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Read about: Cultural & Music events Family activities Discover the Athenian Riviera Vouliagmeni lake Arnaud Larher
CULTURE DOCUMENTA 14 ☞ Exhibition
For the first time since it launched in 1955, the prestigious art event known as Documenta has split itself
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in two and will travel outside of Germany. The 2017 edition, titled, “Learning from Athens”, will be held jointly in Athens from April 8 to July 16 and in Cassel, from June 10 to September 17. Documenta14 intends to question the relationship between art and society, and to also re-visit the prevailing European perspective by incorporating a “Southern” vantage point. Documenta’s patronage of Athens greatly helps to cement the city’s growing reputation as a serious contemporary art player. WHERE DOES DOCUMENTA COME FROM? La Documenta was founded in 1955 in Cassel by a group of German artists on the initiative of the painter Arnold Bode (19001977). After the years of Nazi oppression on modern art, these artists wanted to present the art of the 20th century and reconcile the public with contemporary art. They also wanted to show that Germany
had regained its freedom of artistic expression. Through the innovation of using large exhibition spaces and public places, Documenta met with great success right from the very beginning. It takes place every five years, lasts 100 days, and presents around 160 artists. WHO WILL SEE DOCUMENTA? Based in Cassel in central Germany, Documenta has succeeded over the years in attracting an increasing number of people. The first exhibition attracted 130,000 visitors. The latest, in 2012, 900,000. WHY THE TITLE, LEARNING FROM ATHENS? Adam Szymczyk, the polish art critic and curator appointed to direct the fourteenth Documenta, wished this time to engage the Documenta in a reflection on the crisis of the Western model. To this end, he has shaken up the codes, unveiled the manifestation of his traditional exhibition site in Cassel to bring artists and public to one of the emblematic places of the “crisis”, Greece.
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WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM ATHENS? Adam Szymczyk asked the artists to begin by visiting Athens and Cassel, and choose to create a work either in one or in both cities. The work of the Argentine artist Marta Minujin “The Parthenon of books” illustrates this approach. The temple on the Acropolis will be reconstructed from books that have been censored and re-edited throughout the world. It will be exhibited on the Friedrichplatz in Cassel, where 2,000 books were burnt by the Nazi regime. WHAT TO EXPECT? More than 130 artists will be exhibited during the 100 days of the demonstration in the museums, buildings and public spaces of Athens. Besides visiting exhibitions and installations, the public will be able to participate in projections, concerts, and thematic visits. WHERE CAN I SEE DOCUMENTA? For 100 days, Documenta 14 will become a visible, audible, and palpable presence in Athens. During its one hundred days, the spaces and places of Documenta 14 will include museums, cinemas, theaters, libraries, archives, schools, television, radio, university auditoriums, public squares, streets, clubs, shops, parks and paths, and residential buildings—in short, all that comprises the great city in its density, richness, and strange beauty.
April 8 to July 16 2017
The four major institutions of Documenta 14 in Athens are: Athens Conservatoire (Odeion Athinon) 17-19 Leof. Vasileos Georgiou B’, 106 75 Athens T: 21 0724 0673 Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) Pireos 256, 106 82 Athens T: +30 21 0381 6930
EMST, National Museum Of Contemporary Art Kallirrois ave. & Amvr. Frantzi str. 11743 Athens T: 211 1019000-99
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Benaki Museum Pireos 138, 118 54 Athens T: 210 345 3111
A walk through time at the Acropolis Museum ☞ Exhibition
Visitors can travel in distant eras of the past during a walk through all the Museum’s Galleries. They can continue their journey through time with the help of the videos projected on the 3rd floor of the Museum.
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Useful information English: every Sunday, at 11 a.m. Duration: 60 minutes The gallery talk is free of charge. Only the admission fee to the temporary exhibition is required (5 euros).
Acropolis Museum, 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens 11742 Sunday, 9 April - Sunday, 18 June, 2017
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AUDIOVISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL ☞ Arts Festival
The Department of Audio and Visual Arts and the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University, invite us at the 11th Audiovisual Arts
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Festival. Artistic, scientific and educational activities will take place from May 20 to June 11, 2017. Moreover, alongside the artistic events in Corfu, for the first time since the foundation of the Department , a retrospective digital exhibition will be held from 20 to May 21, 2017 on the premises of the Athens Concert Hall, which will present selected works of students of the Department of Audio and Visual Arts of the Ionian University.
20 May 2017 - 11 June 2017 Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall, Vass. Sophias & Kokkali - Athens 115 21 Tel. +30 210 7282333
The 11th Audiovisual Arts Festival schedule further includes a) the organization of the 2nd scientific conference entitled “TABOO TRANSGRESSION - TRANSCENDENCE in Art & Science”, which will be held from 26 to 28 May 2017 in Corfu, as a continuation of the highly corresponding last year’s successful conference and b) the organization of an international summer school on hybrid arts from 29/5 to 11/6/2017, which will take place in two periods of one week each (29/54/6 the first and 5/6-11/6 the second). The artistic activities of the student work’s presentation will take place in Corfu from 25 to 31 May 2017.
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“POST FUTURE JOURNEY” ☞ Exhibition
The Athens International Airport and the Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) present a new multimedia exhibition entitled #PostFuture Journey, which invites visitors and passengers on a journey into the fascinating “meta-future”, where digital reality converges with the July 23, 2017. The #PostFuture Journey exhibition includes installations and screenings of video art and animation by artists from Greece and abroad. The exhibition presents 41 video
Athens International Airport Attiki odos, Spata Tel: +30 210 3537227 08 March 2017 - 23 July 2017 Daily: 00:00 to 23:59
The exhibition will be hosted on the Art & Culture site-arrivals level (entrance 1-open 24/7).
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physical world, from March 8 to
art and animation works, 25 of which will be shown for the first time in Greece. The exhibition includes Giannis Kranidiotis’ impressive audiovisual installation “Light Catcher” (a dialogue between sound and light) and the interactive installation “Emotional Mirror” from the group “randomquark” (Theodoros Papatheodorou Phd, Tom Chambers), which allows the public to interact with the work by interpreting its feelings with tweets!
“MADAMA BUTTERFLY” BY GIACOMO PUCCINI ☞ Opera
Famous for its lovely arias, its melodies, and its theatricality, Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly, one of his indisputable masterpieces, has long been a moving experience for audiences
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around the world. This magnificent production, directed by the acclaimed Argentinian director Hugo de Ana, will return to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus for five performances, under the conduction of Loukas Karytinos. The plot revolves around the doomed romance of fifteen-year-old geisha Cio-Cio-san a.k.a. Butterfly, and B. F. Pinkerton, Lieutenant in the United States Navy. Upon learning
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 2-4 June, 7 June 2017
he has a son with Butterfly, Pinkerton returns to Japan after three years of absence. He is determined to raise the child and is even accompanied by his wife. Butterfly gives up her son, only to eventually commit suicide. Puccini’s “Japanese tragedy,” with its masterly depiction of Cio-Cio-san, sheds light to the conflict between the Japanese and the Western/American civilization. Audiences will be spellbound by remarkable vocal soloists, including Cellia Costea, Sae Kyung Rim (CioCio-san), Elena Kassian (Suzuki), Stefano Secco / Dimitris Paksoglou (Pinkerton), and Dionysios Sourbis (Sharpless). In Italian, with Greek and English surtitles.
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“Il Trovatore” by Giuseppe Verdi
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☞ Opera
The 2016-2017 season will come to a close with the second big Greek National Opera production to be held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus: Giuseppe Verdi’s masterwork Il Trovatore, one of his most popular operas.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 21, 23, 25, 27 July 2017
In Italian, with Greek and English surtitles
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By far the most iconic melodrama of Romanticism, this opera is immortalized through its melodious and dynamic music, its passionate arias and duets, and its famous choral parts. The plot moves back and forth between heat and cold, between its four main characters burning with passion, and the moon casting its cold light on extreme situations. The libretto and music seemingly epitomize tropes and stereotypes commonly associated with operas. The plot is full of twists: two brothers, unaware of their relation to each
other, fall in love with the same woman. A Gypsy woman is the key character in the story. She throws a baby into the flames to avenge her mother’s wrongful death; this child is, mistakenly, her own. This spectacular production was first presented at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus back in summer of 2012, with Stefano Poda in charge of the direction, scenery, costumes, and lighting, and met with great success. A “singers’ opera” par excellence, Il Trovatore requires top-notch performers in the main roles. This Greek National Opera production features some of the most highly acclaimed opera singers in the world, such as Piero Pretti / Walter Fraccaro (Manrico), Cellia Costea (Leonora), Elena Manistina (Azucena), Dimitri Platanias / Dimitris Tiliakos (Count di Luna), and Tasos Apostolou (Ferrando).
Armonia Atenea The Friends Of Music Orchestra Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ☞ Musical
In its third annual musical production, the Armonia Atenea - The Friends of Music Orchestra
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and George Petrou will once again astonish the audiences of Athens Festival with a musical that has been considered by critics as the best thing to come out of Broadway in years. The musical thriller Sweeney Todd, with music and lyrics by the living legend of
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 25 - 26 June 2017
the American musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim and text by Hugh Wheeler, was first presented in 1979, sweeping that year’s Tony Awards. This impressive Sweeney Todd production will feature a cast of 26, including popular actors and opera singers, along with a symphonic orchestra ensemble of 35. The play is set in bleak 19th-century London. A blackly funny story that is a parable for the darkest aspects of humanity and society.
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Dimitris Papaioannou The Great Tamer ☞ Dance
Dimitris Papaioannou has been quietly preparing to surprise his audience once again with a second production at the OCC to be staged
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in 2017. Dimitris Papaioannou’s new project is under construction. Involving 11 performers on stage, the work takes shape around the notion that human life can be seen as a journey of discovery, an exploration for hidden treasure, an inner archaeological excavation for meaning.
that could be described as a dreamlike absurd circus. Human bodies become battlegrounds, interacting with raw materials, fusing into hybrids, giving rise to optical illusions. His rootedness in the fine arts gives his performances a strong visual feel, as he juggles teasingly with art-historical references, various practices of expression and performing, and ideas about our origins. Dimitris Papaioannou aims at an utter simplicity of appearance that is far from simple to achieve. His intention is to shed light on the sacred in the mundane.
In his thirty years of work Papaioannou has striven to create a universe on stage
Onassis Cultural Centre 107 Syngrou Avenue, 11745 Athens, Greece Information/Tickets: 210 900 5 800 Email: info@sgt.gr 24 MAY – 11 JUN 2017
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MUSIC RELEASE ATHENS 2017
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☞ Music Festival
Release Athens is a new music
The line up includes:
festival, aiming to bring a new
ROYKSOPP, MODERAT, LARRY GUS, ETTEN,
breath into the musical reality
THIEVERY CORPORATION, ARCHIVE,
of the country , with a line-up
KADEBOSTANY, JAMIROQUAI,
of top acts of the world stage,
MICHAEL KIWANUKA & WAX TAILOR
offering new thrills to the Greek audience, who seeks the boldness and the colourfulness of foreign
2, 16 & 17 June 2017
festivals .
Venue: Plateia Nerou / Water Square (open air), Delta Falirou, (right by the sea)
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ROCKWAVE FESTIVAL 2017 ☞ Music Festival
The line up includes:
dancing, headbanging, air-guitar,
Placebo, Sivert Hoyem, Cigarettes
amplifiers, microphones, sweating,
After Sex, Evanescence, Paradise
laughing, kissing, boys, girls,
Lost, Anathema, Flogging Molly,
colors, drink, grass, the moments
Epica, Gojira
and memories of fans. 1 & 2 July 2017 Terra Vibe Park Malakasa
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Rockwave Festival is all about music,
EJECT FESTIVAL 2017 ☞ Music Festival
EJEKT Festival is the leading open-air music festival of Athens.
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Since 2005 it has been the host of some of Its unique venue, always located at a walking distance from the sea, takes the summer festival experience to a whole new level, as confirmed by the thousands of visitors who have stood in front of its stage. The line up includes THE KILLERS, KASABIAN, OF MONTREAL, THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN, CIRCA WAVES and DEAF RADIO.
24 JUNE & 14 JULY Venue: Plateia Nerou / Water Square (open air), Delta Falirou, (right by the sea)
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Ludovico Einaudi ELEMENTS
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☞ Music
The acclaimed Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi promises to captivate the audiences at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus with his spellbinding music. Originally a classical pianist, Einaudi went on to study with Luciano Berio, one of the greatest avant-garde composers of the 20th century. Deeply influenced by Berio, Einaudi quickly moved on to other genres (pop, rock, electronica, world and folk music). In
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 20 June 2017
addition to his personal albums, he is also known for the numerous soundtracks he has scored for films such as The Intouchables (2011) and I’m Still Here (2010), and for television series, including the Acquario series and the TV adaptations of Doctor Zhivago and This is England. Einaudi invariably casts a spell on audiences with his moving, effortlessly lyrical, exceptionally refined music, which weaves together a number of genres. This concert is named after his latest album, Elements.
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IMANY IN Odeon of Herodes Atticus ☞ Music
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The French singer Imany became famous in Greece with her first single “You will never know,” followed by several hits. Imany claims that Greece is one of her favourite destinations, thanks to her unique bonding with Greek audiences. The singer and her band will perform at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus for a single concert. Performing at the Odeon is, by her own
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 15 June 2017
admission, a dream come true. Imany will sing older hits and new songs from her latest album The Wrong Kind of War. Through songs such as “Clap your Hands,” her voice will resonate as a way of “screaming loud and clear for freedom, justice and equality.” Audiences will enjoy her exotic, nostalgic, romantic, and sensitive yet dynamic voice in the shadow of the Acropolis rock.
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Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra Yuri Temirkanov ☞ Music Conducted by the great Yuri Temirkanov, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra invites audiences to two special evenings
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under the shadow of the Acropolis. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya will be presented on 6 July, followed by internationally renowned, 25-year-old Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández’s performance of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece for cello and orchestra, Variations on a Rococo Theme. The evening will come to a close with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s final composition,Symphonic Dances. On 7 July, Russian pianist Denis Matsuev will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. In its closing appearance, the Orchestra will perform Igor Stravinsky’s music for the ballet Petrushka.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus 6-7 July 2017
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Kamasi Washington The Epic ☞ Music
Some have described his music as a “crossover revival of cosmic jazz”. He disagrees. For him, “the best music is that which forces one into
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active listening”. Invited by the Onassis Cultural Centre, saxophone player and composer Kamasi Washington will perform in July at Technopolis, Athens. He is known for bridging pop-rap with jazz, and for attracting audiences from both music scenes.
Official site: http://www.kamasiwashington.com/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kamasiwashington
Technopolis City of Athens (100, Pireos St. | Gazi - Athens 4 JUL 2017 - 22:00
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“The best music is that which forces one into active listening.”
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LP AT TECHNOPOLIS
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☞ Music
It all started with “Lost on you” which reached the top in all Greek charts.
12 July 2017 Technopolis, Gazi Peiraios 100
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It was definitely the hit of the season and suddenly everyone talks about the... LP phenomenon. LP is a unique persona who constantly demonstrates the multidimensional greatness of an artist. Her live concerts are really a musical experience that go beyond the norm, since apart from her hit singles (Lost on you, Other People, etc.) LP causes...”delirium” to the audience thanks to the particular timbre of her voice and her aura which magnetizes and awakens the senses.
FAMILIES City Sightseeing Bus
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Trace the history & culture of Athens
The Athens - City Sightseeing Tour operates daily between 08.30 until 18.30 (NovMar) or until 21.00 (April-Oct). Each tour takes approximately 90 minutes and has a commentary in eleven languages that traces the history and culture of Athens. You can Hop On Hop Off from any one of the 27 stops as many times as you wish. The buses run every 30 minutes. Select the Line of your exclusive preference, or even all of them, and enjoy a Tour via the Athens Line, the Piraeus Line and the Beach Line. Some of the sights that one may see from the renowned Hop On-Hop Off bus include: • The Acropolis • The Panathenaic Stadium • Monastiraki / Thession • The Ancient Agora • Aeropagus Hill & The Pnyx • The Tower of the Winds • The Planetarium • Vouliagmeni Lake Beack • Temple of Zeus
Book your ticket online >
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VOULIAGMENI LAKE
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A GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENON
ABOUT THE LAKE Vouliagmeni Lake, in the heart of the Athenian Riviera, is the hidden treasure of Attica’s nature. Situated on an idyllic landscape, this rare geological phenomenon is waiting to be discovered. The lake’s brackish waters which are continuously replenished both by the sea and the underground thermal springs offer a natural and unique thermal spa experience. THE GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENON The imposing rock, thermal waters, the labyrinthine underwater tunnels and the lush vegetation create a unique geological phenomenon. The lake’s present form was created after the roof of the cave fell because of erosion caused by the high temperature of the running water running. The lake is part of the National NATURA 2000 list and as a Site of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Ministry of Culture. 2000 list and as a Site of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Ministry of Culture. experience.
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“Vouliagmeni Lake, in the heart of the Athenian Riviera, is the hidden treasure of Attica’s nature.”
THE LIVING WORLD The aquatic paradise of Vouliagmeni Lake hosts in its green waters a variety of unique organisms. Among them, a kind of sea anemone called Paranemonia Vouliagmeniensis stands out, as well as species of sponges and molluscs which portray the perfect balance of the lake’s ecosystem. Its aquatic world also includes the known fish Garra Rufa which offer skin exfoliati.
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THE LABYRINTHINE CAVE At the edge of the lake, near the rocks, starts a labyrinth underwater cave which has been explored at a length of 3,123 metres, while the cave’s end remains elusive. Among the 14 tunnels which make up the cave there is one reaching 800 metres in length the longest in the world. The discovery of a huge stalagmite in the cave has opened up new theories in the research for the formation of the Mediterranean.
discover the athenian riviera ☞ Local Excursion
A few kilometers outside Athens, the urban landscape gives way to a
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unique seaside resort. This gorgeous stretch of coastline with its green-blue water, organized beaches and rocky coves is teeming with fivestar resorts, spas, esplanades, marinas, windsurfing and sailing. Combined with the ideal climate, the Athens Riviera makes you feel as if you’re on an endless summer holiday. Your excursion to the southern suburbs begins from Faliro and reaches Sounion. The tram connects Athens – from Syntagma Square – with the southern suburbs, and is a leisurely way to get to the coast.
If you are a sailing enthusiast, the Athens Riviera has many marinas from which you can set sail for beaches and villages in the Peloponnese (Loutra Oraias Elenis, Korfo, Epidaurus), Sounion – cruising by Athens cosmopolitan beaches – as well as the islands near Athens, in the Saronic Gulf. On the edge of this unique coastline, you’ll find Cape Sounion, where you’ll admire the Temple of Poseidon – one of the most significant monuments of Ancient Greece, and one of the most important attractions in Athens.
In this corner of Athens you’ll find organized, emerald water beaches, and rocky coves perfect for a swim.
Charter your own yacht >
Enjoy a cruise tour >
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Hotel Grande Bretagne
Asteras Vouliagmenis
Agia Marina Loubarda
Mavro Lithari
Iliopoulos Eden Saronida Lavrio
Temple Of Poseidon
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Temple of Poseidon
A visit to Sounion is more than just an excursion, it is an ethereal journey. When you get to the Temple of Poseidon, situated at the top of the cliff at Cape Sounion, you leave the crowds behind and become one with the gods. Feel the energy of this landscape, drenched in the same light as in ancient times. A place of myths and legends: this is where Aegeus, king of Athens, jumped to his death, mistakenly thinking that he’d lost Theseus, his only son, to the Minotaur in the labyrinth. And here, at the edge of Attica’s southernmost tip, the Doric Temple of Poseidon was built (around the same time as the Parthenon, 440 BC), standing proudly above this sea that the god adored. Sounion is the first and last sight for mariners and it is without doubt a vision that will stay with you forever.
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“Feel the energy of this landscape, drenched in the same light as in ancient times.�
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“The star beach of the Athens Riviera is the sophisticated Asteras Vouliagmenis.�
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A Day on the Beach
This port is unlike any other. Lavrio has a 4,000-year-old mining history. Discover the 19th-century mining factories, the steampowered washery ruins and the ancient silver-mining tunnels. Admire the industrial building complex of the former Compagnie Française des Mines, in what is now the Technological and Culture Park, which belongs to the National Technical University of Athens. Visit the palm-tree grove and Mineralogical Museum, housed in a building from 1875. On the route to Sounion, near the village of Kamariza, you’ll encounter ‘chaos’, an impressive geological phenomenon of vertical cliffs in shades of grey and orange, with a depth of 55m.
The star beach of the Athens Riviera is the sophisticated Asteras Vouliagmenis (luxury sun beds, volleyball courts, dining options). Since 1959, it has been considered the beach to see and be seen. Other great beaches spanning the coast are: Loubarda, Agia Marina, Iliopoulos, Mavro Lithari, Eden and Saronida.
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Lavrio
ARNAUD LARHER celebrating one year with arnaud larher
It has been already 1 year after the Hotels’ successful collaboration with Arnaud Larher, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and we are more than excited to announce his new sweet creations for Summer 2017!
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Arnaud Larher creates signature desserts for each season whereas the award-winning chocolates, macarons and desserts will be available from Paris directly to the GB Corner Gifts & Flavors store all year round. ARNAUD LARHER
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Visit the picturesque GB Roof Garden Restaurant, Tudor Hall Restaurant as well as the elegant Winter Garden and the wellknown GB Corner and allow us to introduce you the finest the variety of the most inspiring desserts for this summer! ARNAUD LARHER
To name just a few: Le Fraisier, L’emotion, Trate Valero and the renowned Millefeuille!
HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS
+30 210 3330 000 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax KING GEORGE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS
+30 210 3222 210 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax
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