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Mount Olympus Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the ancient Greek gods and Greece's highest mountain, has reached a historic milestone. During its 48th session, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unanimously approved the inscription of the wider Mount Olympus area on the UNESCO World Heritage Properties List, recognising its outstanding natural, cultural and symbolic value to humanity. The decision, adopted in Busan, Republic of Korea, marks a landmark achievement for Greece. More than a mountain, Olympus is an amazing landscape where nature, history and mythology have been intertwined for millennia. Celebrated as the mythical dwelling place of the Twelve Olympian Gods, it has inspired generations of travellers, artists, and storytellers, while preserving its exceptional biodiversity, rare flora and fauna, as well as an extensive network of hiking trails that attract visitors from around the world. The UNESCO inscription acknowledges Olympus as a Mixed World Heritage Property, a place where cultural heritage and the natural environment form an inseparable whole. It also reinforces the commitment to safeguarding and sustainably managing this extraordinary landscape, ensuring that its unique values are preserved for future generations in line with the principles of the World Heritage Convention. For travellers, Mount Olympus offers unforgettable experiences throughout the year. Whether hiking its iconic trails, reaching its legendary peaks, exploring traditional villages, discovering the ancient archaeological site of Dion or wandering through lush forests and dramatic gorges, every journey reveals another layer of Greece's rich heritage. This UNESCO recognition is an international affirmation of what visitors have long experienced firsthand: Mount Olympus is a place where myth meets nature and history, creating one of the world's most extraordinary destinations. Now officially recognised among humanity's greatest treasures, the Mountain of the Gods invites the world to discover its timeless beauty with respect and wonder.

27/07/2026

Mount Olympus Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Coffee pleasure, the Greek way

Nourishing the body, mind, and soul Coffee drinking is a daily pleasure, a habit that most people love to practice every day. ‘Let’s go out for a coffee’ is what you’ll hear the Greeks say to friends, relatives, or colleagues after work. Hot or Iced coffee? It depends on the season and your preference. The traditional Greek coffee is prepared in a small pot (briki) and served hot in a thick-walled cup, next to a glass of cold water. The Greek coffee brewed in a pot placed on chovoli (charcoal ash covered by sand to keep it hot) is most flavourful and definitely worth a try! In the afternoon or evening hours a sweet treat will accompany your coffee very nicely: ask for a spoon sweet or an ypovrychio (a spoonful of a tasty gum-like paste, placed in a glass of cold water). The iced coffee that Greeks enjoy any time of the year is the so-called frappé, which -despite its name- is not French. It’s a frothy iced coffee prepared with cold water in a shaker (sugar & milk added to taste – if any) and served with ice cubes. Other popular types include the freddo espresso and the freddo cappuccino, made with espresso coffee blended with ice (and an added thick froth of chilled milk for freddo cappuccino), and served in a tall glass. Don’t let their Italian names fool you, they are Greek recipes! Whatever the type of coffee you choose, if you want to enjoy it the traditional Greek way, you must take your time with it. The Greeks like to sip it and savour the aroma while socialising; the longer it takes for them to drink it, the more they enjoy it! There are impressive traditional café-restaurants across the country, and it’s worth discovering them and their history. In Athens, follow us on a visit to the café Oraia Ellas (est. 1839), in Monastiraki. The eye-catching exhibits, the pictures on the walls, the traditional tables are all part of the old times atmosphere of this place. There’s a large variety of Greek tasty dishes and sweets to savour. For the chess lovers, there’s Café Panellinion (Exarchia, Athens), where apart from freshly brewed coffee and other titbits, there are chess boards and dedicated players who take part in games and tournaments, while the famous chess masters of old times watch them from their picture frames on the walls. On the Aegean Sea Island of Lesvos, Kafeneion O Ermis is one of the oldest existing coffee houses in Greece. Much of the original décor has remained almost intact and visitors will be impressed by the marble-topped tables, the velvet curtains and large mirrors, the gold-framed paintings, and the traditional wooden sofas. The local seafood dishes are a must-try. Café Kipos (est. 1870) is located in the Municipal Garden of Chania town, Crete. Once the haunt for princes, politicians and personalities of the arts & letters, this legendary café now hosts art, music & theatrical events, food festivals, and a photography exhibition about the history of Crete. The Greek historical cafés combine flavour with culture & history. Explore them and relish the experience!

16/09/2022

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