On Anafi Island, lies the rock of Kalamos, the second highest monolithic limestone after Gibraltar; a must-see for climbers who will enjoy a great challenge here.
The first philosopher is considered to be Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 425 B.C.). He is credited as giving the first explanation for the origin of the world that was not mythological.
Did you know that Greece hosts 50% of the brown bear population in western & southern Europe.
Did you know that Greece has around 6,000 islands, islets and rocky islets? 2,000 of them are islands and only 107 of them are inhabited!
Greece is the place where democracy was born. But democracy in ancient Athens was significantly different from modern democracies. It was both more participatory and exclusive, and there were no political parties in Athenian democracy.
Feta, which is made from sheep and goat’s milk, is Greece’s national cheese. It dates back to the Homeric ages, and the average per-capita consumption of feta cheese in Greece is the highest in the world!
Crete's history as well as the inhabitants' personality were affected by the island's mountainous landscape.
Greece' s official name is Hellenic Republic. However Greeks call their country Hellas or Hellada.
Did you know that most days of the year are sunny in Greece? 250, to be exact.
Greece has one of the richest varieties of wildlife in Europe, including 116 species of mammals, 18 of amphibians, 59 of reptiles, 240 of birds, and 107 of fishes.
Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe since it has been spoken for more than 3.000 years.