Optional Tours

17/10/2004 - One day excursion to Argolis *
* optional for G.A. participants and accompanying persons
Passing past Corinthos we are heading to Mycenae, the Homerian town of the King of Atrides, the town of wealth and gold. Passing under the Lion gate, we are finally surrounded by the Cyclopean fortification and we visit the royal tombs. The Argolis was the heart of Greece from 1600 to 1100 B.C. under the Mycenaeans. With their decline, the Dorians controlled the fate of the region until the conquest of the country by the Romans. During the Byzantine era, Argolis shared the fortune of the rest of the Peloponnesus.
It was ruled by the Franks and surrendered to the Turks in 1460. Nafplio, however, remained in Venetian hands until 1540.

At noon, we depart for Nafplio passing through the fertile plain of Argolis. The picturesque town of Nafplio is lying on the foot of the Palamidi castle.
Nafplio was the capital of the newly formed Greek state from 1828 to 1834, when this role passed to Athens.

At Nafplio we will have free time for a tour and lunch. 		 

In the afternoon, we set off on a tour to Epidaurus in order to visit the famous for its acoustics theatre of the 4th century B.C.

The "Theatre of Epidaurus" was designed by Polykleitos the Younger. The harmony of its cavea, the way it 'sits' in the landscape with the semicircle hollowed out of the side of the hill and the quality of its acoustics make the Epidaurus theatre one of the great architectural achievements.

The Theatre of Epidaurus is the best preserved theater in Greece. Originally, the number of seats was 6,210 while the expansion of 21 rows above the diazoma allowed the theater to accommodate about 14,000 people. Modern performances of old drama are held here.

After our tour in the area and the museum we are going to return to Athens.

20/10/2004 (afternoon) - Technical visit to KTIMATOLOGIO S.A. *
* optional for G.A. participants at no cost

KTIMATOLOGIO S.A.

HEMCO'S affiliated company responsible for compiling the National Cadastre of Greece.

The current status of the programme will be presented.

  

20/10/2004 - Visit to the Acropolis and Pnyka with coffee *
* optional for G.A. participants and accompanying persons

The Acropolis

For thousands of years the Acropolis has been the symbol of Athens, the sacred rock, the link that connects the magnificent ancient civilization with the modern. The Acropolis and its monuments (The Parthenon, The Erectheion, The Propylaea), its history and the myths that are connected with it are rightly the pride and the glory of Athens.

Pnyka

Pnyka is situated between the Hill of the Musses, upon which stands the Monument of Philopapou, and the Hill of the Nymphs, where the tomb of Kimon was found and where the Observatory stands today.
It was the place where the Athenians gathered to listen to the speeches of their leaders, like Themistokles, Perikles, Demosthenes who spoke from the bema.