Where is greece in europe

The lowest point of elevation is at sea level along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This point is 0 feet above sea level. Where is Greece in the World? World View: Continent View:. Official Name. Hellenic Republic. Common Name.

Greece became part of the European Union in The first great civilization in Greece was the Minoan culture on the island of Crete around B.

Wall paintings found at the ruins of the palace Knossos show people doing backflips over a charging bull. The Minoans were conquered by the Myceneans from the mainland in B. During ancient times the country was divided into city-states, which were ruled by noblemen.

The largest were Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and Corinth. Each state controlled the territory around a single city. They were often at war with each other. Athens became the most powerful, and in B. But during that time, only men could vote! The first Olympic Games were held in the southern city of Olympia in B.

Only men could compete in the events such as sprinting, long jump, discus, javelin, wrestling, and chariot racing. The games were banned by the Romans in A. Greece was ruled by foreigners for over 2, years beginning with the Romans conquering the Greeks in the 2nd century. Then, after almost years under Turkish rule, Greece won independence in All rights reserved. The summer heat is the most intense of the four seasons but in certain areas, Greece can also get quite cold. The cost of living in Greece is significantly lower than in the U.

That said, the amount of money you spend in Greece is influenced by your lifestyle choices. You can spend very little or quite a lot depending on what you choose to do. The location also matters a lot, and the marquee islands like Mykonos and Santorini are more expensive than the lesser-known islands like Ikaria and Milos.

While there are lots of variables, in the balance, the general cost of Greece remains lower than most cities in the U. Greece has a lot of natural beauty and apart from sunbathing and island hopping, there are plenty of activities available. Water sports are very popular including windsurfing, standup paddleboard, snorkeling, and scuba diving. I teach stand up paddleboard yoga during the summer months, often with full classes. Nature lovers will appreciate that Greece offers great hiking and rock climbing.

Many tourist destinations offer horseback riding, and you can even find more extreme sports like paragliding in some destinations. If you come to Greece you will find lots of options to make your holiday an adventure. Greece is a fun-loving country with a strong connection to the Greek Orthodox religion. As such, a lot of the festivals are based on important religious days. Greek Easter is by far the most important holiday in Greece.

Because Greece follows the Orthodox calendar, the date of Greek Easter is usually later than the date of Catholic Easter which follows the Roman calendar. One of my favorite Greek Easter holidays was spent on the island of Corfu where the celebration includes a pot throwing tradition.

At noon on Big Saturday the Saturday preceding Easter Sunday local Corfiots stand on their balconies and toss ceramic pots onto the street. You can learn more about Greek customs and traditions here. For passengers arriving from an EU Member State, baggage is cleared at the airport of final destination.

Passengers arriving from a Non-EU Member State and proceeding to a domestic flight within Greece, must clear their luggage at the first point of entry into Greek territory. Exceptions to this are if the connecting domestic flights are to Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Rhodos or Thessaloniki, where baggage can be collected at the final destination. Transit baggage is cleared at its final destination outside Greece, provided labelled accordingly.

The euro replaced the drachma in January Currency exchange offices are common, particularly in larger cities and in any touristic area. In addition to hard currency, they also accept traveler's checks. There are also automated currency exchange machines in some areas of the country. Most banks will also exchange euros for some currencies such as the US Dollar and British Pound often at better rates than currency exchange offices.

Banks' commission fees for these exchanges are usually structured so that it's more economical to change larger sums than smaller. You may get better exchange rates by using credit and ATM cards. ATM machines are present almost everywhere. Many ATM machines may not accept 5-digit pin numbers; ATM card-users with 5-digit pins are advised to change their pin to 4 digits before leaving home.

Unblocking your card, when abroad, may cost you lots of phone calls and troubles! Greek Post Offices open at 8 am and close at pm Mon — Fri. Sometimes you may find one open until 2 or even 3 pm. They are closed Saturdays and Sundays. If you need to send a letter there are stamp vending machines and post-boxes outside all central post offices. Stamps can also be bought at many kiosks. In some post offices you have to take a number and wait some time for your turn.

Internet access is widely available. In big cities coffee houses usually provide free internet if you ask the waiter for the password. The cheapest way to call someone abroad is to use a pre-paid calling card and call from a land line anywhere also from your hotel room. Pre-paid calling cards are sold in many shops and kiosks. The calling card is not much more than a phone number and a pin code, which you dial prior to dialing the usual phone number.

If you want to call internationally, ask for an international calling card. For one euro you can call for about 45 minutes, so buy a card in the cheapest value which is about 3 euros. You can also use this pre-paid calling card at public phone boxes, which are widely available.

Cards expire usually 90 days after first use.