In the second part of our series about Greece, we bring you the story of several phenomenal places that you can easily and simply visit, if you decide to spend your vacation in this beautiful country.
As a reminder, agency KonTiki this year offers great and favorable arrangements in Greece, and a special benefit is charter flight from Banja Luka to Athens, which starts on July 1.
After a few wonderful days spent in Loutraki and its surroundings, where we truly enjoyed the healing air and climate that “rises from the dead”, we headed closer to Athens, which was our final destination.
Korintski kanal
In the previous text, we mentioned that the special attraction of this part of the country is the fact that in one day you can swim in two seas – the Ionian and the Aegeanand it is even more impressive that they are seas connected by the Corinth Canalthrough which ships pass.
The Corinth Canal, 6.3 kilometers long, connects Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and separates the Peloponnese peninsula from the mainland. Some say that this canal makes the Peloponnese an island (because, technically, it is surrounded by water on all sides), but others argue that the canal is too narrow (21 meters) for that to be the case. The locals seem to have this debate the way we debate whether burek is meat-only.
In any case, the Corinth Canal is a tourist attraction and an important sea route, and at the same time an exceptional one an impressive place where you should definitely stop and admire the results of human persistence and perseverance.
Several ancient rulers tried to dig a canal in this place, but the dimensions of the whole enterprise exceeded the possibilities of the time. The first noteworthy digging attempt took place in 1870 when a French company was in charge of the work, but the attempt failed due to financial reasons.
Greece for beginners: Places and sights you should see at least once in your life (PHOTOS)
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Ten years later, more precisely in 1881, Hungarian architects Istvan Tur and Bela Gerster (who had previously participated in the construction of the Panama Canal), made a plan for the construction. The works were led by a Greek company led by Andreas Singros and were completed in 1893.
The Corinth Canal was considered a great technical achievement of its time. Through it, the path for smaller ships is shortened by 400 kilometers, and about 11,000 mostly passenger ships pass here annually. Above it there are several drawbridges for cars and trains, and for traffic, which descend to the bottom of the canal during the passage of ships.
Sanctuary of Asclepius and theater in Epidaurus
We continued on and after about an hour of driving around the interior of the Peloponnese, we reached Epidaurus. Just driving through this area is an experience in itself, because you pass through endless olive and orange fields, for which the whole country is famous. The smell of citrus followed us for a long time after leaving, and probably every orange we see in our life will evoke the memory of this day. Our next stop was the sanctuary of Asclepius and the theater in Epidaurus.
If you remember your history lessons from elementary school, and if you see pillars and statues in your head at the mention of ancient Greece – here you will feel as if you have returned to the distant past and “entered” the textbook. Or a movie.
Greece for beginners: Places and sights you should see at least once in your life (PHOTOS)
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Sanctuary of Asclepius was the largest health resort in the ancient world, especially during the classical period of ancient Greece. The sick made a pilgrimage here and spent the night in a large sleeping hall (enkoimitiria) where in their dreams the deity gave them advice on what to do in order to get well. An archaeological excavation found a guest house with 160 rooms for overnight stays. There are mineral water sources nearby that were probably used for treatment.
All the fantastic stories, legends and myths, as well as the remains of the sanatorium, have been collected and preserved in the museum, which is located nearby and which museum gives a whole new meaning. Browse the gallery:
Greece for beginners: Places and sights you should see at least once in your life (PHOTOS)
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In the immediate vicinity is theater, perhaps the most impressive thing we saw this day. Known for its perfect acoustics, the theater was built around 350 BC.
At first, it had only 34 rows of stone benches, and the Romans later expanded it by another 21 rows of seats. The seats in the first rows have backrests, and at the time they were built, they were reserved for patrons and rich and distinguished people. Locals know to joke that VIP seats were invented right here.
Otherwise, the entrance to the shrine and the museum costs money 12 euros, and those under the age of 25 pay only half the price.
Nafplio
After a walk with mythical creatures and stories about legends, it was time to return to modern times and be tourists again instead of travelers. Our next destination was the city of Nafplio, the former capital of Greece, and today an incredibly photogenic city, reminiscent of Western European towns.. Legend says that it was founded by Nafplios, the son of the god Poseidon, and the fact is that it was the capital from 1823 and 1834.
Greece for beginners: Places and sights you should see at least once in your life (PHOTOS)
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In addition to its rich history, the city is known as one of the most romantic places in Greece, due to its beauty, eclectic architecture, a multitude of diverse world visitors and even three old fortresses that it is proud of (one of which is located in the sea). Here you will find beautiful beaches, irresistible craft shops, modern restaurants and specialties from all over the world.
At the end of this exciting day, our hosts from the KonTiki agency took us to rest and have fun in Club Hotel Casino Loutraki. It is one of the largest, most famous and most popular casinos in the entire country. which is full of guests throughout the year, even though it doesn’t seem like it at first glance. Namely, the visitors who come here mostly have fun at night in the casino, and sleep during the day.
Greece for beginners: Places and sights you should see at least once in your life (PHOTOS)
That’s why the beautiful hotel beach, as well as the pool, is never crowded and you can enjoy it to the fullest. We were unlucky in gambling, but we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets ever, which certainly cannot be measured with money…
At the end of our Greek adventure this year, we left Athens, a lively, modern, irresistible and fantastic city, which certainly deserves a special text, which you will have the opportunity to enjoy in the following days.
(WORLD)