5 Best Cities to Visit in Greece

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Best Cities to Visit in Greece

Greece is a favorite tourist destination not only for its bright sunshine but the beautiful sandy beaches, pretty islands and a plethora of amazing ancient historical ruins.

Greek cities carry with them great history and are surrounded by attractive landscape like rocky hills and inviting waters and beaches. 

This country has many islands that one can explore and the main land is inspiring with natural beauty.

Its culture and nightlife in the country is a pleasant experience.

The  whitewashed villages, delicious cuisine, pretty islands  and a friendly ambience make Greece the top travel destination in Europe.  

It is one country that one cannot ignore the beauty it holds.

Here are some of the best cities in Greece that are worth visiting for a lifetime experience.

1. Athens

By Carole Raddato wikimedia

Athens has a plethora of historic sites that tourists enjoy visiting. The valuable Acropolis towering the city is one of the main attractions.

This busy city is also a center for business, culture, and nightlife.

There are ancient monuments, buildings and ruins spread out across the city that dates back to many centuries back. 

They still hold their luster despite the modern buildings around them.

Plaka and Monastiraki are some of the neighborhoods that have retained their charm for years. 

As the capital city of Greece, Athens is home to half of the country’s population. 

It has restaurants, cafés and pubs that offer a lively atmosphere and a pleasant experience while in the city.

The city boasts of some of the greatest museums that are rich with history and impressive ancient sites that are in the city. 

A boat ride from Piraeus will lead you from the city to the beautiful islands in the country.

The top attractions in the city other than the Acropolis are the Parthenon, the ancient Agora and the theater of Dionysus.

Read more: Top 20 facts about the city of Athens 

2. Thessaloniki

This port city is located on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. It is also known as the cultural capital of Greece.

It is the second-largest city and has an energetic cultural scene with many festival and events held in the city annually.

This cosmopolitan city has a history that is over three thousand years old with ancient Roman ruins in the city too. 

Some attractions are the ottoman buildings, Turkish baths, colorful food markets, art galleries, Aristotelous square,  Arch of Galerius, archeological museum of Thessaloniki, and the Byzantine churches.

A stroll along charming waterfront gives a beautiful experience at the 15th-century white tower that overlooks the sea below.

Thessaloniki has an exciting nightlife scene, live music and delicious local food. It has a large student body making it a multicultural haven full of spirited ambience.

3. Larissa

By Δημήτρης Πλαστήρας -wikimedia

Larissa city is located on the banks of Pinios River. It is also the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. 

This is one of the oldest cities in Greece that has been inhabited for almost eight thousand years.

It has its fair share of lovely historical sites with Byzantine and Ottoman ruins spread out in the city.

Its ancient theater is quite impressive while the remains of a neolithic acropolis deserve a visit. 

Larissa was the home of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, a monument has been placed on his tomb that was rediscovered in the 19th century.

The city had an exhibition in 2015 of many artifacts that were found in Larissa’s ancient sites at the excellent Diachronic Museum.

Its imposing mountains, lush valleys, ottoman covered marketplace, and Hellenistic theater from the 3rd century Bc in its almost perfect condition are some fun sites to visit.

Top attractions in the city are: Larissa ancient ruins, Archeo theatro Larisas, and kalipso waterfalls.

4. Mykonos

By Bernard Gagnon -wikimedia

The Mykonos is famous for its attractive, conventional Cyclades of white and blue houses, narrow streets with shops, churches and windmills. 

The whole town provides a pretty backdrop of beautiful for a photo opportunity. There are several activities to choose from while in the town.

The bars, taverns, restaurants, boutique shops and fancy clothes store are places to get Greek souvenirs such as olive oil, leather sandals and postcards.

This island is popular for its summer parties, beautiful beaches and blaring music from massive dance clubs that attract world-famous DJs to play. The parties are known to spill over to dawn.

The windmills of little Venice in Mykonos is also a popular site. Its architecture and beauty resemble that of Venice in Italy.

The view of this picturesque site can be seen from the cafés and bars by the shore in Mykonos town or though an actual visit to the site. 

A cruise at the Ormos port is a perfect way to wind down an evening while watching the magnificent sunset from the sea. 

The beauty of this town extends to the sea with the marine life underwater. 

There are scuba diving activities at the paradise reef, where the seabed is full of diverse marine life. 

There are sponges, nudibranchs, colorful wrasse, sea bream, barracuda, starfish and octopus.

5. Heraklion, Crete

Crete has to be one of those places that cannot be missed while visiting Greece. Heraklion is the capital and largest city on the island.

The island is famous for its diverse terrain from its expansive sandy beaches, lush greenery, rocky terrains to the rolling white mountains. 

Heraklion interesting places to visit with rich history are the churches, chapels and monasteries. Its biggest attraction is the massive and deserving respect fortress Castello del Molo.

This island has some interesting Greek archeological sites and heritage monuments that can be found in the city. 

The city was a leading tourist destination in 2017 and the 20th most visited European destination.

The Heraklion archeological museum showcases some of the world’s best Minoan art, it has the most notable and complete collection of artifacts of the Minoan civilization of Crete.

Its beautiful Elafonissi beach, turquoise water at Balos lagoon and the ever magnificent sunset at Falassarna Beach, the palatial palace of Knossos and the Manousakis winery are some top attractions in the city.