Gytheio, in the Peloponnese, experienced an absolute maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.52°F). Credit: AMNA
The heatwave that is currently gripping Greece shot temperatures to new records on Sunday, according to measurements of the National Observatory of Athens.
Gytheio, located in the Peloponnese region, experienced an absolute maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.52°F). This sets a new record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Greece since records began in 2006.
At Kranidi, also in Peloponnese the second highest temperature was recorded at 45.9 (114.62°F).
Greece heatwave is the longest in recorded history
“According to the data, we will probably go through 16-17 days of a heatwave, which has never happened before in our country,” Kostas Lagouvardos, the director of research at the National Observatory, told ERT television.
That’s as temperatures were forecast to rise above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) over the next couple of days, which could make it the hottest July weekend in half a century.
“This weekend was the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years,” said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, a meteorologist with state broadcaster ERT.
“Athens is going to have temperatures above 40 Celsius for six to seven days, through to the end of July.”
July on track to be the hottest month
The southern US is also sweltering with temperatures of 41 degrees Celcius and above over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In Phoenix, Arizona temperatures of up to 46 degrees have been forecast and follows a record-breaking three weeks in a row of highs above 43C.
Scientists from NASA have warned that the heat is likely to get worse. Temperatures in June were already found to be the hottest on record, while July was expected to be the hottest month overall.
Scientists from the space agency previously saw a spike in temperatures like this in July and August of 2016 due to a super El Nino event. The current El Nino event has according to NASA, only just emerged.
El Nino is associated with the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Authorities have been warning people to stay out of the sun during the hottest periods of the day and to remain hydrated.
Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves longer, more intense and more frequent.
“The extreme weather – an increasingly frequent occurrence in our warming climate – is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies,” said World Meterological Organisation MO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas.
“We have to step up efforts to help society adapt to what is, unfortunately, becoming the new normal,” he added.
It underscores the urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as drastically as possible.
A false-color satellite image, which uses the infrared signature of the fire, shows the area affected by wildfires in Rhodes, Thursday. Credit: European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-2
A satellite image of the EU’s Copernicus space program shows the extent of the destruction by the wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes.
More than 100 square kilometers of land, including a virgin forest, has been burned so far as firefighters aided by fire-dropping aircraft and helicopters are battling the blaze for a sixth consecutive day.
The wildfire which forced 19,000 to flee has destroyed the habitat of wild animals, bee hives and agricultural lands. It is described as the worst disaster to hit the Greek island in recent memory.
⚠️Ποιος σας είπε ότι δεν θρηνούμε ζωές, αυτά δεν έχουνε ζωή; (Ασκληπιείο Ρόδου, σήμερα)
Rhodes is home to the Dama-Dama Deer which is a protected species. It lives in pines and cypress forest, where it can find water to consume throughout the year.
There are many legends about how this deer was brought to the island. The strongest one supports that they have been in Rhodes from ancient times, in the 6th century BC. Back then, the island was named “Elafousa”, after the many deers living there.
Another interesting legend states that, the deers were brought to Rhodes by the Crusaders in the Medieval times, in order to protect their camps from the snakes. Although the deers do not kill snakes, their horns produce a substance with a smell that makes the snakes to turn away.
You will find two deer statues, a feminine and a male, standing at the Mandraki Harbor, in the town of Rhodes. An elegant symbol for an elegant island such as the one of Rhodes.
Arson is suspected of causing the wildfire on Rhodes
Officials say there are early indications of arson as a police investigation is launched into the horrific wildfires.
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, from the Rhodes Fire Department, told reporters that the blistering heatwave may not be to blame for the heartbreaking blaze.
He said: “Fires are set by human hands. Whether it is due to negligence or fraud will be seen (but) people have been summoned for statements and others will be summoned.
“As soon as we have complete information – because the investigation is in full swing, we will make announcements.”
A video that is making the rounds on Greek social media shows an isolated blaze erupting out of nowhere:
A fire brigade official said the wildfires on Rhodes have affected 10% of hotels in the central and southeast parts of the island. The north and western parts were not affected.
Coastguard vessels and private boats carried more than 3,000 tourists from beaches on Saturday. Many people fled hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. Crowds gathered in streets under a red sky while smoke hung over deserted shorelines.
Pictures and videos posted by tourists on social media showed local residents using their own cars or bundling tourists into trucks and pick-ups to take them to safety.
In Lindos, famed for an acropolis on a massive rock within medieval walls, a blaze charred the hillside and buildings.
Karamanlis returned to Greece after exile in Paris to form the Hellenic Republic. Credit: Public Domain
The five days between July 20, 1974 and July 24, 1974 were the most turbulent and most decisive in modern Greek history. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the collapse of the seven-year-long Greek junta, and the birth of the new Hellenic Republic, all took place within that short period.
Turkey’s attack on Cyprus created a domino effect which caused the Greek military junta to crumble, as Dimitrios Ioannidis relinquished power on July 23rd and called for a government of national unity.
Karamanlis immediately formed a government of national unity to heal the wounds of the seven-year military junta in what proved to be an extraordinarily quick and decisive move.
It was dawn on July 24, 1974 when Karamanlis arrived, with thousands of people welcoming him at the airport carrying white candles, which signified the Resurrection of Christ.
The jubilant reception of Karamanlis, with people celebrating and dancing in the streets, was an outburst of unbridled joy after seven years of cruel repression under the Greek junta.
On July 25, 1974, Karamanlis addressed the people of Greece, asking them to show political maturity in those difficult times.
On the same day, in Geneva, the Greek-Turkish negotiations on the Cyprus crisis were launched. The head of the Greek delegation was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georgios Mavros.
On July 30, 1974, an agreement was reached in Geneva on the restoration of constitutional order in Cyprus, as well as the recognition of the existence of two separate administrations. Further negotiations on a range of subjects were ongoing.
The formation of the Hellenic Republic after the Greek junta
On August 15, in a new speech to the Greek people, Karamanlis stated that “the armed confrontation of the Turks in Cyprus became impossible due to distance and due to the known fait accompli.” The ceasefire in Cyprus took place at 18:00 on August 16, 1974.
On the home front, the new political forces in the country managed to establish the most complete political system to exist up until then in the modern Hellenic Republic.
Following the establishment of the National Unity government after the fall of the Greek junta and the handling of the consequences of the Cyprus tragedy, all political parties, including the Greek Communist Party (KKE) — which had been outlawed since 1947 — would be allowed to participate in the upcoming elections of November 17, 1974.
On December 8, in a referendum over the establishment of a Republic or the return of exiled King Constantine II, 69.2% of Greeks decided on a Republic and 30.8% on the return of the monarch.
Corfu is the latest Greek island to evacuate over wildfires. Credit: AMNA
Wildfires are still burning in several parts of Greece despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters aided by planes and helicopters.
On Rhodes, the fire entered the village of Asklipio on Monday and was burning homes, shops and property that was in its path. The inhabitants were appealing for help as firefighting forces and volunteers in the area tried to get the fire under control.
Two fronts had been threatening the village since Sunday night, with firefighters, volunteers and residents unable to stop the flames from entering the settlement in spite of a battle throughout the night.
Two rekindled fires have also besieged the villages of Gennadi and Vati.
The situation was considered extremely dangerous and for this reason, the entire force of the fire brigade and a large number of volunteers were lined up on both fronts to try and stop them.
The blazes erupted in peak tourism season, sparking the country’s largest-ever wildfire evacuation — and leaving flights and holidays canceled.
Hundreds of holidaymakers milled inside Rhodes international airport, some trying to sleep on their beach towels while waiting for flights off the island.
Thousands of tourists were forced to flee their hotels and images captured their dramatic evacuation off of beaches by a fleet of private boats while the fires raged in the background.
Winds of up to 49 kilometers (31 miles) per hour complicated efforts to bring the flames under control. At least three hotels have been destroyed in the dense forest area of Kiotari on the east of Rhodes.
“This is the biggest fire evacuation ever in Greece,” Konstantia Dimoglidou, Greek police spokeswoman told AFP of the Rhodes operation. “We had to evacuate an area of 30,000 people.”
Police said the authorities had transported 16,000 people across land, and evacuated 3,000 by sea. Others had to flee by road or used their own transport after being told to leave the area.
German travel giant Tui said it was suspending all its inbound passenger flights to Rhodes until Tuesday but would send empty planes to help evacuate tourists.
Wildfires take a heavy toll on Rhodes wildlife
Several of the deer and other animals on the island of Rhodes have been killed in the forest fires raging on Rhodes.
“We have losses but we do not yet have a full picture of the extent of the destruction because we cannot go to areas where the fire is still raging,” the head of the Regional Council and Councillor for the primary sector Filimonas Zannetidis told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, while noting that the picture that was emerging “was not at all good”.
⚠️Ποιος σας είπε ότι δεν θρηνούμε ζωές, αυτά δεν έχουνε ζωή; (Ασκληπιείο Ρόδου, σήμερα)
He said that several deer but also sheep and goats have died in the fire, which started in the Apollonon-Laermon forest, a key habitat for the island’s deer.
“We hope that many of the deer in this forest region will have managed to escape to adjacent forests. More generally, however, the damage to the island’s ecosystem from the ongoing fire is very great but the extent of the destruction will become apparent in the next few days,” Zannetidis said.
Evacuation ordered in Corfu, Greece
Evacuation orders were issued for 12 settlements on the island of Corfu on Sunday evening, as wildfires are raging out of control in the holiday island of Greece.
Dozens of firefighters are trying to stop the fire that broke out in the area of Perithia in the north of Corfu Town.
The fire is burning forest and grassland moving in a southeasterly direction.
So far, the settlements of Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palaia Perithia, Sinies, Viglatouri, Nisaki, Rou, Katabolo, Kentroma, Tritsi, Kokkokylas, Sarakiniatika, Plagia, Kalami, Vlahatika and Kavalleraina have been evacuated, following messages through 112 which were sent to their residents.
According to an announcement by the Coast Guard, an operation was carried out to rescue people from the beach of Nisaki in Corfu, in which six Coast Guard vessels, seven small private vessels, two large capacity private vessels and a tugboat participated.
In total, a total of 59 people were safely rescued from a boat and two barges heading towards the port of Corfu.
64 new wildfires in Greece on Sunday
The Fire Service announced that 64 new forest fires broke out on Sunday as Greece is battered by an extended spell of extreme heat.
Fires broke out elsewhere in the country Sunday. The most serious one was on Evia, Greece’s second-largest island, where authorities told residents of four southern villages to evacuate to the town of Karystos, west of where the fire was advancing.
The takeover of Greek AI startup DeepSea by Japanese automation giant Nabtesco places Greece at the forefront of the sector’s upcoming green transition. Credit: Union of Greek Shipowners
Greek AI startup DeepSea, focused on the decarbonisation of shipping fleets, has been taken over by Japanese automation giant Nabtesco in a majority stake deal announced last week.
The partnership is expected to have a profound global enviromental impact in the direction of green shipping, while it also places Greece at the forefront of the sector’s upcoming green transition.
Milestone deal for Greek entrepreneurship
DeepSea will remain a separate entity, headquartered in Athens, where it employs a few dozens staff. It will continue to function as an autonomous research center for the development of applications and products based on Artificial Intelligence under the leadership of its two Greek co-founders.
In addition, the Greek startup will pursue AI-focused research and development, covering the full range of Nabtesco’s business, which extends beyond shipping to include wind turbines, rail and aviation automation and industrial robotics.
“This is a world first – for the first time a Japanese company enters into this type of agreement with a Greek company. Nabtesco and DeepSea want to stay one step ahead of the competition as the sector evolves, and the decision to combine AI and automation technologies will enable our combined product offering to be unrivaled,” said DeepSea President and co-founder, Roberto Coustas.
According to the CEO and second co-founder of DeepSea, Dr. Konstantinos Kyriakopoulos, “the partnership proves that Greek companies can play a leading role in the global industrial transformation brought about by artificial intelligence, using as a springboard our traditional leadership in shipping.”
Powerful partnership with profound environmental impact
Nabtesco first invested in DeepSea in 2021 and has recently started to represent the Greek startup’s solutions in vessel condition monitoring and voyage optimization in the Japanese, Chinese and Korean markets.
Following the takeover, Nabtesco will further promote the development and sales of DeepSea’s existing solutions, as well as accelerate digital transformation in the maritime industry by combining Nabtesco’s marine engine control systems with DeepSea’s optimal route and speed proposals based on world-leading AI technology.
The combined offering will have a profound environmental impact, continuing to reduce fuel consumption with DeepSea’s platforms, whilst also focusing on the move towards the autonomous operation of marine vessels, Nabtesco said in a statement.
Greek startup’s 10 percent Initiative for the decarbonisation of fleets
In the direction of positively impacting the gobal environment, DeepSea conceived and launched the 10 percent Initiative – a movement aspiring to reduce vessel energy costs by 10 percent.
The movement involves a commitment by DeepSea and the members of the initiative to work collaboratively to do “something real, measurable, and impactful – with tangible benefits for everyone.”
In terms of environmental impact, the goal of reducing vessel energy costs by 10 percent across the global fleet is like 83 million trees grown over ten years.
In terms of financial profit, it equals 5 million USD in savings per year for a fleet size of ten vessels, according to DeepSea’s 10 percent Initiative.
A female Sphinx from the Archaic Period of Greek civilization. Credit:
One of the most recognizable figures of antiquity, the Sphinx, took many forms as portrayed throughout the civilizations of Greece, the Near East and Asia. With features including either a male or female human head, the body of a lion and the wings of a giant bird, the Sphinx is a symbol of power.
In ancient Egypt, of course, the iconic 66-foot-tall statue guarding the Great Pyramid of Giza has male characteristics and was designed to be a symbol of great physical power and might.
However, across the Mediterranean, the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, in his tragic play Oedipus Rex, described the Sphinx as a female “monster” with a lion’s body, a bird’s wings, a serpent’s tail — and a disturbing amount of wisdom. The riddles she posed puzzled and infuriated mortal men — and were a threat to their very existence.
This unforgettable figure is portrayed as a being that lived outside the city of Thebes.
She was the daughter of the god Orthus, and either the goddess Echidna or Chimera, and asked a riddle to all travelers, in order to let them pass.
After posing almost impossibly difficult riddles to mortals before she would let them pass her, she eats anyone who cannot correctly answer her most burning question: “What goes on four legs in the morning, two feet at noon and three in the evening?”
Of course, we know, after having learned from Oedipus’ example, that this is “a man,” who crawls as an infant, then walks as an adult and uses a cane as an elder.
Some maintain that there was a second riddle following the first, in which the Sphinx asked travelers “There are two sisters; one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to the first. Who are they?”
The correct answer is “Day and Night”; these two words are both feminine in the Greek language, researchers from greekmythology.com note. After Oedipus correctly answered both this and the first question, the Sphinx promptly killed herself.
When Oedipus is thereby enabled to pass through to the city, he eventually is made King there, marrying a woman who turned out to be his mother, Iacosta — but, as the author of “Mythology and Fiction Explained” says, “that’s a story for another time.”
Were men so threatened by female power that they were made into monsters?
According to Sophocles, the Sphinx is so beside herself after Oedipus guesses correctly, that she feels she has no alternative other than to throw herself off a cliff.
The Sphinx who posed these difficult riddles was only one of several Greek mythological monsters who were portrayed as female, including Scylla and Charybdis, Medusa, and Lamia.
But how could this be? Did women pose such a threat to men, were their verbal and emotional powers threatening enough, that Sophocles and the reciters of Greek mythological tales gave female form to these frightening monsters?
“Men’s fear of women’s destructive potential”
In a recent story in Smithsonian magazine, author Nora McGreevy recalls remarks made by classicist Debbie Felton in an essay from 2013, which states that such tales, passed down through the generations, “spoke to men’s fear of women’s destructive potential. The myths then, to a certain extent, fulfill a male fantasy of conquering and controlling the female.”
Journalist and critic Jess Zimmerman, writing in a collection of essays entitled “Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology,” says “Women have been monsters, and monsters have been women, in centuries’ worth of stories, because stories are a way to encode these expectations and pass them on.”
Zimmerman theorizes that this is to be expected in cultures that punished women for their native intelligence, and for “keeping knowledge to themselves.”
Sphinx is an embodiment of the maxim “knowledge is power”
As she states — and as every educated person knows — knowledge indeed is power. This is one of the reasons, she says, that for so long in human history, males have excluded females from formal education.
“The story of the Sphinx is the story of a woman with questions men can’t answer,” Zimmerman states. “Men didn’t take that any better in the fifth century B.C. than they do now.”
Interestingly, a contemporary poet, the late American writer Muriel Rukeyser, who lived from December 15, 1913 to February 12, 1980, reimagined the significance of such female creatures – who had, after all, been created by men.
In her interpretation, the Sphinx’s confrontation with Oedipus unfolds very differently.
“Breaking Open”
The following passage was originally published in Rukeyser’s 1973 work “Breaking Open:”
“Long afterward, Oedipus, old and blinded, walked the
roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was
the Sphinx. Oedipus said, “I want to ask one question.
Why didn’t I recognize my mother?”
“You gave the wrong answer,” said the Sphinx.
“But that was what
made everything possible,” said Oedipus.
“No,” she said.
“When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered,
Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.”
“When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women
too. Everyone knows that.”
She said, “That’s what
you think.”
A changing of the guard for Greek deities
Some researchers believe that the death of the Sphinx represents the way in which the ancient Greeks made the transition from their oldest traditional religious practices, represented by the Sphinx, to the new ones, including the establishment of the Olympian deities, represented by Oedipus.
It was necessary to kill off the Sphinx in order to impose the new deities, they say.
But it is hard to see the repeated deaths of the female deities — and even the monsters — of Ancient Greece, and not believe that there was something else going on there.
Something that has everything to do with keeping women in their place and nothing to do with a changing of the guard amongst the gods and goddesses in power.
Ermoupouli, capital of the Cyclades and the Island Syros, Greece.
Mykonos and Santorini have become the two top tourist destinations of the Cyclades islands in Greece. Relatively close to Mykonos there is a gem that does not share the reputation of the two islands, but has so much to offer.
Syros has a long history that began three millennia ago. This explains the differences in architecture and the many government buildings in the capital, Ermoupoli. It also explains the wealth of museums and cultural events that take place there in the summer.
There are huge differences between the three islands. On Syros, one will find the City Hall, the remains of the castle in Ano Syros and the Theater Apollon — all buildings that are atypical of Cyclades architecture.
But the main difference here is in the culture: Syros had French, Venetian, and Ottoman influences. The island came under Ottoman rule in 1522, but it was awarded substantial religious, economic, and cultural freedom. Specifically, the island’s large Catholic population came under French and Roman protection after the Ottomans made an agreement to that effect with the French and the Holy See.
Ano Syros is a medieval hilltop town that stands above the capital of Ermoupoli. The original residents chose this hard-to-reach location to protect themselves from the regularly-occurring pirate raids that threatened the island. There, one can find the historic Church of St. George, the sprawling Catholic edifice that sits at the town’s summit.
The capital of the Cyclades
Just under that area is Ermoupoli, the capital of the Cyclades, which was once a key trading port in the Aegean. Ermoupoli has several museums and beautiful architecture all around.
Ermoupoli City Hall. Photo: Wikipedia, Georgios Bonanos
The Archaeological Museum of Ermoupoli – housed in the iconic Neoclassical town hall building, is one of the oldest museums in Greece. There is also the Ermoupoli Industrial Museum, where among other exhibits one can learn about Syros’ contribution to the world’s first electric cars.
In Ermoupoli one can see many mansions which once belonged to the town’s merchants. A wealthy island due to its great location for trade, Syros lost much of its sheen during World War II and the years afterward. Yet the rich homes of the merchants remain. And now that the island has been reborn once again, the mansions stand there, still proud and magnificent.
Many small villages hidden in Syros’ coves or perched on its mountaintops have been practically untouched by tourism. If you rent a car and take a tour around the island, you can see authentic island life in those villages.
In these small villages, one can find incredible local dishes, made from fresh, homegrown ingredients. You can also sample great culinary delights in the capital, where you can find gourmet restaurants alongside typical Greek tavernas.
Syros is most famous for two foods: the great loukoumi of Syros and the San Michael cheese, a cheese with a spicy, fruity taste thanks to the island’s aromatic herbs that its cows are fed.
The island of festivals
Syros is also the island of festivals, with at least a dozen taking place every year. The Syros International Film Festival is very popular and takes place in venues across the island. Most of the rest are centered on the capital, such as the Syros Tango Festival, Akropoditi DanceFest, and the Festival of the Aegean.
Of course, being one of the Cyclades, Syros has plenty of beautiful beaches with crystal-clear, turquoise waters. Sea lovers will have a great time at Kini, a village occupying a wide bay on the island’s west coast, with two thin strips of sandy beach.
There is also Galissas, the most popular beach on Syros. It combines the view of the blue sea and the towering mountains that curve along the bay.
Finally, Ermoupoli is famous for its great nightlife. Despite its small size, dozens of bars and restaurants are conveniently situated close to the harbor. There you can find food and entertainment for all tastes and wallets. From small drinking joints to large trendy bars, from upscale restaurants to small eateries, Syros has it all. The music varies all the way from house to rebetiko.
Indeed, Syros is a hidden gem for many foreign visitors. Yet it has many Greek fans who try to keep it a secret so its beauties are not spoiled from overcrowding.
Credit: Twitter / video screen capture @FalleN_Nicole
American hard rock band Guns’n’Roses braved the heatwave and performed an unforgettable show for 50,000 fans who gathered at the Olympic Stadium of Athens to watch Axl Rose and Slash perform in Greece for the first time since 2006.
Lead guitarist Slash celebrated his birthday on stage with crowds cheering as Axl Rose sang the traditional Happy Birthday tune in what looked like an emotional moment for the musician.
Axl Rose and all of Athens wishes Slash a Happy Birthday on the last show of the Guns N’ Roses European tour 🎂💝
The three-hour show in Athens was the last show of the band’s tour in Europe.
Guns’n’Roses toured Europe through June and July before they head to North America in August for a tour that spans three months.
“Thank you Athens for a fantastic last night of the European tour! You were no less then incredible! It was a perfect send off that we’ll always remember,” Slash posted on Twitter after the show.
Guns’n’Roses enjoy an enormous fan base in Greece and have previously played in Athens twice in their career; in 1993 and 2006.
Saturday’s show marked the return of the world-famous band to the Olympic Stadium of Athens after thirty years.
A retro video featuring backstage scenes from the band’s preparation for the 1993 Athens show -and their cruise to the Greek islands- can be found online.
It includes Slash giving an interview to the TV program’s reporter with the Acropolis of Athens in the background.
2023 tour continues in North America
Guns’n’Roses will continue their 2023 world tour in North America, starting on Saturday, August 5 in Moncton, NB at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium, and will visit historic venues across the country such as Fenway Park in Boston, MA on August 21 and Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL on August 24.
The tour is scheduled to conclude in Vancouver, BC at BC Place on Monday, October 16.
Founded in 1985, Guns’n’Roses had their breakthough and gained mass popularity between 1987-1989. This was followed by international success, leading to legendary worldwide tours as the bad drew comparisons to the early Rolling Stones and earned the nickname of “the most dangerous band in the world”.
In total, they have released six studio albums, as well as two live and two compilation albums.
The band are known for their hits such as “Paradise City”, “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, and “November Rain.”
It is estimated that Guns’n’Roses have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 45 million in the United States, making them one of the best-selling acts in history.
Last March, the band announced the release a new cd, Guns N’ Roses: London 1991, which includes never-released, newly-mixed songs from the Guns N’ Roses iconic show at Wembley Stadium on August 31, 1991.
It was only made available to members of their fan club, Nightrain.
Halkidiki is a strikingly beautiful peninsula in Northern Greece made up of three “legs” — which all boast many different attractions for travelers. Despite being one of Greece’s premier tourist destinations, Halkidiki (or Chalkidiki) can be overlooked by international travelers.
The allure of Halkidiki
Halkidiki is an extraordinarily beautiful tourist destination with a different flavor than that of the more cosmopolitan Greek areas such as Athens or Mykonos. Halkidiki is the perfect place to relax in the summertime, offering many opportunities for those who prefer to take their vacations in quieter, more natural surroundings.
The peninsula is often frequented by domestic tourists as well as those from nearby Balkan states due to its position in Northern Greece. However, it is a uniquely stunning place that should not be missed by overseas and international travellers as well.
Halkidiki is very popular among those who prefer camping holidays, since it has many organized campgrounds which cater to budget conscious travelers who enjoy their vacations immersed in nature. Most campgrounds are placed on or adjoining one of the many beautiful beaches in the area, making them perfect for beach lovers.
The southernmost leg, named Kassandra, is Halkidiki’s more conventional tourist destination. Kassandra, which boasts resorts, clubs and bars, is geared toward travelers seeking a balance between beach-going and other vacation activities. Greeks refer to Kassandra as the first leg of Halkidiki.
The second, or middle leg, named Sithonia, is slightly less populated than the first leg. Sithonia is full of beautiful beaches as well as organized as well as free camp sites, which make it a perfect for a nature-filled getaway.
There are also some villages in Sithonia which can satiate the occasional urge to go to a bar, taverna or restaurant. Due to a lack of light pollution, the stars also shine very brightly over Sithonia and the rest of Halkidiki, which makes it perfect for stargazing!
Karidi Beach in Halkidiki. Credit: Srđan Mijatov/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0
The northernmost, or third leg, Athos, is generally closed to the public due to it being the home of twenty Orthodox monasteries. Because of this, only men are allowed on the third leg of the peninsula — and only after special permission is granted.
Regardless of which leg you choose to visit, Halkidiki is guaranteed to make for an amazing holiday destination.
Weekend and beach getaway for Northern tourists
Due to Halkidiki’s proximity to Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, it is a perfect getaway for those visiting Northern Greece. Halkidiki is located about 40 km (25 miles) from Thessaloniki – only a short car or bus ride away.
The white tower in Thessaloniki. Credit: Greek Reporter
Thessaloniki locals will often visit Halkidiki for a long weekend over the summer in order to soak up the sun on its beautiful beaches. For international tourists, a trip to Halkidiki could be combined with a visit to Thessaloniki, for a perfect balance between city and nature getaways.
Thessaloniki is a destination that shouldn’t be missed, with many cultural landmarks such as the White Tower and the old castle. It also has many shops and is famed for its beautiful seaside promenade which is perfect for an afternoon stroll.
When visiting Halkidiki, it is always a good idea to visit Thessaloniki as well (and vice versa). Both offer unique experiences and stunning views, and are slightly more “off the beaten track” for international tourists. A trip Northern Greece is not to be missed!
In a country with such a wealth of beautiful beaches and places to visit, it is telling that Greeks have a saying: “There’s no place like Halkidiki”!
Firefighting helicopter flying over wildfires on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese. Credit: AMNA
Temperatures in Greece are expected to rise even further on Sunday while devastating wildfires continue to rage on the island of Rhodes, where thousands of tourists and local residents were evacuated by land or sea on Saturday evening in what is described as the largest evacuation operation to have ever taken place in the country.
Roads were closed as wildfires were burning out of control on three fronts on the island on Sunday morning, according to local sources.
266 firefighters with 49 vehicles were battling the flames on the ground, assisted by 5 helicopters and 10 firefighting aircraft dropping water from above.
— Natural Disasters (@neturaldisaster) July 23, 2023
An updated emergency weather report issued by the National Meteorological Service (EMY) on Saturday forecast a sizzling 45C in eastern parts of the country for Sunday.
After a brief reprieve on Monday, when temperatures are forecast to ease by 2-5C, a third surge of very high heat will hit the country from Tuesday until Thursday, July 27.
Thousands of tourists and residents dislocated or evacuated
Wildfires have been burning on Rhodes since Tuesday.
The blaze which has been burning since Saturday afternoon south of Laerma in central Rhodes was propelled by high winds and fanned the fire yet further south towards Lardos.
Evacuation orders for regional hotels were issued as a precaution ahead of the fast-moving fire and respective operations continued during Saturday night, aided by police, army vehicles, Hellenic Coast Guard vessels and private boats.
Evacuated visitors were either redirected to other hotels on the island or housed at indoor stadia and empty school rooms over the night pending accommodation arrangements.
Local volunteers and businesses were praised on social media for providing necessary food and clothing supplies to dislocated visitors.
According to latest estimates from the local police authority, some 19,000 people were evacuated from eleven communities, 3000 of which where evacuated by sea.
Most people were evacuated by coache, while police vehicles were used to evacuate the elderly and people with disabilities.
The large-scale evacuation operation is unprecedented for the country.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with foreign Embassies, will reportedly operate a Help Desk in the airport of Rhodes to facilitate the repatriation of tourists who lost or left behind their travel documents during evacuation and wish to leave the island.
The affected areas of Rhodes represent less than 10 percent of the island’s tourist accommodation, a representative of the Hellenic Fire Service stated in an update on Saturday evening.
Foreign citizens in need of assistance may contact the Crisis Management Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at (+30) 210-3681730.
