Artistic Christmas gifts from famous Greek museums

Make the most artistic gifts to celebrate Christmas and the New Year!

This Christmas if you don’t want to make an ordinary gift but an artistic Christmas gift, you should visit the museums. This year the shops inside the most famous Greek museums are selling the most artistic Christmas gifts you have ever seen! The location of the museums is really convenient because they are in central spots in Athens and all of them are very close to metro or bus stations. Some of them have a site with an e-shop which makes your purchase even easier! In their displays you can find objects inspired from their collections and buy a gift which is going to impress the recipient!

Acropolis Museum

The Christmas gift proposal of Acropolis Museum is also the lucky charm of 2016! It is inspired by a marble magic sphere which was found near the ancient theater of Dionysos. It costs 32,00€. It depicts the god Sun on a throne, a lion, a dragon and a variety of magic symbols. The sphere seems to be used in rituals with the hope that the magic power that it has will lead to good and bring happiness.

See the rest of the museums and the artistic gifts you can buy here

Greek Christmas cookies! How to make “melomakarona”!

Learn how to make the famous Greek Christmas cookies “melomakarona”! Recipe and video!

The history behind “melomakarona”

“Melomakarona” are the traditional Christmas cookies in Greece. Everyone loves them because they are moist with honey! The best melomakarona are those which are crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside! They are really delicious and they smell spices! The best Christmas proposal!

The etymology of the word “melomakarona” is Greek from the words meli (honey) and makaroni (spaggeti). The word makaroni comes from the dinner that ancient Greeks offer after the funeral of a beloved person. This dinner has the name “makaronia” and the pie they make in the memory of that person called “makaria”. Later in the “makaria” pie, Greeks added honey (in Greek the honey is translated as “meli”), thus we have meli + makaria, which over the years called “melomakarona”. The reason why those spiced melomakarona became the traditional Christmas cookies is that they have lots of honey which from ancient times in Greece, symbolized the creativity and the wellbeing, two things that we want from the new year to bring us!

Watch here the video and the recipe of melomakarona

Christmas at Acropolis Museum

Christmas at Acropolis Museum is full of surprises! Acropolis Museum is prepared for Christmas 2015 with imaginative activities for children, Acropolis made of Lego, happy melodies and songs and many more surprises! Christmas events of Acropolis Museum have just been announced and they will take place on December 19, December 20 and December 27, 2015.

Description of the events at Acropolis Museum for Christmas 2015

Workshop for children “Temples and other buildings made of Lego, inspired from Acropolis”

Little friends of Acropolis museum will have the opportunity to create, using Lego and their imagination, their own buildings! Children will be inspired from Greek temples and the architectural style of Acropolis.

Date of the workshop: December 19, 2015 & December 20, 2015

Operating hours: 11:00am – 1:00pm

The workshop is addressed to children from 7 to 11 years old. In order to participate a phone booking is required.

Ticket price: 2€ per child

Contact: ++30210 9000900

See all the Christmas events of the Acropolis Museum here

Digital Museum for the Academy of Plato

Academy of Plato has finally its own museum, dedicated to the great philosopher and his magnificent work. The brand new museum of Athens is a creation of the Foundation of the Hellenic World and inaugurated by the Mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis and the Vice President of the Hellenic Foundation Sophia Kounenakis – Efremoglou.

The new digital museum is dedicated to Plato and his work and just started its operation. All the inhabitants and visitors of Greece are invited to walk through the streets that Plato walked and taught and get initiated in his work through digital representations and special constructions included in the new museum.

Today, when we speak about the Academy of Plato, we have in mind both the specific neighborhood of Athens “Academy of Plato” and the actual academy, Plato’s school of Philosophy. This exhibition aims to be a bridge between the worldwide famous academy with the place that this academy was located.

One exhibition about Plato could be hosted at any big museum of the world. But his history begun in this city and that consist a big part of the narration of the museum.

This exhibition travels into time. It begins from the Athenian neighborhood “Academy of Plato” as it is today. Time goes backwards and travels us in Plato’s era, specifically outside Plato’s door. The visitor is about to knock on his door.

Rooms of the exhibition

In the first room...continue reading about the digital museum of Plato's Academy

The ancient temple in the Marathon dam

The ancient temple at the base of the Marathon dam was built by the Athenians in order to “exorcise” the water scarcity.

Eleftherios Venizelos already counted one year as Prime Minister of Greece, when on October 20, 1928, in the presence of President of the Republic Admiral Kountouriotis, launched the project, which finally brought water to Attica: The Marathon dam

The Marathon dam created the homonym artificial lake at the confluence of the streams Charadras and Barnabas. Before the construction of the dam was finished...continue reading

“Neon” exhibition of Contemporary Art

State Museum of Contemporary Art presents “Stephen Antonakos – Prints”

The State Museum of contemporary Art presents for the first time the exhibition “Stephen Antonakos – Prints” of the famous artist Stephen Antonakos. This exhibition traces the progress of Antonakos’s graphic work highlighting the artist’s many innovations: cuts; burns; collages; tears; seriality; handmade papers; reflection; and layered, multiple printing techniques. As always the artist’s concerns with incomplete forms in space dominate. The exhibition will run from November 27, 2015 until February 27, 2016 at the Lazaristes Monastery. The opening will be on Friday, November 27, 2015.

 The work “Prints” is donated by the artist to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in 2012. Stephen Antonakos explained that he...continue reading

The most impressive waterfalls in Greece

Greece is known for the beautiful islands, the sea and the warm sun. What most people do not know is that Greece has also wonderful mountains with impressive waterfalls!

Greece, together with Austria, is Europe’s most mountainous country. Greece’s territories are mountainous and hilly more than 70% of its total area. In this area grows the incredible number of 860 mountains. The 448 of them are low and their elevation is no more than 1.000 meters. The 359 have an average height of 1.000 – 2.000 meters. The highest mountains in Greece are 53 and their elevation is above 2.000 meters.

In all this mountains more than 100 impressive waterfalls have been created. Those little miracles of nature are one great experience for photographers, for lovers of nature and for hikers.

Read about Greece's waterfalls and see amazing pictures here

The Greek Gastronomy museum

Greek Gastronomy museum is located at the historic neighbor of Psirri. Greek Gastronomy museum consist a non – profit private initiative which began in early 2013. The team that inspired and implemented the idea comes from different scientific fields with a common love for Greek tradition and gastronomy. The creation of the museum of Greek Gastronomy was based on volunteering work and continues this way until now.   

The museum occasionally hosts different exhibitions and projects on nutrition and Greek gastronomy. Also is operating in parallel a theme restaurant which in summer is housed in the lovely courtyard of the neoclassical building, while in winter it is hosted on the first floor. Visitors are met with a warm welcome, making them feel like they are old friends. The interior makes an immediate impression as you walk through the....read more about Greek Gastronomy museum

Learn how to make Greek pita bread. Recipe and video!

See the video with the recipe of Greek pita bread

Greek pita bread is a really delicious fluffy bread! Most commonly you can eat it with greek souvlaki! It goes on the side with a lot of dishes or you can enjoy Greek pita bread with dips and spreads! This recipe for Greek pita bread is by Akis Petretzikis, who is the winner of the Greek TV show Master chef. He is one of the most famous chefs in Greece with his own TV show. In the video above you can whatch him prepare his delicious Greek pita bread!

Watch the video with the preparation of Greek pita bread here!

Ingredients for your Greek pita bread

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 160 ml milk, at room temperature
• 80 ml water, at room temperature
• 320 g strong flour
• 1 teaspoon flower of salt
• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for brushing
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

Method to cook your Greek pita bread

• Combine the sugar, yeast, water and milk in a bowl. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to froth.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, the salt and the chopped fresh thyme leaves and give it a mix to combine.
• Add the oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture in batches. Make sure each batch is incorporated before adding the next.
• Transfer mixture to a lightly floured working surface. Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
• Brush a bowl with some oil and add the dough.
• Cover with a towel and let it rest for about 40 minutes, until it rises and doubles in size.
• Place a pan over medium heat.
• Press on the dough to remove the air and cut into 6 equal sized pieces.
• Place pieces of dough on a lightly oiled working surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough to a circle 20 cm in diameter.
• Cook the pita bread for 1-2 minutes on each side in the pan, until they puff up slightly.
• Transfer to a plate and serve with chicken or pork gyro, sausages or vegetables. Sprinkle with chopped thyme.

Rare archaeological discoveries in Pylos

An important discovery was brought to light by the excavations of Jack L. Davis and Sharon R. Stocker, from the University of Cincinnati, in the Peloponnese. This rare archaeological discovery is about a very rich tomp with weapons and gold next to the dead.  This is the fisrt time that someone steps its foot into this tomp as there are no traces of a previous visit. The tomb belonged to a warrior, dated around 1500 BC (Late Helladic II period) and is the most impressive proof of the prehistoric wealth on funery monuments of Greece that has come to light over the last sixty-five years. 

The body belongs to a warrior round 30 or 35 years old....continue reading

The top 10 sea caves in Greece

It is not only the beautiful beaches of Greece that are worth visiting, but also the amazing sea caves that you can explore! Lovers of nature have to admit that beauty of Greece is mainly at the geomorfological phenomena exhibited by nature, such as sea caves that exist at the most sea parts of Greece. Here are the top 10 sea caves in Greece:

Caves of Poseidon – Pelio

They are located at Limnionas beach and you can reach them by the sea with a boat. They are a historical spot as they where the place that the fleet of Xerxes was destroyed at 480 BC. Mythology says that they where the base of operations for the god of the sea, Poseidon. Today this natural resort is offered for unforgettable moments of swimming and if you are lucky you will swim together with the dolphins or the seals monachus – monachus, who find there a shelter.

See the rest sea caves here

Greek history through wax effigies

What would you think if someone informed you that you could observe Greek history through wax effigies? Or that you could visit a museum where you could travel into time and observe historical facts like happening just before your eyes? This is exactly what happens when someone visits the Pavlos Vrellis museum. In this museum visitor feels like he is taking place in historical events of Greece, such as the imprisonment of Theodoros Kolokotronis the national hero of Greece in the battle of 1821.

Read more about this unique museum and see the pictures

The sacred island of Delos. Myths and History

Delos is the sacred island of ancient Greeks which according to the mythology was revealed in Lito who was persecuted from Ira through the waves of Aegean, in order to give birth to her son Apollo and her daughter Artemis. In Delos exists the ruins of one of the bigger and very impressively organized settlements of Greco-Roman antiquity. The island firstly inhabited the 3rd millenium b.c. probably from “Kares”. 

Delos is one of the smallest islands in the Aegean (just 6.85 km2) but it is the most famous and sacred of all islands in antiquity since, according to the legend, it was there that Apollo-Helios, god of daylight, and Artemis-Selene, goddess of night light, were born. So this small island was the birthplace of light, precious for Greeks.

See beautiful pictures of Delos and learn the myths around the island

The Monasteries of Meteora

Meteora is one of the most magical and spiritual destinations in Greece. The gigantic rocks of Meteora are perched above the town of Kalambaka, at a maximum height of 400 m (1200 ft). The most interesting summits are decorated with historical monasteries, included in the World Heritage List of Unesco. Only 6 of them have made it through the centuries, from an initial estimated number of 24. Mostly dating to the 14th and until the 16th century, these monasteries were built by monks who were previously hermits in the area, living in individual caves. Once united, these monks took months and years to carry the construction material to the top of rocks, using ropes, folding ladders, nets and baskets, and with much determination.
See the breathtaking pictures and read about the history of the monasteries of Meteora

Tour to Knossos Palace. Mythology and history.

Knossos Palace consists one of the most precious cultural attractions not only for Crete but also for the whole world. So in this article we will make a tour to Knossos Palace in Crete, which was the largest palace in the Minoan civilization. In this palace lived Minos, who was born from the union of Zeus with Europe. Minos was the founder of the great naval force of the island and also he was a real threat to the pirates. Furthermore he was a wise legistrator and the leader of Minoan religion.

According to mythology, Minos was the child of the princess of Phoenicia, Europe who was kidnapped by Zeus transformed in the shape of a bull...read the article of Knossos palace

The ancient submerged city of Pavlopetri

The submerged city that you see is not in some exotic area of Latin America but in Elafonissos in Greece. This area named Pavlopetri is located near the island of Elafonissos in South Greece. This ancient city is dating back to 2800 BC and has been preserved in very good condition. The water sheltered from time and human intervention, most of the buildings. Very impressive is the fact that the ancient city of Pavlopetri is only 4 meters under the surface of the sea, so anyone can visit it. Clearly visible are the sunken houses with the gardens, the temples, the cemetery and the harbor. So far there have been identified 15 buildings with at least 12 rooms each and a complex water management system with canals and water pipes.
Read the article and watch the amazing video of this submerged ancient city

Greek Mythology: Who was goddess Athena?

Goddess Athena was the virgin goddess of intelligence, wisdom, arts and literature. Also she was fierce and brave in battle; however, she only took part in wars that defended the state and home from outside enemies. She was Zeus’ favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her holy tree was the olive tree and she was often symbolized as an owl.

Find out here who was goddess Athena. The story of her birth and how she became the patroness of Athens

The Greek island that has been declared as an archaeological site

Simi is the Greek island that has been declared as an archaeological site. The whole island and the little islands near Simi, have been declared as an archaeological site by the Central Archaeological Council, since they consist of 159 places and monuments that represent the history of the island from Prehistoric era till the latest years.

Find out what ancient scripts and myths say about Simi

Meet the most famous Greek souvlaki

There is absolutely no chance for someone to visit Greece and do not taste the delicious Greek souvlaki! But the question is “where should someone go to taste really good souvlaki?” or “where do they have the best souvlaki in Greece?”

Find the answer!

Pictures of Mykonos you‘ve never seen before

Mykonos is the most popular Greek island known for its glamorous atmosphere and famous non-stop parties with expensive champagnes and gourmet restaurants. But Mykonos is not only the island of luxury. This Greek island is a part of the Cyclades island group and has a lot of history and natural beauties, besides its expensive hotels and restaurants.

In our video you will see pictures of Mykonos you 've never seen before that will make you definitely want to know more about this beautiful island of Greece.

The” Greek” Hermes scarves…

The exhibition of accessories and scarves of the artist Ioulia Abadie is going to be presented at Spetses Island. The famous hotel of Spetses, Poseidonio Hotel, is hosting the exhibition in cooperation with the Benaki Museum. People will have the opportunity to see a flashback of all the creations that the French (who originates from Greece) designer has made through years.
Ioulia Abadie inspired by....read more

The most inspired Greek souvenirs and where to find them!

Those are the most inspired Greek souvenirs! A new era for the Greek souvenirs has come! Until now the only Greek souvenirs that we knew were those little statues of Parthenon and Acropolis or even worse those little “tsoliades” statues (presidential guards with the traditional costume) of bad quality found most of the times  in touristic stores at Plaka and Monastiraki. For decades a foreign visitor of Greece, who wanted to buy a souvenir could only choose among the statues, mentioned before, and some t-shirts with the “I love Greece” stamp.

Recently, the field of Greek souvenir industry finally modernized and became a work of art! There are plenty concept stores which have artistic souvenirs and approach not only foreign visitors but also locals...

Where to find artistic Greek souvenirs

The Moving Cities project in Athens

Moving Cities is the cinematographic project of the artist, director and manager of Wind and Foster, Mr. Jevan Chowdhury. This project was born in...

Read the rest of the article and watch the amazing video

Message by a Greek watching her country falls apart

Greece hurts...

I am 32 years old, citizen of Greece. Greece is my country, my birthplace, the country I live and work. I grew up with the smell of the sea, the taste of the olives, with the sun warming my skin, surrounded by people with warm smiles, protected and loved by my family…Greek family…Greece is my memories, my life…continue reading

Why everyone should plan their vacation in Greece during this economical crisis

In order to understand the reason why everyone should plan their vacation in Greece during this economical crisis, we have to figure out what most people like to do while on vacation...

View our video and read the article here

Review of Electra of Euripides at Badminton theatre

Greek ancient drama is reviving this summer through the performance Electra of Euripides at Badminton theatre. The play is translated in 6 languages, so foreign visitors of Athens, have the opportunity to attend an authentic performance of Greek ancient drama. 
The director of the play is one of the greatest directors in Greece, the famous academic Spyros Evaggelatos. The original translation of the play is from K. X Myris and the sets are designed from Yiorgos Patsas.

The “Melina Merkouri Award” winner Marina Aslanoglou plays the role of Electra together with the highly acclaimed Reni Pittaki and Yannis Voglis and a cast of other renowned actors holding honors in theatrical performance. Theatre lovers from all over the world can attend this performance right in the heart of Athens, in Badminton theatre, which will proudly present Electra of Euripides to public from 12th June until 26th September.

Review of the performance

The performance of Electra of Euripides, at Badminton theatre, . The play represents worthily the word of the great Greek tragedian Euripides. 
Spyros Evaggelatos managed to make successfully....

To read the full review click here!

Luxury Peloponnese cultural tour

Tour duration: 6 days

In this article we are going to show you how to make a luxury Peloponnese cultural tour. You can do this cultural tour in the convenience of your own car or by renting a car. You can even hire a car with a private driver, if you want to choose the most luxury option......

Discover the Peloponnese cultural tour with the map here

Ancient Greek theatre with English supertitles

This year at the Greek famous ancient theatre of Epidaurus, there will be a lot of plays that will have English supertitles. Below you will find all the performances with supertitles in English:

The Trojan Women by Euripides

Dates of performance: 3rd July 2015 – 4th July 2015

Director: Sotitris Hatzakis

The Acharnians by Aristophanes

Dates of performance: 10th July 2015 – 11th July 2015

Director: Yiannis Kakleas

Ajax by Sophocles

Dates of performance: 17th July 2015 – 18th July 2015

Director: Vangelis Theodoropoulos

Nekya by Japanese Noh Theatre, based on Odyssey of Homer, Book 11

Dates of performance: 24th July 2015 – 25th July 2015

Director: Michael Marmarinos

This performance will be presented in Japanese with Greek and English supertitles

The Assemblywomen by Aristophanes

Dates of performance: 31st July 2015 – 1st August 2015

Director: Yiannis Bezos

Orestes by Euripides

Dates of performance: 28th July 2015 – 29th August 2015

Director: Simos Kakalas

Visit my website for more cultural news!

Inside Ioannina lake! Ioannina lake, known as Pamvotida lake, is the biggest lake in Epirus, Greece.The lake features ports, fishing and boating. Inside this beautiful lake there is an island, which is the only “anonymous” island in Greece. This island is full of history and places to visit. Ioannina lake is a natural monument around the historical town of Ioannina.

Visit www.cultour.gr for more cultural articles!