by Robert Barr

Created on: December 13, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

The mountains of Greece offer a number of fantastic places to visit, especially in the winter, when the temperature is just that little bit too low for swimming and soaking in the rays. As a country, the landscape of the Greek mainland is spectacular. With its awe-inducing and dramatic scenery, dense forests, archaeological wonders and rich history, visitors can get the most out the true beauty of a country, and the soul of its land.

Mystras

The great ruin of Mystras once served as the capital of the Peloponnese, under Byzantine rule in the 14th and 15th centuries. It remained inhabited throughout the Ottoman period, and was abandoned in the year of 1832. The stunning fortified ruins that are now left over still stand in the beautiful mountainous landscape of Mt Taygetos, near ancient Sparta. Although it is now completely abandoned, visitors are more than welcome to enjoy this breathtaking destination.

Meteora

Meteora is the name given to the six monasteries that are spectacularly situated on the Plain of Thessaly in central Greece, near the Pindus Mountains. This incredible collection of monasteries is known to constitute one of the most important complexes of orthodox monasteries in the whole country, after Mt Athos. The entire complex is situated on sandstone, and the first monastery of the six was founded in the 14th century. This unique location and its surrounding mountains and picturesque landscape is now a tourist attraction, and is wholly accessible with the use of stairs.

Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain and a peninsula, located in Macedonia, Greece. It is home to an amazing 20 monasteries, and is now commonly referred to, especially by Greeks, as the 'Holy Mountain'. The peninsula of Athos goes out around 50 kilometres into the Aegean Sea, and the mount itself is a steep, forested and dramatic mountain which peaks at 2000 metres. Though Athos is attached to the mainland it is practically only possible to reach by boat. For visitors, there are two large ferries that travel there each day from Ouranoupolis and Dafni.

The Samaria Gorge

The Samaria Gorge is a Greek national park on the beautiful island of Crete. The Gorge is a long, 16 kilometer canyon in the southwestern part of the island that stretches on the settlement of Omalos to the northern side of the plateau. This walk has become hugely popular among tourists, the best-known part being the famous 'Iron Gates' - a very narrow climb up 1,100 metres.

Learn more about this author, Robert Barr.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.