Athens & the
Cities of Greece.

Athens is one of the great cities of the world — not merely for its antiquity, but for the extraordinary way it wears it. The Acropolis rises above a city of rooftop bars, Michelin-starred restaurants, world-class museums, and neighbourhoods that shift from ancient to avant-garde within a single street.

The historic centre — Plaka, Monastiraki, Psyrri, and Exarchia — rewards the walker who has no particular destination. The National Archaeological Museum holds the finest collection of ancient Greek art on earth. The new Acropolis Museum, designed by Bernard Tschumi, is one of the most significant museum buildings of the 21st century.

Athens has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. A new generation of chefs, designers, hoteliers, and entrepreneurs has made the city one of the most interesting and dynamic in Europe — a place that rewards the curious traveller far beyond the ancient sites.

Thessaloniki is Greece's second city and, many would argue, its most characterful. Built on the shores of the Thermaic Gulf in northern Greece, it is a city of Byzantine churches, Ottoman architecture, Roman ruins, and one of the finest food cultures in the country — a legacy of its extraordinary multicultural history.

The city's waterfront promenade, anchored by the White Tower, is one of the great urban spaces in the Mediterranean. The Ano Poli (Upper Town), with its Ottoman-era houses and Byzantine walls, offers a remarkably well-preserved glimpse of the city's layered past. The Ladadika district, once the city's oil merchants' quarter, is now its most vibrant neighbourhood for dining and nightlife.

Thessaloniki is the gateway to northern Greece — to the monasteries of Mount Athos, the royal tombs of Vergina, the wetlands of the Axios Delta, and the ski resorts of Mount Vermio. It is a city that rewards those who venture beyond Athens.

Heraklion is the capital of Crete and the largest city on the island — a working port city with a Venetian harbour, a magnificent archaeological museum, and the ruins of Knossos, the great Minoan palace, just five kilometres from the city centre.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum houses the world's finest collection of Minoan art — the frescoes, ceramics, jewellery, and ritual objects of a civilisation that flourished 4,000 years ago and whose sophistication continues to astonish. The Palace of Knossos, partially reconstructed by Arthur Evans in the early 20th century, is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Greece.

Heraklion is also the practical hub for exploring eastern Crete — the Mirabello Bay area, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, and the site of Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa are all within comfortable driving distance. The city's central market, the 1866 Street, is one of the finest food markets in Greece.