Athens is one of the few coastal cities worldwide that is surrounded by mountains. These are Mt. Hymettus, Mt. Penteli, Mt. Parnitha and Mt. Aigaleo.
Did you know that Greece hosts 50% of the brown bear population in western & southern Europe.
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.
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).
Greece' s official name is Hellenic Republic. However Greeks call their country Hellas or Hellada.
Continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years, Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
Greece's national drink is ouzo. Ouzo is a dry anise-flavoured aperitif. Cheers, "stin igia mas" in Greek!
Did you know that Greece has the biggest EU consumption of olive oil per capita, with around 12 kg per person per year?
Olympus (2,917m), the mountain of Gods and Muses is the highest mountain of Greece and the 2nd in the Balkans.
No part of Greece is more than 137km from the sea.
About 7% of all the marble produced worldwide comes from Greece.
Do you know what rakomelo is? It is a Cretan hot cocktail! A delicious mixture of honey, spices and the alcoholic beverage tsikoudia. Bottoms up!
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.
Greece is a leading producer of sea sponges.
The very first sprint race of the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. was won by Coroebus of Elis, a cook!
In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name in a similar way to their own birthday.
Greece has historically engaged in wine making. Take for example Dionysus, the son of Zeus, the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine. His face is seen today on the sommelier’s pin which is a symbol of respect to wine’s contribution throughout history.
The species and subspecies of the native plants in Greece are about 6,000, almost as much as 50% of the native plants of Europe!
Did you know that most days of the year are sunny in Greece? 250, to be exact.
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!