Category: Greece videos

  • A monumental aerial view of the Athens Acropolis at night

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    Take a  night-time flight over the Acropolis in this 1-minute-long video by MStefanops

     

    Acropolis aglow:  I have seen the Acropolis in Athens numerous times at night, but always from ground level while walking around the city’s historic center. Although the street views of the illuminated Acropolis and its monuments have always been incredibly impressive, I have often wished I could get a better look from higher up. Now I finally have, thanks to a short but sweet film published August 24 on Vimeo.

    Posted by MStefanops, the drone video is only one minute long, but it provides some breathtaking views of the Acropolis and the centuries-old structures atop it, including the Parthenon,  the Propylaea, the Erechtheum, the Old Temple of Athena, and the Temple of Athena Nike, all aglow with their special night lighting.

    If you have managed to see the Acropolis only in daylight, this video will show you that the monument is equally enthralling after dark.

  • A journey above the scenic coasts of the southern Peloponnese

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    Reflecting on Peloponnese, by Vimeo contributors Nestoras Kechagias and Athanasia Lykoudi, features aerial views of amazing coastal sites and scenery in the southern Peloponnese

     

    Captivating coastlines: Two back-to-back trips have made us big fans of the Peloponnese, and its extensive, awe-inspiring coastlines in particular.

    In 2016 we spent most of our time in the eastern Peloponnese, staying in the scenic seaside towns of Nafplio, Monemvasia, and Tolo, and driving along the beautiful coast in the Laconia region between Nafplio and Leonidio.

    Much of this year’s trip took us to umpteen beautiful spots on the western Peloponnese seashore, including Pylos, Methoni, Voidokilia beach, Marathopoli, Kyparissia, Katakolo, Kyillini, Patras and many places in between.

    It was an incredible visual feast of destinations, but it left us hungry for more. Luckily, there are many miles of spellbinding seasides we haven’t yet explored, including the southern Peloponnese coastline from the Mani peninsula all the way east to Elafonnisi island.

    By chance, I found the film, Reflecting on the Peloponnese, shortly after returning home from our latest sojourn in Greece. With its captivating aerial views of such now-familiar places as Monemvasia, Methoni and Voidokilia, it instantly brought back vivid memories of our two most recent vacations. At the same time, it stirred our desire for another trip to the Peloponnese, so we can try to see the other fascinating sites shown in the video, including Kardamyli, Limeni, the Dimitrios shipwreck near Gytheio, Elafonissi, and more.

    The film runs less than 3 minutes, but you’ll find it’s a wonderful aerial journey across an amazing part of the Peloponnese.

     

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  • Captivated by Kavala

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    Gregory Liotakis published this aerial drone film of Kavala in April

     

    Aerial appeal: Up until the end of 2016, I was completely clueless about Kavala.

    I had heard of it, and I knew it was a place in mainland Greece. But I didn’t know exactly where, and I would not have been able to tell you for certain if was a mountain village, a big town or a seaside resort. So of course I had no idea what it looked like or what was there.

    That changed over the Christmas holiday season when storms dumped snow on many parts of Greece and I found photos and videos of Kavala while putting together two blog posts that I published in January — Greece in white winter glory, and Amazing winter wonderland scenes from Greece Part 2. 

    Suddenly I was intrigued. Kavala looked quite appealing and attractive (and not just because it was dusted with crisp white snow.)  With a few quick Google searches, I learned that Kavala is a bustling port city of 57,000 residents in the region of eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and is considered one of Greece’s “prettiest” and “most picturesque” cities. Some websites described Kavala as a “gem” and a “jewel” often overlooked by tourists or simply not on the radar for most people visiting Greece.

     

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    Since I had shared an aerial video of Kavala here on the blog, links to other Kavala films have appeared frequently in the “Up Next” sidebar when I have opened the YouTube webpage.  Most have been aerial videos showing the city in warm weather months, and I have been impressed by the scenes of seafront, beaches, city squares and historic sites — including a castle and aqueduct.  As you can probably expect, Kavala has now earned a spot on my travel bucket list.

    In case you’re planning a trip to the area,  or just wondering if it’s a place you would like to visit yourself, here are several Kavala videos that will help get you acquainted with the city.

     

    Scenes from Kavala in a 2.5-minute film by JL Aerial

     

    This nearly 3-minute long video by Aerial View shows the city’s historic castle and the impressive scenery it overlooks. 

     

    This “official” video by kavalaDimofelia shows top historic sites and attractions and near Kavala 

     

    This is a Kavala time lapse video published by Theo Kavala

  • Views of Viotia

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    This film by Sheep Productions includes aerial views of some of the scenic towns, lakes and mountain areas in Central Greece’s Viotia region

     

    Introductory visit: If all goes according to plan, we will be spending several days in the Central Greece region of Viotia during the final leg of our upcoming trip to Greece. 

    Truth be told, I had never heard of Viotia (also often spelled Boeotia) by its name until very recently, though I have long been aware of some of the top attractions in the area — including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Delphi, Mount Parnassus, and the town of Arachova.

    But then the Viotia from Above video was brought to my attention, and after studying a map I realized we could arrange to spend two or three days in the area en route from Central Greece to Athens.

    Viotia from Above runs just over two minutes and shows scenic drone views of two towns (Livadeia and Arachova), Kria Springs and Yliki Lake, the countryside at Lafysti, plus Mount Parnassus and Helikon Mountain. 

     

    Viotia region of Greece

    The Viotia region is highlighted in pink on this Google map

     

    After watching that clip, I found My Unique Arachova (below), a video posted by the Aegli hotel in Arachova. It runs for two and a half minutes and shows scenes from the town and surrounding area; mountain biking and skiing at Mount Parnassus; mountain and landscape scenery; and an aerial view of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

    Together, the two films enticed me into adjusting our travel plans so we can pass through Viotia after a road trip in the western Peloponnese and a visit to Kefalonia island.

     

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    While won’t be doing any skiing at Parnassus, it seems clear there will be plenty of other things to keep us happily occupied in and around Arachova and Delphi — and anywhere else we might get to in Viotia. I’m sure we will wind up wishing we had considerably more time to explore the region more thoroughly, but our short stay will give us a taste of what’s there (and I’ve already been told by several people that the local food is divine) and what we will be able to see during a return visit on another holiday.

    In case the videos pique your own interest in visiting Viotia,  you can find some helpful general information on the Viotia page of Greece.com.  Also worth a look is the article Arachova: A Cosmopolitan Greek Mountain Experience from the travel, culture and gastronomy website Greece Is.

     

    You’ll see scenes from the town of Arachova, Mount Parnassus, Delphi and other places in Viotia in this video by YouTube contributor aegli-arachova.gr

     

  • Trifilia’s enticing attractions

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    This film by Achillefs Jorjini spotlights more than 30 stunning destinations in the western Peloponnese area of Trifilia

     

    Treasure trove: Plans for our next Greek holiday are gradually coming together, and a visit to part of the Peloponnese is on the itinerary for the second year in a row.

    Last year’s vacation took us through the regions of Laconia and Arcadia in the eastern Peloponnese, where we spent time in Nafplio, Monemvasia, Sparta, and Tolo, and saw numerous other places along the way.

    This time, a road trip will take us through Messenia in the western Peloponnese, where we will get to see parts of the municipal region of Trifilia. I am familiar with Messenia, since I know people who live in the area and many others who have travelled there. But I had never heard of Trifiliam by that name at least, until I discovered the video I posted above. And what good timing it was to find the film, since it spotlights a virtual treasure trove of enticing destinations, many of which I knew nothing about. 

    Entitled Explore Trifilia 2017, the 10.5-minute video  by Achillefs Jorjini takes you on an alluring aerial tour above nearly three dozen different places in the area, including scenic towns and villages, breathtaking coastlines and beaches, impressive natural scenery and important historic sites and monuments.

     

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    Among the gorgeous beaches and coastal areas shown in the video are:

    ♦ Voidokilia

    ♦ Golden Beach Mati

    ♦ Vromoneri

    ♦ Barlas

    ♦ Lagouvardos

    ♦ Agia Kiriaki

    ♦ Stomio

    ♦ Agrilis

    ♦ Kyparissia

    ♦ Kalo Nero

    ♦ Elea, and

    ♦ the Vourlia peninsula on Proti island 

     

    Kalo Nero beach in Messenia

    Screen capture of the video’s pass above Kalo Nero beach

     

    Villages and towns seen in the film include:

    ♦ Koroni

    ♦ Pylos

    ♦ Kyparissia and the Kyparissia Old Town

    ♦ Agia Sotira

    ♦ Tragana

    ♦ Gargaliani

    ♦ Marathopoli

    ♦ Filiatra

    ♦ Kalo Nero

    ♦ Kopanaki

    ♦ Sidirokastro, and

    ♦ Aetos

     

    Marathopoli in Messenia

    Screen capture from the video’s view of the coastal village of Marathopoli

     

    Views of significant landmarks and attractions include:

    ♦ Ancient Messene

    ♦ the monastery on Proti island

    ♦ the fortress at Methoni

    ♦ the Neokastro and Palaiokastro fortresses at Pylos

    ♦ the Palace of Nestor

    ♦ the waterfalls at Polilimnio and Valtas

    ♦ Analipsi church at Filiastra

    ♦ Byzantine monuments at Agia Sotira

    ♦ the Mycenean tomb at Peristeria

    ♦ the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, and

    ♦ the  Neda River

     

    the fortress at Methoni

    Screen capture of the video’s flight around the Methoni fortress

     

    The only drawback to watching the video was that it revealed far more sites and attractions than we will have time to visit, which I found a little disappointing. I wanted to see everything, since it all looked so picturesque and appealing! The upside, of course, is that there will be plenty of places to see on another trip to Messenia. And I have a strong hunch there will indeed be a return visit.

  • Discover more of Greece on my blog’s Facebook page

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    MyGreeceTravelBlog Facebook page

    I regularly share photos & videos, as well as links to Greece travel news and information, on the MyGreeceTravelBlog page on Facebook. You don’t have to be a Facebook member to see what I post there.

     

    What’s there: I love blogging about Greece, but since this website is a personal hobby that I work on during my limited spare time  (it’s not a commercial travel site, as some people think), it’s just not possible for me to post new articles every day. But it’s a whole different story with the MyGreeceTravelBlog page on Facebook, where I can easily share news, information, pictures and videos with just a few quick clicks on my mouse or smartphone. And that’s exactly what I do almost every day when I check my Facebook news feed to see what’s happening in Greece.

     

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    You don’t have to be a registered Facebook user to see what I post on my page — although you will encounter one of those annoying popup windows that asks you to either login or sign up for an account to see more of the MyGreeceTravelBlog page. (You don’t have to do that — just click the “Not Now” button and the box will drop to the bottom of the page, letting you scroll through the various items I have posted.)

    If you do have a Facebook account, simply “like” or “follow” my blog page (if you haven’t done so already) so you can see my posts in your daily news feed.

    Check out my page regularly, and you’ll discover more of Greece to complement the articles I publish here on the blog.

    Click on the link below to turn to page 2 where you’ll see examples of the types of posts you’ll find on my Facebook page.

    CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

  • On our way to …. Nafplio!

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    Nafplio-Greece Timelapse is a 3:45-minute film by Stefanos Kyriazis

     

    Next stop Nafplio: It’s holiday time at long last, and my partner and I are now on our way back to Greece to explore part of a region we have never visited before — the eastern Peloponnese. 

    Our first destination will be Nafplio, the former capital of Greece, which is often described as one of the most beautiful towns in the entire country.  We have heard so many good things about Nafplio, and the many impressive attractions nearby, that  we figured it was high time we checked it out for ourselves.

    I’ll post photos from Nafplio if I’m in a blogging mood while we’re there. In the meantime, I’m sharing this Stefanos Kyriazis timelapse film of Nafplio so readers who aren’t familiar with the town can see what it looks like.

    More on Nafplio to follow!

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  • Thessaloniki: Greece’s historic yet young-at-heart second city

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    If you haven’t been to Thessaloniki yet, this promotional film will leave you wondering how to include the city on your next trip to Greece

     

    Cultural capital: Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece, is already on my list of must-see destinations for future vacations. But an impressive promotional video produced on behalf of the city has left me wishing I could go there ASAP.

    Released on March 18 2016, Thessaloniki, the inside track includes enticing aerial and ground-level views of some of the city’s top attractions, including monuments, historic sites, public squares, the beautiful waterfront and other public places.

    Notes accompanying the YouTube video say that “Thessaloniki, historically one of Europe’s oldest and most multiethnic cities, widely considered as the cultural capital of Greece, is truly unique in the sense that it intricately marries its thousands-year-old multicultural heritage and the architectural marvels with the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Sephardic Jew history.  With a student-strong population of 150,000, Thessaloniki boasts an under-30s do-it-yourself youth culture-creative movement seen nowhere else in the Southern part of Europe.”

    The notes also describe Thessaloniki as “Gastronomic Capital of Greece,” best party city and best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.

    All perfectly good reasons why the city clearly deserves a visit.

    Should you need further convincing, just give the 3.5-minute clip a watch. I’m willing to bet it will make you want to see Thessaloniki, too.