{"id":4668,"date":"2017-12-07T22:26:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T22:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.routeperfect.com\/?p=4668"},"modified":"2024-05-09T09:40:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T09:40:51","slug":"travel-back-in-time-to-ancient-greece-with-our-online-trip-planner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/travel-back-in-time-to-ancient-greece-with-our-online-trip-planner\/","title":{"rendered":"The modern time traveller: use our online trip planner to travel back in time to Ancient Greece!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The modern time traveller: use our online trip planner to travel back in time to Ancient Greece!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve almost certainly seen every time travel movie from the past 20 years. While technology has not (yet!) made it possible to jump back to medieval Hallstatt or to witness the Golden Age of Spain, there are some incredible locations where you can feel like you have stepped straight out of a history book. How lucky that we can, in this day and age, still wander along ancient streets and markets and explore untouched terrain. Here\u2019s the first time-travel itinerary of the series created with our online Europe trip planner<\/a><\/strong>. Now you can pretend to be (and feel exactly like) a modern day time traveller!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Athens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Athens has the longest history of any singular city in the world. Ancient Greece<\/a> laid the foundations for Western Civilisation as we know it, and Athens<\/a> was her capital. It was a time when philosophers walked the streets, education was considered of great importance and democracy was a new and trending concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence of human habitation actually dates back to the Neolithic period, but much of the ruins and historical landmarks we recognise are from the 5th <\/sup>Century BC. The Acropolis<\/em> is an ancient citadel, constructed by Pericles, that overlooks the city from a rocky outcrop. To walk through the Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Theatre of Dionysus is to walk in the footsteps of some of the greatest minds the world has ever known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Acropolis, Athens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Cafe, Athens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Thessaloniki<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thessaloniki was founded in 315BC by the King of Macedon and was named after the sister of Alexander the Great. In its heyday, Thessaloniki<\/a> was the second most influential city in the Byzantine Empire (after Constantinople) due to its the size and wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Old Town, Ano Poli,<\/em> is a perfect example of a place in which time has stood still. A vibrant culture that has inspired many an artist, poet and musician throughout the centuries lies within the Byzantine walls and stone paved streets. From Macedonian and Ottoman architecture to the French influence of the new city, Thessaloniki elegantly links ancient and modern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aristotelous Square was, and is still, the epicenter of sociopolitical life with its frequent rallies, political speeches and celebrations. The Modiano and Kapani markets are hotspots for authentic tavernas and local cuisine, and together highlight just a small part of the city\u2019s vivacious personality. It\u2019s no wonder that the city is very popular for street photography!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Panoramic view of Thessaloniki city at Aristotelous square, Greece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Skyline of Thessaloniki quay at twilight. Greece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Rhodes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese, just off the coast of Turkey. It gained its status as an important stop on trade routes between the East and the West. The city was once famous for the Colossus of Rhodes<\/em>, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. This enormous statue of the sun god, Helios, stood 33m in height (approximately the same height as the Statue of Liberty) until it was destroyed by an earthquake, a mere 54 years after its construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhodes<\/a> is another must-see for the modern time traveller. Enter through any one of the 7 gates of the fortified Old City and you will find yourself wandering through the oldest and largest medieval town in Europe. In the heart of the city, amongst the hustle and bustle of shops and restaurants reminiscent of a Turkish Bazaar, stands the Palace of the Grandmaster. The impressive architecture and elaborately decorative style will transport you back to Rhodes\u2019 historical beginnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lindos with the castle above on the Greek Island of Rhodes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Old Town Square, Rhodes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Santorini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Santorini is part of the Cyclades, within the Agean archipelago. The island is one of many formed as a result of a major volcanic eruption that tore apart a former singular island. Santorini\u2019s rich volcanic soil is the island\u2019s greatest export, and the region boasts a strong wine-making tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unoccupied during the Bronze Age and lacking the historical remnants seen elsewhere in Greece, Santorini sports a traditional and unique architectural style. Nestled into the cliff faces are low-lying buildings, constructed from whitewashed local stone and coloured with pigments derived from different volcanic ashes. Oia in particular has some of the most breathtaking sunsets in the world. While you’re in the area, use our online trip planner to explore the surrounding islands – each has its own unique history and distinctive beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Oia, Santorini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Colourful neighbourhood in Oia, Santorini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Have we missed anything? We’d love to hear some other locations to inspire the next blog-piece in the series. Use our online trip planner to travel back in time today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The modern time traveller: use our online trip planner to travel back in time to Ancient Greece! I\u2019ve almost certainly seen every time travel movie from the past 20 years. While technology has not (yet!) made it possible to jump back to medieval Hallstatt or to witness the Golden Age of Spain, there are some incredible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[261,266,413,421],"tags":[44,488,642,643,305,139,614,218,161,307,640,284,425,428,415,641,16,19,185,20,186,52],"class_list":["post-4668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-travel","category-greece-travel","category-solo-travels","category-the-best-of","tag-adventure","tag-athens","tag-cyclades","tag-dodecanese","tag-euro-trip","tag-europe","tag-family-travel","tag-greece","tag-history","tag-holiday","tag-rhodes","tag-roadtrip","tag-romance","tag-santorini","tag-solo-travel","tag-thessaloniki","tag-travel","tag-trip","tag-trip-planner","tag-trip-planning","tag-vacation","tag-wanderlust"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4668"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13569,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4668\/revisions\/13569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routeperfect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}