The Meteora Monasteries rise between heaven and earth on mighty, dark rock peaks. These impressive structures in Thessaly, located in northern mainland Greece, are masterpieces of human ingenuity and have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The magic of Meteora unfolds in the evening, when the bustle of the day gives way to the silence and solitude of this sacred place." The name Meteora comes from the Greek word "meteoros," meaning "soaring high." Thousands of yea

Travel for those who know how to slow down I love returning to places where the sea feels like a long silken shawl—slow, smooth, and warm. For me, that place was Paralia Katerinis: not far from bustling Thessaloniki (about an hour's drive), but a completely different world in spirit. There are no noisy promenades or crowds here—just a wide stretch of sand, a gentle breeze, and the horizon of the Aegean Sea. In this post, I share my favorite spots, tips, and a selection of hot

Hotel: NYX Thessaloniki — Leonardo Hotels Thessaloniki is a city where everything is alive, warm, and genuine . A city where mornings begin with coffee by the sea, and evenings with the sounds of bouzouki in small taverns. It doesn't try to please—it simply lives. And that's what captivates. When you first find yourself here, the city seems to glow from within: the façades with worn plaster, the smell of fresh bougatsa and spices from the Modiano market, voices, music, the

(and it’s worth staying right here – at NYX Esperia Palace Athens) Athens is a city where the sun illuminates the marble of the Acropolis just as it did two thousand years ago, and the air still carries the scent of jasmine, coffee and the morning sea. Every time I return here, I feel: Athens is more than just a capital. It's a state of mind. A city where history lives at every step, but life flows easily, beautifully, almost Italian-style, with a Greek accent. ✦ Where to sta

Sometimes the most amazing places aren't found along the route, but in a turn in the road, where you find yourself almost by accident. That's how I first found myself in Kastoria —a quiet, ancient city in northern Greece, where Lake Orestiada mirrors the sky, and the houses recall Byzantium and the Ottomans, merchants and poets. The journey from Thessaloniki took a little over two hours. The bus glided past hills, and suddenly—the silvery expanse of water, rooftops immersed

My acquaintance with Greece began with Corfu—an emerald island where the sea reflects the sky and ancient olive trees hold the memory of centuries. It was then that I first realized that Greece is not just a country, but a special state of mind: calm, warm, and endlessly inspiring. Since then, I've returned again and again—to the Cyclades, Athens, Crete, and the Peloponnese—and each time Greece reveals itself in a new way. There's no "wrong" time to travel here—there's only y

Traveling around Greece for Aegean Notebooks, I always seek out places where style, comfort, and local flair merge into a single experience. In Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros, such a discovery was the Argini Syros—a modern five-star hotel just steps from Asteria Beach. A Location with Character The hotel is located just 300 meters from the famous Asteria Beach. But this is more than just a convenient spot for swimming: Ermoupolis is a town with a unique atmosphere, unlike a

Athens like a local. Discover the best things to do in Athens, beyond the Acropolis. All the alternative attractions in Athens, beyond the main ones. Skip the crowds! These hidden gems and secret spots will show you the real Athens, the way only locals know it. Athens is so much more than just ancient ruins like the Acropolis; it's a melting pot of cultures, created by a civilization that has influenced the city and all of Greece for centuries. I love this city! We enjoyed ex

There are places where it is not medicine that heals, but presence. Where hot water comes out of the ground - not to burn, but to embrace. Where you just sit in the spring - and you no longer need to explain anything. Edipsos is not a resort in the usual sense. It is a place where time passes slowly, where each day is like a letter: warm, slightly damp from steam and with a seal of trust. Why come here? – To slow down– To feel how the skin breathes when fear is no longer hel

Sometimes healing isn't about procedures. It's about just sitting by the water and stopping to rush . That's exactly the feeling I once had in Loutraki, a resort town on the Gulf of Corinth, just an hour from Athens. What does it feel like in Loutraki: – the air smells of eucalyptus and the sea– there are many elderly Greeks on the streets, just walking and breathing – as a reminder that this is also a treatment– you can not only drink the mineral water springs, but also tak

Greece, where thermal steam meets snow-capped mountains There is water that does not just flow – it carries a touch. In Loutra Pozar, in northern Greece, the water emerges from the ground warm – +37–38 °C – and speaks to the body in the language of ancient consolation. Nature itself opens its doors here. I call this thermal spa "a place of silence": not because of the absence of sounds - here you can hear splashing, rustling leaves, laughter of those who entered the warm wate

Or why go not just to the sea, but to the source There are places where you recover without effort. Where the sun is not aggression, but care. Where the salt is not on the wound, but in the air. Greece is exactly like that. I didn't immediately learn that this country has not only a sea, but also water - different, deeper. Warm, mineral, with steam over the mountains and a whisper from underground. Water that heals not only the body, but also the breath of life. Water in whic