Greece

This is Crete’s Far East: a barren, rocky landscape, austere and appealing at the same time. The shimmering... deep blue water of the Aegean Sea reveals itself whenever you catch a glimpse of the coastal line. The monastery Moni Toplou, a palace, a beach full of palm trees. The solitude emanating from such sites makes the coast fully unique - nonetheless, this is only the case during off-season. In the months of July and August, for instance, the palm tree beach in Vai is traditionally overflowing with tourists. Kato Zakros is also the site of the fourth Minoan palace (alongside Knossos, Phaistos and Malia). It was stumbled upon by a farmer while ploughing his land and has remained relatively intact. Another cherished destination is the bay with its many taverns along the beach. The numerous wells and fountains in the palace point to the abundance of water in the premises of the palace. With a spark of imagination, you might even get an idea of the way the different halls and courtyards of the palace were geographically configured. The aesthetic beauty of the palace is further underlined by a few cypresses. The silence and remoteness of the palace, however, disguises its significance beyond the immediate sphere of Kato Zakros; after all, its historical trajectory dates all the way back to trade links with Egypt 3,500 years ago. more

Finally, in 131 BC the Roman Emperor Hadrian was able to consecrate the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which... was started almost 650 years prior by Peisistratos. He also donated the cult statue made of gold and ivory (which has not been preserved). The sanctuary was a mega-project from the beginning, measuring 364 x 144 ft (111 x 44 m), dimensions deemed “normal” in Asia Minor and Rome, but unconventional for Athenian standards. Only 15 of the sanctuary's 104 colossal columns, over 56 ft (17 m) high and almost 6.5 ft (2 m) thick, have remained at their location – eight of them had been carried off to Rome in 87/86 AD already by the Roman dictator Sulla. more

The way to the museum, which was planned by the junta and built in 1975, is decorated by war planes.... The museum offers a look into the Greek military history from the early period to the present. The museum is funded by the Greek ministry of defense and, therefore, has no admission fees. A variety of weapons, from pre-historic arrow heads to modern military equipment can be seen here along with models from aricraft, war ships, tanks, uniforms and medals of high-ranking military officers. Those who feel the weapon exhibit is a bit disconsorting, should turn to the part of the museum dedicated to the victims of the German Socialists during the Second World War and Greece's struggle against the German occupation. more