Dana Facaros has been in love with Greece ever since she was 14 and spent a summer on her father's native island Ikaria. After studying ancient Greek, mythology and the classics during a brief stint at university, she has been visiting and writing about the country since 1977, when she wrote her first guidebook, to the Greek islands. She later co-authored the Cadogan guide to all Greece with Linda Theodorou, published in 2003. While researching that book she concentrated on Northern Greece. Since then she has become a Greek citizen and writes frequently about Greece for the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Travel Magazine.

• CONTENTSIntroduction PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION Chapter 1 Background Information Geography, Climate, Natural history and conservation, History, Government and politics, Economy, People, Language, Religion, Education, Archaeology, art and architecture, Music, Literature, Cinema Chapter 2 Practical Information When to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information and tour operators, Red tape, Embassies, Getting there and away, Health and safety, Women travellers, Travelling with a disability, Gay and lesbian travellers, Travelling with children, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays and festivals, Shopping, Sports and activities, Museums and archaeological sites, Opening times, Photography, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette, Travelling positively PART TWO THE GUIDE Chapter 3 ThessalonikiHistory, Getting there and away, Orientation, Getting around, Tourist information and tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Sports and activities, Other practicalities, What to see and do Chapter 4 ChalkidikiHistory, Getting there and away, Tourist information and tour operators, Sports and activities,Central Chalkidiki, Kassandra Peninsula, Sithonia Peninsula, Chalkidiki's east coast, Akte Peninsula, Mount Athos (Agion Oros) Chapter 5 Central MacedoniaTourist information, Mount Olympus National Park, Veria, Vergina, Naoussa, Ancient Pella, Edessa, Kilkis, Lake Kerkini National Park, Serres, South of Serres Chapter 6 Eastern MacedoniaHistory, Tourist information, Kavala, Ancient Philippi, Mount Pangaion, Drama, The Nestos River and Gorge, Thassos Chapter 7 ThraceTourist information, Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupolis, The Evros, Samothraki Chapter 8 Western MacedoniaHistory, Kastoria, East of Kastoria, Florina, Prespa National Park, Kozani, Pindus National Park Chapter 9 EpirusHistory, Ioannina, The Zagorochoria, Konitsa and around, Metsovo, Dodona, The Tzoumerka, The Ambracian Gulf, Parga, Syvota, Igoumenitsa Chapter 10 ThessalyHistory, Larissa, Around Larissa, Trikala, Meteora, West of Trikala: Pyli, Elati and Pertouli,Karditsa, Lake Plastira, Loutra SmokovaChapter 11 Magnesia and the Pelion PeninsulaVolos, The PelionChapter 12 The Sporades IslandsHistory , Skiathos, Skopelos, AlonissosChapter 13 AthensHistory and mythology, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tourist information and city tours, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Other practicalities, What to see and doAppendix 1 LanguageAppendix 2 Glossary Appendix 3 Further Information Index

Dana Facaros has been in love with Greece ever since she was 14 and spent a summer on her father's native island Ikaria. After studying ancient Greek, mythology and the classics during a brief stint at university, she has been visiting and writing about the country since 1977, when she wrote her first guidebook, to the Greek islands. She later co-authored the Cadogan guide to all Greece with Linda Theodorou, published in 2003. While researching that book she concentrated on Northern Greece. Since then she has become a Greek citizen and writes frequently about Greece for the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Travel Magazine.

• CONTENTSIntroduction PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION Chapter 1 Background Information Geography, Climate, Natural history and conservation, History, Government and politics, Economy, People, Language, Religion, Education, Archaeology, art and architecture, Music, Literature, Cinema Chapter 2 Practical Information When to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information and tour operators, Red tape, Embassies, Getting there and away, Health and safety, Women travellers, Travelling with a disability, Gay and lesbian travellers, Travelling with children, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays and festivals, Shopping, Sports and activities, Museums and archaeological sites, Opening times, Photography, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette, Travelling positively PART TWO THE GUIDE Chapter 3 ThessalonikiHistory, Getting there and away, Orientation, Getting around, Tourist information and tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Sports and activities, Other practicalities, What to see and do Chapter 4 ChalkidikiHistory, Getting there and away, Tourist information and tour operators, Sports and activities,Central Chalkidiki, Kassandra Peninsula, Sithonia Peninsula, Chalkidiki's east coast, Akte Peninsula, Mount Athos (Agion Oros) Chapter 5 Central MacedoniaTourist information, Mount Olympus National Park, Veria, Vergina, Naoussa, Ancient Pella, Edessa, Kilkis, Lake Kerkini National Park, Serres, South of Serres Chapter 6 Eastern MacedoniaHistory, Tourist information, Kavala, Ancient Philippi, Mount Pangaion, Drama, The Nestos River and Gorge, Thassos Chapter 7 ThraceTourist information, Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupolis, The Evros, Samothraki Chapter 8 Western MacedoniaHistory, Kastoria, East of Kastoria, Florina, Prespa National Park, Kozani, Pindus National Park Chapter 9 EpirusHistory, Ioannina, The Zagorochoria, Konitsa and around, Metsovo, Dodona, The Tzoumerka, The Ambracian Gulf, Parga, Syvota, Igoumenitsa Chapter 10 ThessalyHistory, Larissa, Around Larissa, Trikala, Meteora, West of Trikala: Pyli, Elati and Pertouli,Karditsa, Lake Plastira, Loutra SmokovaChapter 11 Magnesia and the Pelion PeninsulaVolos, The PelionChapter 12 The Sporades IslandsHistory , Skiathos, Skopelos, AlonissosChapter 13 AthensHistory and mythology, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tourist information and city tours, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Other practicalities, What to see and doAppendix 1 LanguageAppendix 2 Glossary Appendix 3 Further Information Index

Dana Facaros has been in love with Greece ever since she was 14 and spent a summer on her father's native island Ikaria. After studying ancient Greek, mythology and the classics during a brief stint at university, she has been visiting and writing about the country since 1977, when she wrote her first guidebook, to the Greek islands. She later co-authored the Cadogan guide to all Greece with Linda Theodorou, published in 2003. While researching that book she concentrated on Northern Greece. Since then she has become a Greek citizen and writes frequently about Greece for the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Travel Magazine.

• CONTENTSIntroduction PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION Chapter 1 Background Information Geography, Climate, Natural history and conservation, History, Government and politics, Economy, People, Language, Religion, Education, Archaeology, art and architecture, Music, Literature, Cinema Chapter 2 Practical Information When to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information and tour operators, Red tape, Embassies, Getting there and away, Health and safety, Women travellers, Travelling with a disability, Gay and lesbian travellers, Travelling with children, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays and festivals, Shopping, Sports and activities, Museums and archaeological sites, Opening times, Photography, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette, Travelling positively PART TWO THE GUIDE Chapter 3 ThessalonikiHistory, Getting there and away, Orientation, Getting around, Tourist information and tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Sports and activities, Other practicalities, What to see and do Chapter 4 ChalkidikiHistory, Getting there and away, Tourist information and tour operators, Sports and activities,Central Chalkidiki, Kassandra Peninsula, Sithonia Peninsula, Chalkidiki's east coast, Akte Peninsula, Mount Athos (Agion Oros) Chapter 5 Central MacedoniaTourist information, Mount Olympus National Park, Veria, Vergina, Naoussa, Ancient Pella, Edessa, Kilkis, Lake Kerkini National Park, Serres, South of Serres Chapter 6 Eastern MacedoniaHistory, Tourist information, Kavala, Ancient Philippi, Mount Pangaion, Drama, The Nestos River and Gorge, Thassos Chapter 7 ThraceTourist information, Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupolis, The Evros, Samothraki Chapter 8 Western MacedoniaHistory, Kastoria, East of Kastoria, Florina, Prespa National Park, Kozani, Pindus National Park Chapter 9 EpirusHistory, Ioannina, The Zagorochoria, Konitsa and around, Metsovo, Dodona, The Tzoumerka, The Ambracian Gulf, Parga, Syvota, Igoumenitsa Chapter 10 ThessalyHistory, Larissa, Around Larissa, Trikala, Meteora, West of Trikala: Pyli, Elati and Pertouli,Karditsa, Lake Plastira, Loutra SmokovaChapter 11 Magnesia and the Pelion PeninsulaVolos, The PelionChapter 12 The Sporades IslandsHistory , Skiathos, Skopelos, AlonissosChapter 13 AthensHistory and mythology, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tourist information and city tours, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Other practicalities, What to see and doAppendix 1 LanguageAppendix 2 Glossary Appendix 3 Further Information Index