Greece - A destination with centuries of art and history to invigorate you mind

At the ancient site of Delphi, where the Greeks once consulted the Oracle about the future, there’s a small round sculpture. It’s known as the omphalos—the cosmic belly button. The Greeks believed that Delphi was the very centre of the world—the place where everything came into being. Indeed, many aspects of Western culture came into being in Greece—drama, art, philosophy and science.

It’s a heady feeling to walk on stones that may have been trod upon by Plato, Homer or Agamemnon. But at many places in Greece, where ancient ruins are surrounded by the noise traffic, or where pristine island beaches are packed by topless sunbathers, it’s apparent that the influence works the other way as well: Greece, it sometimes seems, has been overtaken by the modern world it spawned.

The trick for travellers in Greeceis to find the golden mean—in this case, the balance between environment and history, between crowds and quiet, between ancient and modern. With a bit of planning (and maybe a query to the Oracle), you can find beautiful settings that can soothe your soul, and centuries of art and history to invigorate your mind. It’s very likely you’ll be as charmed by the Greek people as you are by their landscape.

UNSECO World Heritage sites in Greece

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Acropolis, Athens
Archaeological Site of Delphi
Medieval City of Rhodes
Meteora
Mount Athos
Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika
Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
Archaeological Site of Mystras
Archaeological Site of Olympia
Delos
Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios
Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos
Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina)
Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint John
Old Town of Corfu