WhY ATHENS
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ATHENS Each year, more and more travelers choose Athens for their leisure and business travel. This comes to no surprise, as apart from the eternal sunshine that this city is blessed with and the great variety of things to see and do, Athens is considered one of the safest Capitals in Europe. A user-friendly well connected transportation network, one of the biggest archaeological sites in the world, numerous museums, restaurants and bars, sandy beaches with turquoise waters, Designer’s boutiques, the Greek hospitality and of course the Acropolis are some of the elements that make Athens so attractive. Surrounded by a lining of stunning coastline and mountains, Athens is filled with gems just waiting to be discovered. Located at the crossroads of three continents, the capital of Greece with an overall population of close to 4 million people has often been the melting pot of many cultures. Characterized by a culture and people that are welcoming and relaxed every visitor will feel like home. Furthermore, a factor that is driving Athens’ destination popularity is the increasing number of international carriers that fly to and from its new award-winning airport, providing easy access to Athens from the rest of the world.
Athens is an ideal congress destination, combining state-of-theart infrastructure, excellent congress facilities and venues easily accessible from all over the world with world-class cultural attractions, modern amenities, diverse entertainment and natural beauty. Most hotels in Athens underwent extensive renovation in preparation of the 2004 Summer Olympics, another great benefit for visitors that can now enjoy comfortable and stylish accommodation combined with outstanding services. Finally, Athens gives you a unique opportunity to share your ideas, enrich your culture and relax at the same time. For more information on Athens, please visit www.breathtakingathens.com
GETTING TO ATHENS Athens is easily accessible from all European countries and most destinations around the world. The Athens International Airport, Eleftherios Venizelos (opened in March 2001), strongly focuses on customer satisfaction and provides high security standards and high-end quality services to travellers. It is connected daily with over 60 cities around the world. The airport is located 33 km southeast of Athens and is easily accessible via Atttiki Odos, a six-lane motorway (the Athens City Ring Road). Public transportation to Athens and the Port of Piraeus is provided by express airport shuttles on a 24-hour basis, while a direct Metro line connects the airport to the city center (Syntagma square) in less than 40 minutes. A taxi ride from the airport to the city center cots between 25-40 Euros. Duration approximately 40 minutes. In addition, coaches connect Athens to the southeastern European states and the Balkans on a regular basis, while ferries operate daily from the port of Patras (2h drive from Athens) to Italy.
To view all destinations served by Athens International Airport please visit www.aia.gr
MOVING AROUND The Athens public transportation network offers a wide range of routes, combining many different means, including the metro, trains, buses, trolleybuses and the tram. With a ticket of €1.40 you can move around using any means of public transport for 1h and 30m. Tickets are available at all metro and train stations as well as the kiosks on the streets. Alternatively, you can inquire about day or weekly passes that offer transport at discounted rate.
METRO ĺ The state-of-the-art Athens Metro, opened just before the 2004 Olympic Games. It serves all major city spots and sites of interest, giving you, at the same time, the opportunity, to see the ancient ruins and statues which were discovered during its construction and are in display at various metro stations.
ΤAXI ĺ Greek taxis are inexpensive by European standards and offer an alternative to public transport. All licensed taxis are equipped with meters (the fare is charged per km and per hour) and display a card detailing the latest valid tariffs and surcharges. In certain tourist areas you may be asked to pay a predetermined (standard) amount for a ride to a specific destination; thus, before boarding a taxi make sure to seek information from another source on the exact fare of the journey. Listed below is a breakdown of taxi rates (per km) in Athens: Ŷ The flat rate at the start of the meter: 1.19 € Ŷ Rate per km inside the city limits (zone 1): 0.68 € Ŷ Rate per km inside the city limits (zone 2): 1.19 € Ŷ Waiting time fee (per hour): 10.85 € Ŷ Minimum travel charge: 3.19 € Ŷ Night tariff (from 24:00 – 05:00): 1.19 € Ŷ To/ from Eleftherios Venizelos airport: 3.84 € Ŷ Outward from seaports and railways and bus depots: 1.07 € Ŷ Baggage over 10 KG (22 lbs) each: 0.40 € * Fares as per September 2011.
ACCOMMODATION IN ATHENS Athens offers an array of luxury and mid range accommodation establishments. Most hotels were upgraded or completely renovated for the 2004 Olympic Games or built after that, offering exceptional services coupled with the traditional Greek hospitality. Most of Athens’ luxurious hotels and international hotel chains are located in the city centre, making it easy for guests to enjoy the rich culture and immerse themselves in the Athenian life. A short drive away, equally luxurious hotels await guests who prefer the mountain air or the sea view. Athens is one of very few capitals in Europe offering excellent beaches and crystal clear seas in close proximity. With a capacity of 29,050 hotel rooms in 493 hotels, the city and the surrounding area can undoubtedly satisfy even the most demanding guest.
CONFERENCE VENUES Athens can host any meeting / conference / congress as event organizers have an unrivalled choice in a variety of state-of-theart venues. Fully equipped and easily accessible, most of these venues offer large exhibition facilities and prime services to event organisers. With long experience in hosting major international events, such as the 2004 Olympic Games and many International and European Association congresses, Athens has rightfully become one of the most attractive event destinations over the past few years.
OTHER SERVICES As a world-class events destination, Athens is home to a large number of companies in the MICE industry that will advise you and provide assistance in organizing your event in Athens or elsewhere in Greece. The Athens Convention Bureau, in particular, is continuously working with its member partners to develop services and activities in order to present event organizers with the utmost event solution.
ATTRACTIONS
ATTRACTIONS Acropolis ĺ The Parthenon, a monument that constitutes the symbol of Greece and the ancient Greek civilisation worldwide, has been standing on the “sacred rock” of Athens, the Acropolis, for thousands of years. The Parthenon along with the other monuments of the Acropolis, are magnificent pieces of art, reflecting the Classical period and the Golden Age of ancient Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. In this archaeological site one can also visit the nearby Museum of Acropolis.
Byzantine Museum ĺ The Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens is one of the most important public institutions in Greece. Established in the early 20th century (1914) in order to collect, study, preserve and exhibit the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine cultural heritage in the Hellenic territory. The museum collection contains an important number (approximately 30,000) of works of art such as icons, sculptures, ceramics, ecclesiastical textiles, paintings, jewelries and architectural elements (wall paintings and mosaics).
The Acropolis Museum ĺ Designed my Bernard Tchumi in collaboration with Michalis Photiadis; the sparkling new museum, since its opening in June 2009, has already become the City’s top attraction and is expected to become one of the most visited and “must see” museums worldwide. The museum, which exhibits approximately 4.000 artefacts, allows the sculptures to be viewed in natural light, with special glass and climate-control measures protecting them from sunlight. The most impressive part of the museum is its top floor, where visitors will be able to view the frieze and then look out of the windows to view the Parthenon itself. The overall budget for the Museum’s construction was €130 million, including the cost of expropriations.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus ĺ At the footsteps of Acropolis, the Odeon was built in 161 A.D. under Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes. To date concerts, plays and ballets are performing from May to October. The natural setting of Herodeion, with its marvellous arcades, the Parthenon as a backdrop and the moon up in the sky will certainly fascinate you.
Museums ĺ The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is one of the largest archaeological museums in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art. Founded in 1889 to house and protect antiquities from all over Greece, thus displaying their historical, cultural and artistic value. The National Archaeological Museum of Athens, The Byzantine Museum, The Museum of Cycladic Art, the Benaki Museum and the National Gallery of Athens are only a few of the places you will want to visit while in Athens.
Panathinaikon Stadium ĺ Originally built in the 4th century B.C. for the athletic competitions of the Great Panathinaia (ancient Greek festivities), the “Kallimarmaron” Stadium (meaning “beautiful marble”) was the venue of the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896.
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ATTRACTIONS Eating out in Athens ĺ During the past decade, the Athenian cuisine has experienced a gourmet revolution. The traditional and world-renowned moussaka and souvlaki image has given way to a cornucopia of fine dining options and Michelin star restaurants. Meanwhile, the Athenian landscape of the 19th century neoclassical buildings, ancient sites, artsy industrial and Mediterranean coastal milieus have created a canvas for alluring interiors and exteriors. Rooftop bar - restaurants in Athens can compete with some of the world’s most renowned ones, but can they claim a view of the Acropolis?
Nightlife ĺ Athens is famous for its vibrant nightlife. The Athenians like to party and will do so almost every night of the week. The choices are plenty and they appeal to all tastes and lifestyles. In general, things get started pretty late: around midnight for bars and clubbing and after 9 pm for dinner at the city’s tavernas, restaurants and bar-restaurants. The Greeks are well known for their lust-forlife lifestyle; a mentality that includes good food and good company, regardless of age. In Athens, life is for living and leaving your worries behind. The result is a good-hearted, energetic city with bars and restaurants to match. Hip areas include Gazi, Psirri, Metaxourgio, Monastiraki, Theseion and Kolonaki. Traditional Greek evenings can be spent in Plaka.
CONFERENCE VENUES
Sports and recreation
ĺ The birthplace of the Olympic
Games has a tradition of athletics. The great outdoors is what recreational sporting in Athens is all about - yachting, sailing, windsurfing, beach volleyball, trekking and skiing. Who can forget the cyclists whizzing past the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill, the breathless marathon runners crossing the finishing line at Panathenaic Stadium or the windsurfers, sailors and rowers finessing the blue, Mediterranean seas during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games? Of course, the gorgeous summer weather coupled with the crystal clear turquoise waters, just minutes away from the city center, is ideal for sun and sea sports enthusiasts. The Fall and winter also have their sporting charms such as trekking and hiking on mountain trails, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking and skiing. Regimented health buffs are also accommodated by the many state-of-the art fitness centres at many leading hotels and throughout Athens in Kolonaki and around Syntagma Square.
CAPE SOUNION
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CRUISE TO HYDRA WITH CHARTERED YACHTS
DELPHI
OLYMPIA
GREEK ISLANDS
ABOUT GREECE
ABOUT GREECE Language ĺ The native language of the population is Modern Greek. English is widely spoken as a second language by the majority of Greeks, while French and German is also spoken at a good extent. Time ĺ Greece is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and an hour ahead of Central European Time. Health ĺ Emergency treatment is free in public hospitals. There are more doctors per person in Greece than in most other countries in the European Union.
TESTIMONIALS
TESTIMONIALS “It was a very well spent few days in Athens. I am certain having now re-visited Athens/Greece, I can sell it with confidence to any clients looking to place MICE business in the area.” Sandra Boothman, Account Manager, HelmsBriscoe International, Scotland “…The 2008 Athens program was rated as one of the best in the company’s history. I would agree having managed our global programs for the last six years ….” Peter Kropp, International Conference and Events Manager, Oriflame Cosmetics “Everyone that attended has said that it was the best Conference we ever had. That says a lot because we have held our meetings at several other locations in Europe and America.” Brent Howe, Chevron
Currency ĺ Greece is a full member of the European Union
Visa information ĺ Greece follows the Schengen Agree-
since 1981, and its currency is the Euro (€). All major credit cards are widely accepted in Greece.
ment provision and the subsequent acquis concerning short term visa issues stays of up to three (3) months in the Schengen area. Holders of regular passports from the rest of the world need a visa in order to enter Greece (and the Schengen area).
Climate ĺ Athens is an ideal year-round city destination with comfortable and favourable climate conditions. Rainfall is minimal (estimated at just 40 cm or 16 inches per year) and there are on average 300 days of sunshine a year.
www.athensconventionbureau.gr
“On behalf of my client PIERRE FABRE MEDICAMENT and my company GRUP CONGRESS it’s a pleasure to send all of you our biggest congratulations for your wonderful job during our New Perspectives Congress in Urology held in September 2007.” New Perspectives Congress in Urology, Margarita Carbonell, General Manager, GRUP CONGRESS “Excellent congress in a lovely city!” “Very enjoyable conference! Well done!” “Very well organized. Enjoyed the sessions and excellent opening ceremony and other social activities.” Comments from participants, 31st Annual Meeting of the International Urogynecological Association
“THANK YOU for arranging such a wonderful meeting. We arrived home at 2am East Coast US time, and I’m still feeling very happy and content about the conference and the wonderful kindness of the Greek people.” “A very warm and whole hearted thanks for organizing one of the best Congresses in recent years.” “It was a perfectly organized event! I enjoyed the multicultural environment!” “I ‘ve just gotten back from a wonderful cruise to the Greek Isles. What a beautiful country you live in!” Comments from participants, 25th International Congress of Pediatrics
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7 Xenofontos Str, 105 57 Athens Greece, Tel: +302103253123 Fax: +302103216653 www.athensconventionbureau.gr email: info@athensconventionbureau.gr