The upper city in Greece was called. Where did the names of Greek cities come from?

All cities and resorts in Greece for travel. List of the most famous regions, regions, cities and resorts in Greece: population, codes, distances, best descriptions and reviews of tourists.

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Cities, resorts and regions of Greece on the map and alphabetically

More than a fifth Greek land- islands, of which there are several thousand. Another fun fact is that the farthest distance from the sea anywhere in Hellas does not exceed 96 km, whatever one may say. In a word, here everything revolves around the sea and with the sea for a couple.

Athens is the capital, and that says it all. Most of tourists lands at the local international airport. Although the city itself is oh so unsuitable for a relaxed holiday - noisy, hot, hectic, it will be a great point for day trips around Athens (to the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, the monastery of Daphne or the ruins of Eleusis). And, of course, for avid fans of ancient Greek myths and everything related to the history of this country. However, keep in mind that you can comfortably exist here only after dark, somewhere in the area of ​​​​the Plaka quarter with a glass of brandy in your hand. The Athenian port of Piraeus, as in ancient times, serves as the main sea gate of the country - this is an important starting point to most of the islands.

Saronic Islands - Nestled between Attica and the Peloponnese, this archipelago is a great choice for those who don't want to swim far out to sea from Athens. However, in high season due to the same accessibility, it can be crowded on local beaches, in particular, this applies to Aegina. In addition to the excellent coastline, this picturesque resort delights fans of antiquity with the beautifully preserved temple of Aphaia. Next are the busy Poros, the rather expensive Hydra (free of cars), and the island of Fowles Spetses with its pine forests And amazing beaches. It was this piece of land that became the prototype of that closed world of Nicholas Erfe from famous novel writer "Magician".

The Peloponnese is special, unlike the rest of Greece. His landscapes are often barren, but historical monuments- priceless: both the citadel of Agamemnon Mycenae, and the homeland Olympic Games Olympia, and the House of Helen and Menelaus Sparta, and the Palace of Nestor in Pylos, and the theater in Epidaurus, and the stadium in Nemea, and the same Corinth, where the Apostle Paul turned to the Corinthians ... The small but majestic port of Nafplion is considered an ideal base for exploring nearby attractions. If we add to this list a couple of almost the best beaches in Southern Europe, it will become clear that the Peloponnese is a promising place for have a nice rest in Greece.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and needs no introduction. Let's add just a couple of touches to the well-established portrait of this resort: the brilliant artist El Greco (and even Zeus himself, according to the inhabitants of Crete) was born here, and local kitchen considered one of the most interesting in the whole country. In the thousands of years that the vineyard has been growing on the island, millions of bottles of Cretan wine have been sold around the world. And here they organize first-class holidays for families with children.

The Peloponnese is special, unlike the rest of Greece. Its landscapes are often barren, historical monuments are priceless: the citadel of Agamemnon Mycenae, the birthplace of the Olympic Games Olympia, and the House of Helen and Menelaus Sparta.

The serene Cyclades - the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis - is primarily associated with snow-white Mykonos and its narrow winding streets (by the way, here are some of the most expensive boutique hotels in Greece). Paros is an important transport hub of the Cyclades, with a gentle landscape, good beaches and excellent windsurfing opportunities. Patriarchal Tinos, fertile Naxos, Folegandros with its majestic castle and, of course, volcanic Santorini - the island with the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

The Dodecanese chain of islands almost closely adjoins the Turkish coastline, they are the two most popular resorts after Crete - these are Rhodes and Kos. Both are famous for their first-class beaches and hotels, as well as for the mighty "excursion". But small and at first glance, unremarkable Patmos will still give them a head start in terms of cultural heritage. It is here, in this "Jerusalem Aegean Sea”, is the cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Theologian received his “Revelation”.

Central Greece - amazing territory stretching from the Corinth Canal to Mount Olympus and the snowy peaks of Parnassus. This is the site of the greatest battles - the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Chaeronea, where Philip of Macedon defeated the Greeks in 338 BC. e. Lazy "beach people", honestly, will be bored, but the rest will find in the Center and the Delphic sanctuaries, and the monasteries of Meteora, and the gentle slopes of Pelion, where centaurs once roamed ... let Central Greece there are almost no untwisted resorts; history itself rules the ball here.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands.

Sporades, with their crystal clean water, golden sandy beaches and emerald landscapes could be perfect place for recreation in the vicinity of Athens. If it weren’t for one fly in the ointment, everyone has long known about all these qualities of the main island of the Evia archipelago, because the fullness of the beaches during the season is a sad fact that cannot be avoided. always remains a pleasant discovery for tourists: with its traditional villages, cliffs plunging into the sea, beautiful beaches and equally fine wines.

Thessaloniki is the Greek Constantinople, the second largest city modern Greece. Apart from its own base of worthy sights, it can serve as an ideal starting point for exploring the beauties Northern Greece and the region of Macedonia. Right - religious center countries - the Athos peninsula, where women are still forbidden to enter, as centuries ago.

The North Aegean Islands are the perfect fusion of East and West. Here, as nowhere else in Greece, the influence of Asia Minor and Turkey is felt, which, coupled with little popularity (compared to other Greek islands, of course) gives tourists some pleasant aftertaste of rest in another, unusual country. Samos among them is the most unique, it is covered with trees and vineyards. The untouched and hospitable Chios, with its isolated beaches and the ancient monastery of Nea Moni, also attracts. The islands of Lesbos and Lemnos echo him - almost unexplored Russian tourists but extremely colorful.

Greece is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The length of the coastline of Greece is about 9000 miles (10th largest in the world). There are many on the coast good beaches where tourists like to relax. Warm, mediterranean climate is one of the main factors that attract tourists to Greece. But Greece is one of the most famous countries in the world not only thanks to the sea and climate.

Greece had a huge impact on the development of the entire European civilization. It is in Greece in ancient times many modern ideas about science, art, culture, and democracy arose. Many ancient Greek words have penetrated into most languages ​​of the world. The culture of ancient Greece did not arise from scratch. The Greeks creatively used the achievements of more ancient, eastern civilizations. In ancient Greece, culture and art received an unprecedented development and were largely preserved and used by other European peoples.

More than two thousand years ago, Greece became part of the Roman Empire. An intensive cultural exchange took place between the two centers of civilization. A large number of ancient inhabitants visited Athens and other Greek cities. The Romans were delighted with the achievements of ancient Greece. The saying of the ancient Roman poet Quintus Horace Flaccus Horace "s: Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit ("Conquered Greece captivated its wild conquerors") is known. Until now, culture Ancient Greece is one of the main factors that attract a large number of tourists here.

Greece Tourism

In 2012, Greece was visited by approximately 15.5 million foreign tourists(slightly less than in previous years).
Tourism industry revenues amounted to more than 10 billion euros.
On average, one foreign tourist leaves 646 euros in Greece. (Getting income from tourists is main reason why most countries seek to develop tourism.)
Most often, tourists come to Greece from, and. At the same time, the inhabitants of Greece themselves most often travel to, Bulgaria and Germany.

The largest number tourists come to Greece in June, July, August and September. More than 70% of tourists organize their trips to Greece on their own, the rest use the services of travel agencies.

In the north of Greece, in Macedonia, tourists are attracted by resorts and hotels on the Halkidiki peninsula, the city of Thessaloniki. In central Greece, the most visited city is the country's capital, the city of Athens. Hugely popular with tourists from European countries enjoyed by the numerous islands of Greece. The largest number of foreign tourists arrive in Greece through the airports of Athens, Heraklion (Heraklion), and Thessaloniki.

The most popular tourist centers in Greece:

• History and culture: Athens, Delphi, Corfu island, Crete.
• Beach holidays: Halkidiki, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Paros and Crete.

Blooming oleander adorns many cities in Greece.

General information about Greece

• Greece, official name- Hellenic Republic
• The capital is the city of Athens (Αθήνα).
• The population is 10.8 million people.
• The area of ​​the territory is 131,957 km².
• Telephone code - +30.

Greece is located in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Greece also includes a large number of islands (about 2 thousand islands, according to various estimates from 1200 to 6000). Greece is washed in the east by the Aegean Sea, in the west by the Ionian Sea, in the south by the Mediterranean and Cretan Seas. The coastline of Greece is 13,676 kilometers (8,498 miles). It has borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria,.

The capital of Greece, the city of Athens, is located in the south of mainland Greece. The second largest city in Greece is located in the north of mainland Greece. Here is one of the most popular places summer holidays peninsula of Chalkidiki. largest peninsula Greece Peloponnese is located south of the capital countries. largest islands Greece are Crete, Euboea, Lesbos and Rhodes. The islands of Greece are very popular among Europeans as a vacation destination.

The largest cities in Greece

Athens

Athens (Αθήνα) is the most Big city and the capital of Greece. More than three million people live in Athens, about 1/3 of the total population of Greece.

Athens is located in Central Greece, on a plain. The city is surrounded by mountains on all sides except the southwest. In the southwest of the city is the sea (Saronikos Gulf).

Athens is one of oldest cities Europe. The city arose more than ten thousand years ago and was named after the goddess Athena. Around the fifth century BC, the city reached its peak and was the center of ancient Greek civilization. The Peloponnesian War greatly weakened the city, but for several centuries Athens remained the main center for the development of culture, art and science in Europe. In the future, the most famous city Europe became Rome.
The most important transport facilities in Athens are the Port of Piraeus and international Airport Eleftherios Venizelos. The most famous landmark of Athens is the Acropolis. Athens has a large number of museums. This is one of the main tourist centers Greece.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη, the name Thessaloniki is also used) is the second largest city in Greece. The city is located in the northern part of Greece, in the region of Macedonia. The population of the city is approximately 365 thousand people (together with suburban areas more than 1.1 million people). The city was founded in 315 BC.

Thessaloniki has many museums, a university, Macedonia Airport, concert hall. The most famous sights of the city are: Basilica of St. Demetrius, Triumphal Arch Emperor Galerius, Church of St. George, White Tower.

The city is located on a very advantageous place and since its foundation has played an important role in the territory of Southern Europe. Currently, Thessaloniki airport serves a large number of tourists who come to Halkidiki during the summer holiday season.

Patras

The city of Patras (Πάτρα) is located on the northwestern tip of the Peloponnese and is the most big city in the Peloponnese and the third largest city in Greece. Approximately 230,000 people live in the city. Not far from the city there is a bridge connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece. Every year, in February, the city hosts a popular carnival.

Heraklion

The city of Heraklion (Heraklion) is the administrative center of the island of Crete. The city is named after the hero of ancient Greek myths Hercules. The population of the city is more than 170 thousand people. Near the city there is an international airport that serves a large number of tourists coming to Crete. Port of Heraklion has ferry service with some cities in Greece.

The city of Rhodes is the administrative center of the island of Rhodes. The city is located in the eastern part of the island, at the confluence of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. The city was known in ancient times as the location of one of the seven wonders of the world, the giant sculpture of the Colossus of Rhodes.

Visitors to the city are advised to visit the well-preserved old town. From the old town, you can walk along the promenade to the junction of two seas. Near the city there is an airport that serves tourists coming to the island. From passenger port the city of Rhodes regularly sent ships to Turkish cities Bodrum and Marmaris. (Don't forget! You will need a Schengen visa to return to Greece.)

The most famous islands of Greece

Crete

Most big Island Greece, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. Administrative center island city of Heraklion. The distance from the island to the mainland of Greece is about 110 km, up to about 175 km, from Africa about 300 km.
The island has a large number of archaeological sites. There are three airports on the island (two of them are international, Heraklion Chania).
Thanks to warm sea And tropical climate Crete is one of the most popular European resorts. Over 2.5 million tourists visit Crete every year. The length of the coastline of the island is 1046 kilometers.

Euboea Island

Euboea (Εΰβοια) is the second largest island in Greece. The island is located in the Aegean Sea, east of mainland Greece. The island is separated from mainland Greece by straits. At the narrowest point of the Strait of Euripos, the distance from Euboea to mainland Greece is only 38 meters. There are two bridges connecting the island to the mainland.

Lesbos island

Lesvos (Λέσβος) is the third largest island in Greece. The island is located in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea, not far from the coast of Turkey (the width of the strait at its narrowest point is 5.5 km). The area of ​​the island is 1636 km². The most popular coastal towns on the island are Petra, Plomari, Molyvos and Eresos. In the administrative center of the island, the city of Mytilene, there is an international airport.

Rhodes island

It is one of the most popular summer holiday destinations among residents of European countries. The island is located on the border of the Aegean and mediterranean seas, off the coast of Turkey. The administrative center of the island is the city of Rhodes. The city of Rhodes has an international airport and sea ​​port. From the island you can get by sea to Turkey. One of the attractions of the island is Old city Rhodes. One of the most popular resorts islands is a settlement

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Cities that arose during Greek colonization on the northern coast of the Black Sea in the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. At the end of the 7th c. BC e. on northern shores The Greek trading posts of emporia arose on the Black Sea. In the 6th and 5th centuries. BC e. Northern ... ...

Cities that arose during the Greek. colonization in the north. on the Black Sea coast in the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. episodic visits by the Greeks to the Black Sea were already in the 2nd half. 2nd and 1st half. 1st millennium BC e., but systematically. connections improved only with the con. 7th c. BC er,… … Soviet historical encyclopedia

Parthenon History of Greece prehistoric greece(until the XXX century BC) ... Wikipedia

Struggle for hegemony in Balkan Greece after the Peloponnesian War- Hegemony of Spaota The first years after the Peloponnesian War are marked by Spartan hegemony. However, the hegemony of Sparta from the very beginning caused acute discontent in the Hellenic world. Like Athens, Sparta also overlaid its allies with foros ...

Ideology and culture of Greece in the VIII-VI centuries. BC e.- VIII VI century BC. e. were a period of significant growth in the culture of ancient Greece. In many ways, this culture was based on the achievements of the old slave states of the East. By the beginning, VIII century. or maybe a little earlier... The World History. Encyclopedia

Listed world heritage UNESCO in the Hellenic Republic has 17 titles (for 2012), which is 1.6% of total number(962 for 2012). 15 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, and 11 of them are recognized ... ... Wikipedia

Athens (Athenai), Greater Athens, capital of Greece, political, economic and Cultural Center countries. The ancient Greeks associated the name A. with the name of the goddess Pallas Athena, who was considered the patroness of the city. The city is located on the Attica peninsula… Big soviet encyclopedia

Books

• Settlements of the Bronze Age in Greece and the Aegean Islands, Yu. V. Andreev. This monograph is the only study in Russian science of the problem of the origin of the early Greek city. It examines in detail the types of settlements formed on…
• History and culture of Ancient Greece. Encyclopedic Dictionary, Igor Evgenievich Surikov. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. The book is the first encyclopedic dictionary in Russian, entirely devoted to ...

Ancient Hellas ... No country in the world, either before it or after it, had such a huge impact on the entire world civilization and on the formation and development Western culture. It is to the ancient Hellenes that we owe, in a certain sense, the universal beginning of our ideas about politics and science, about philosophy and literature, about architecture and about art. And even more so, it seems surprising that the combined population of all ancient Greek cities was just over a million people.

Argos

The city of Argos is one of the most ancient cities peace. The age of this city is no less than seven thousand years! Argos, thanks to its extremely advantageous geographic location, has always been very strategically important locality throughout the Mycenaean period. During the classical period, the city of Argos opposed Sparta, fought for political influence in the Peloponnese. During the famous Greco-Persian wars, the city remained neutral, not supporting any of the parties to this conflict, and therefore, for some time, remained isolated.

The greatest flowering of Argos came in the seventh century BC during the reign of the famous king Phidon, who managed to conquer all the cities of Argolis, after which he again entered into a confrontation with Sparta for the Peloponnese peninsula, and almost for the first time in history Argos could resist on equal terms " city ​​of warriors. Before the Roman conquest, Argos was in the Achaean League and maintained friendly relations with Athens.

Athens

Athens - a city that got its name from the goddess of wisdom and knowledge - one of the oldest cities in the world, is now the capital of modern Greece. It is this city that can rightfully be considered the cradle of democracy, freedom and art. This city was supposedly founded by the Pelasgians, an ancient, pre-Indo-European people who inhabited Balkan Peninsula. There is an opinion that in the language of the Pelasgians "Athens" meant "hill" or "hill", but, with the advent of the Hellenes, the name became associated with Athena.

In the years 1600-1200 BC, in the era of Mycenae, Athens was already a fairly famous city, but the city reached the full flowering of its shining glory during the period that historians call the "golden age" of ancient Greek culture - in the 6th-5th centuries. BC. It was during this period that Athens became one of the most important cultural and political centers.

Athens was famous all over the world, first of all, for its philosophical schools. It is to Athens that the whole world owes the brilliant thought of Aristotle and. Even after the conquest by the Romans in 146 BC, the city did not lose its power and colossal significance. Athens became a province only in the sixth century of our era, during the reign of the Byzantine Empire, under Emperor Justinian the First.

Delphi

In the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, Delphi already had a cult significance for Ancient Hellas. True, scientists, alas, were able to answer exactly when exactly this city was founded. But it is known that even in the deepest antiquity, it was in Delphi that a cult of veneration of the deity of Mother Earth developed. In the second half of the second millennium BC, the city was in decline, however, already in the middle of the first millennium BC. became important again.

The heyday of this city is directly related to the First Sacred War of Delphi against the city of Chris, which ended with its destruction. Already in the seventh-sixth centuries BC, Delphi became something of a common sanctuary for all Hellenes. Soothsayer, that is, local, delphic oracle, had a huge influence throughout ancient Greece in religious and political affairs. Well, and, of course, we should not forget about the famous Pythian games, which began to be held in Delphi from the beginning of the sixth century.

After the Olympic Games, this event was perhaps the second most important religious, sports and cultural event in all of Ancient Hellas. Also, not least, the authority of Delphi was also associated with the fact that it was in it that the omfal, the sacred stone, was kept. In the first century BC, the Thracians literally devastated Delphi. Emperor Theodosius the First in 394 AD, together with the ban on the Olympic Games, also vetoed appeals to the Oracle.

Patras

The city of Patras was founded in the sixth century BC by the Achaeans of Lakoniki, who were pressed by the Darians on the Peloponnese peninsula. Prevgenis, the leader of the Achaeans, united three settlements: Mesati, Aroi and Anfia, thereby founding Patras. Prevgenis named the city after his son Patreos. In the XIV century BC, this city becomes almost the largest economic and political center throughout Attica. In the X century BC. there's been a change political system. Instead of the already traditional tsarist rule, power passed to the civilian majority.

During the Persian invasion in 480, Patras were burned to the ground, but the surviving inhabitants of the city, united with other Hellenes, defeated the Persians and literally rebuilt their city from ruins and ashes. The Romans also appreciated the favorable location of the city and already during their reign, they built a huge port in Patras. The Romans also granted Patras the privilege of minting their own coins. At the same time, a water supply system, an amphitheater and the Odeon were built in Patras.

Thessaloniki

The ancient Greek city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 by the Macedonian king Cassander, uniting twenty-six settlements in it. The city was created according to all the Greek traditions that could be preserved in it until the fifteenth century. When the Romans captured Thessaloniki in 146 BC, the city was not yet a strategically important center. But already in the days of the Byzantine Empire, its significance increased considerably. Thessaloniki found itself at the intersection of two important routes at the same time: from Athens to the Black Sea region and from Constantinople to Rome. Thessaloniki became the second largest and most important city in the entire Byzantine Empire after the Arabs captured Antioch and Alexandria.

We already told you, now it's time to talk about Greek cities. The history of some of them is familiar to us from childhood, for example, the myth of the name of Athens, while other cities have not so famous, but no less interesting legends. We decided not to list you the legends of all the cities of Greece, which would be too tedious, but chose a list from 12 most interesting stories.

1. 
   

   Probably, only the lazy did not hear about this myth - two deities argued for the right to name the city in their honor - Pallas Athena and the sea lord Poseidon. We decided to do everything honestly: who will present the city best gift, he will win. Poseidon presented the city with a stream of water, since Athens did not yet have a port. People were delighted with the gift, and already considered Poseidon the winner, when the water, to their chagrin, turned out to be sea and undrinkable. But Athena gave the city an olive tree, and so the capital of Greece became the patroness.

2. Thessaloniki got its name in honor of the mermaid sister of Alexander the Great, who was the wife of the founder of the city. As befits a loving husband, he named the city he founded in honor of his wife - Thessaloniki.

3. Sparta was also named after a girl - the daughter of King Lelegas. When Lelegas died, the husband of Sparta ascended the throne, who decided to rename the city in honor of his wife. And Lelegas, by the way, is also known by the name of Lakonas - it is his name that the modern region, and it is from this word that the modern "concise" comes.

4. Alexandroupolis the ball was so named not at all in honor of Alexander the Great, as you probably immediately thought, but in honor of Tsar Alexander, who was killed in 1910, and locals thus decided to express their sorrow for the loss.

5. Katerini was named after Catherine - this is understandable. But in honor of which one? During the years of Christianity, Catherine of Alexandria lived here, who was crucified for her faith in God in Egypt. In honor of her, the inhabitants decided to name the city Katerini, which also means "forever innocent."

6. Nauplion According to one of the legends, it was named after Nafplio, the son of the god Poseidon, who was the founder and patron of the city. According to another legend, the name of the city means "pointing the way" because. on its embankment table is a high pendulum that sends signals to passing ships.

7. Arta in Latin "artus" means "narrow". As you may have guessed, the city got its name because of its narrow streets and lanes.

8. Kozani got its name from the settlers from areas, or rather from the cities of Premet and Kozdyani. Kozdjani subsequently turned into Kozjani, and then completely into Kozani, which it is to this day.

9. Trikala got its name in honor of the nymph Tricky, who was the patroness of her predecessor modern city- the ancient settlement of Trikka, the ruins of which can be seen in Archaeological park.

10. Tripoli- it's in literally oak city. Not only because there are many oak forests here, but also because the first name of the city was "Dabrolitza", which is translated from Old Slavonic meant "a city in which there are many oaks." Of course, the Greeks did not want to put up with the Slavic name, and, without thinking twice, they renamed the city Tripoli (from ancient Greek - "city of oaks").

11. Komotini in the Byzantine era it was called "Kumutzina" and even "Yomultzina". This name was somehow completely non-Greek, and even the Greeks themselves constantly cut their ears. So they decided to rename the city in the Hellenic way, making Komotini out of Kumutzina.

12. Kavala explained by two legends. According to the first of them, the word comes from the Italian “cavallo”, that is, a horse, since from the hill the city resembled the shape of a horse. According to another legend, the city was named by Alexander the Great, who, having arrived here on his horse Bucephalus, said “Ah! How beautiful it is in Kavala! At the same time, what the word “kavala” means or meant and what exactly Alexander wanted to say by this is not indicated anywhere.