Might I Suggest - Summer 2016

Might I Suggest ?

Hotel Grande Bretagne & King George - Concierge Services

READ ABOUT: Culture and Family Activities, Local excursion to Aegina Island, The Best Squares of Athens, Athens’ Open Air Cinemas & Sweet Arrival @ Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens

CULTURE & MUSIC Music festivals

CULTURE & MUSIC

The city of Athens hosts a number of Music performances and for one more year invites you to visit the following festivals and enjoy the finest the music tones!

Ejekt festival

Editors - July 8th 2016

Visit Ejekt Festival >

James - July 8th 2016

Muse - July 23th 2016

Plateia Nerou, Olympic Pole Faliro, Leof. Posidonos 2616, Athens, Greece

Release Athens 2016

Parov Stellar - June 3rd 2016

PJ Harvey - June 7th 2016

Sigur Ros - June 13th 2016

Release Athens 2016 >

Plateia Nerou, Olympic Pole Faliro, Leof. Posidonos 2616, Athens, Greece

CULTURE & MUSIC

Beirut - June 1st 2016

Hypnos project

CULTURE & MUSIC

What happens during sleep?

The “Hypnos Project� will open our eyes to a time during which we have no sense of who we are. The Hypnos Project is a festival of the Onassis Cultural Centre. It consists of an exhibition of modern and contemporary art, a series of performances and sleepovers, a cycle of sound works and walks, a series of lectures and public discussions, and a special magazine issue.

The exhibition is organized around a series of binaries, with a rich historical context, whose effects extend to this day: sleep/death, love/gender, normality/disorder, work/rest, reality/dream, rational/irrational, modern/contemporary, object/ realization.

Onassis Cultural Centre,

Main Exhibition | Opening: 11 April 2016 The Hypnos Project brings to the public masterpieces of Greek art, works by contemporary artists, and archival material.

107-109 Syngrou Avenue, 11745 Athens, Greece APR-JUN 2016 Experience the Hypnos Project >

Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2016 What is the Athens Festival?

A great celebration that has lasted 56 summers, and that has hosted some of the leading lights of theatre, music and dance.

Until 2005, Hellenic Festival events were staged at the following venues: the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the two ancient theatres at Epidaurus (at the Sanctuary of Asclepius, and at the ancient city), and the Lycabettus Theatre.

In 1955, when George Rallis was Minister of the Presidency in the government of Alexander

Papagos, the decision was taken to organise a high arts festival in Athens. To this end, the renowned theatre director Dinos Giannopoulos was invited over from America, and was in effect given the complete freedom to found and organise the Athens Festival as he saw fit. The Festival programme included theatre and music performances, all of which were held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

The highlight of the inauguratory year was the appearance in Athens of the great New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dimitris Mitropoulos.

Explore the Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2016 >

CULTURE & MUSIC

From Mitropoulos and Callas to Rostropovich, Pavarotti, Leonidas Kavakos and Dimitris Sgouros. Above all, however, it is a venture with an eventful past often clouded by events in Greece’s recent history. A venture that, over the last two years, has taken on a youthful vitality, and openness.

CULTURE & MUSIC

A day trip to Epidaurus

Explore with this guided one full day trip from Athens to Argolis the remains of the ancient city of Mycenae a major centre of Greek civilization from 1600BC to 1100BC and a world heritage monument.

Depart from Athens via the coastal National highway and head to the Corinth canal. After the Corinth Canal, enter the region of Argolis, land of Homer’s Golden Mycenae, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Dating back to the second century B.C., Mycenae was one of the major

centers of Greek civilization and a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece . Visit the archaeological site, home to the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon. You will see the Cyclopean Walls, the Lion’s Gate, the Royal Tombs, including Agamemnon Clytemnestra’s, and the Treasury of Atreus, a magnificent 14thcentury B.C. structure. Take the chance to savor a traditional Greek lunch at a nearby restaurant or visit one of the local pottery factories. Having enjoyed your indigenous lunch, you may then proceed to Nafplia (through Argos) the first capital of modern Greece with its Venetian

CULTURE & MUSIC

fortress of Palamidi and the fortified islet of Bourtzi (short stop).

Continue on to Epidaurus and visit the ancient theatre. The UNESCO’S world heritage listed monument is reputed to be the birthplace of Apollo’s son Asclepius, the healer and was the most celebrated healing center of the classical world. Epidaurus is mostly famous because of its theatre, one of the best preserved classical Greek buildings and still used today due to its amazing acoustics.

Highlights • Short stop at the Corinth Canal • Guided tour in Mycenae • Lion’s Gate • Visit the tomb of Agamemnon • A short stop in Nafplia the first capital of modern Greece • Entrance to Epidaurus and visit the ancient theatre

The Concert Hall Gardens

CULTURE & MUSIC

An oasis of greenwithin the city, and a great venue for educational and artistic activities.

The Concert Hall Gardens are open to the public from 10am to sunset each day. The hope is that with their greenery, flowers and trees the gardens will attract people of all ages, who will find somewhere to relax and escape the demanding pace of the city and make the gardens a second home – one offering a wealth of cultural and educational activities organized by the Concert Hall.

The first musical events staged in the gardens were enthusiastically welcomed by the public.

Perhaps the most unforgettable occasion was the concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted

by Riccardo Muti. No fewer than 4,000 people, seated on benches or lying on the lawns, among the orange and carob trees and the acacias, under the Attic sky, enjoyed the concert relayed live on giant screens.

Do not miss the Day of Music on Tuesday, June 21st 2016! Musicians and ensembles will be coming together in a festive atmosphere, in the cool of the Concert Hall’s gardens, to offer the public a feast of good music as part of the programme marking the Day of Music.

Explore the Concert Hall Gardens >

FAMILIES Sunday Morning Events at Megaron

FA MILIES

Knowledge is happiness

The Sunday Mornings at the Concert Hall are designed to introduce young people to popular works in the symphonic repertoire, with appealing commentary and presentations by experienced musical experts.

The intention of the Sunday Mornings is to offer knowledge and entertainment, also allowing young people to familiarize themselves with music through play, often taking an active role in performance. These events have proved enormously popular, have covered all the different facets of musical activity and have given young people the opportunity – at very low cost – to

make their first acquaintance with the world of music and the joy of musical knowledge. Bring your children along to the Sunday Mornings, enjoy a coffee in the sunny foyers and, after the performance, enjoy a walk in the blooming gardens of the Concert Hall.

Tickets for the Sunday Mornings are very reasonably priced, and priority is given to children, young people and their accompanying adults.

Book your tickets >

Benaki Museum

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The Maria Argyriadi donation is the core of the Department of Childhood, Toys and Games, which was founded in 1991.

The collections include 20,000 toys, games and childhood items, from antiquity to 1970, originating not only from Greece and the broader Greek world, but from Europe, America, Africa and the East as well. The department’s primary aim is to document all aspects of the themes “childhood”, “game” and “toy”, by studying the history of toys in Greece and Europe, and children’s daily life in a traditional Greek context as well.

The collection’s Greek section comprises infants’ and children’s toys spanning the classical, Roman, Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods.

They include hand-made traditional Greek toys dating from the 18th to the 20th century, articles from country festivals, 20th century commercial products, team sports, board games, and seasonal games.

The European part of the collection comprises dolls and games of urban and rural manufacture dating from the 17th to the 20th century, mainly from England, France and Germany. There is also a selection of 19th and 20th century European regional costume dolls dressed in costumes from different parts of Greece.

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City Sightseeing Bus

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Trace the history & culture of Athens

The Athens - City Sightseeing Tour operates daily between 08.30 until 18.30 (Nov-Mar) or until 21.00 (April-Oct). Each tour takes approximately 90 minutes and has a commentary in eleven languages that traces the history and culture of Athens. You can Hop On Hop Off from any one of the 27 stops as many times as you wish. The buses run every 30 minutes. Select the Line of your exclusive preference, or even all of them, and enjoy a Tour via the Athens Line, the Piraeus Line and the Beach Line.

Some of the sights that one may see from the renowned Hop On-Hop Off bus include: • The Acropolis • The Panathenaic Stadium • Monastiraki / Thession • The Ancient Agora • Aeropagus Hill & The Pnyx • The Tower of the Winds • The Planetarium • Vouliagmeni Lake Beack • Temple of Zeus

Book your ticket online >

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Astir Beach the leading beach destination in Greece

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In 1959 a sandy beach with crystal clear waters, resting on a 300 meter coast surrounded by pine trees in the vicinity of Vouliagmeni just 25 km from Athens, becomes the «Astir Beach».

In 1966 with the opening of the ski school, Astir Beach makes celebrity history as it is often visited by Christina Onassis, Joan Collins, Brigitte Bardot and other famous personalities.

Ship owners, businessmen, rock singers, actors and politicians make it one of their favorite destinations. Astir Beach has established itself as the meeting point of the Greek and international elite.

Astir Beach is the leading beach destination in Greece based on innovative design, environmentfriendly facilities and luxurious guest services, fun and relax. White and the color of natural wood blend in aesthetic harmony with the sea blue and the different shades of green of the palm and olive trees.

Platinum Lounge is also an exclusive offering at Astir Beach. It is a luxury space, with a capacity of 80 persons created to provide top notch services exclusively to Platinum guests. Services such as Personal Training by Holmes Place, Business room with a tablet for use, Private Wi-Fi, Concierge, Valet Parking and private bar.

Enjoy: • Lounger service, just press a button to order coffee, lunch, snacks or your favorite ice-cream • Outdoor Non Smoking lounger area available • Spacious changing rooms, Lockers Lifeguard, Medical Assistance, 24 hour security • Yoga & Aqua Gym Classes • Water sports and Ski Club • Two beach volley courts • Luxury shopping boutique stores • Orloff Spa offering special body, facial and nail treatments • T.G.I Friday’s with various coffees, refreshing cocktails and a tasty casual cuisine • “40” all day bar- restaurant , taste of summer • Free Wi-Fi available

Experience the Astir Beach >

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LOCAL EXCURSION

LOCAL EXCURSION

A day trip to Aegina island

In only 45 minutes with the flying dolphin or in one hour and 10 minutes by ferryboat from the port of Piraeus you can reach the island of Aegina, the second largest among the ArgoSaronic Islands.

In its capital, also called Aegina, visit the Archaeological Museum and Markellos Tower, while in the same area about 500 meters on the left side of the port you will encounter the archaeological site of Kolona. Continuing to the north, and after the lighthouse, you will find

yourselves outside the house of the internationally acclaimed author Nikos Kazantzakis.

Head back to the city of Aegina and take the road to the right of the port towards the area of Perdika. You will notice that the landscape is slowly changing. The vegetation becomes scarcer and the land more barren, and yet it is in this part of the island that the pistachio - a nut which is thought to be the best of its kind in the world- thrives!

From Perdika, take the mountain road uphill towards the settlement of Anitseo. On your way you will pass by the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital, the only one of its kind in Greece. In the Anitseo community, you will find many small, familyowned traditional taverns with delicious food.

Home-style cooking and traditional dishes can also be savored in the taverns found in Alones village , which you will pass as you go down towards the seaside village of Agia Marina (Santa Marina).

Agia Marina is the most famous tourist area of the island and offers visitors the best beach with shallow waters and fine golden sand, ideal for families with young children. At a distance of about 3 kilometers from Agia Marina, you can find the Temple of Aphea, an ancient temple that along with the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion forms a perfect isosceles triangle!

Going back downhill towards the capital city reaching the end of your trip, you will pass the true core of the island, which is no other than the Monastery of Saint Nektarios. Here the soul of each Orthodox Christian experiences the feeling of utter devotion and, if you turn your head to the north, you will also see the mountain of Paleochora with its 365 churches - one for each day of the year. Unfortunately, however, only few of them can be visited nowadays.�

Explore Aegina Island >

LOCAL EXCURSION

On reaching the wonderful fishing village of Perdika, you have two choices: you can either enjoy fresh fish in one of the fish taverns, or board the small boat to pass across to Moni, a small uninhabited island which is a natural habitat for a diverse array of animals and birds, featuring small beaches and a canteen offering the basic necessities.

The famous Monastiraki Square

The Best Squares of Athens

Cold beer, flip-flops and shorts. At 40°C you can’t really stay at one place for too long.

Strolling around town you’ll pass through all Athens’ squares. Take your pick. It is entirely up to you which one. Depends on your mood. If you don’t feel like much you can just sit around on a bench and do nothing until you decide you need to move on to the next square. Love for ever. Peace and friendship. Cities without squares would be empty. So would we.

T he B est S q uares of A thens

Kolonaki Square

Karytsi Square

Agias Eirinis Square

Kolonaki is the area that the elite of Athens used to live before many of them moved out to the suburbs. It is an area full of high end shops and ritzy cafes at the base of Mount Lycabettus.

All the frenzy that used to be this square has settled, making it even more beautiful. People who used to hang out at the “Use�, closed now, can still hear its music echoing on the surrounding buildings. Also you can find out about almost everything that is going on around town this week.

All sounds and all cultures coexist in a peaceful blend.

You can find anything your heart desires and more around this very square.

Bars, cafes, restaurants and a lot of people. Ag. Eirinis Square is for every taste and every mood.

Avissinia Square

Dexameni Square

This small square at the centre of Monastiraki is filled with antique stores selling everything your heart desires. There is also a café here, the renowned “Loukoumi”, gaining in reputation more and more these days.

Perfect for vanilla submarines, ouzo and mezes. The open air cinema “Dexameni” and the “Café Dexameni” are also reasons to be here. Along with the feeling that time evaporates under its lavishly green trees.

Cine Thission

A Walk Around Athens’ Open Air Cinemas The concept of outdoor cinema is not encountered in many places of the world. Summer cinemas are actually a unique characteristic of Athens. Athens open air cinemas offer a true cultural experience.

Spectators get to relive all-time classics, watch new blockbuster releases and enjoy European independent productions, all in a friendly and warm atmosphere, combined with amazing views.

The pleasure of watching a film under the stars on a warm summer night will be a unique experience during your visit in Athens. Plus language will not be a problem as movies are subtitled in Greek, therefore they keep their original language. Here are our best Athens open air cinemas.

A W al k aroun d A thens ’ O pen A ir C inemas

Cine Thission

Offering the best direct view to the Acropolis, Cine Thission in Athens has been ranked by CNN among the top movie theaters in the world.

This is one of the oldest Athens open air cinemas, operating since 1935, and it is located on the paved promenade that connects Thission with Philopappos Hill.

In Cine Thission, you will enjoy both premiere releases of new blockbuster and independent films and also re-screenings of classic movies. The atmospheric feeling created by the magnificent view and the nostalgic setting is unique. Live memorable moments in Cine Thissio and don’t forget to try the traditional drinks and handmade delicacies offered at the canteen.

Cine Paris in Plaka

Enjoying an amazing location in the quaint quarter of Plaka, the cinema offers incredible views to the Acropolis, especially at night, when the hill is lighted.

A leisurely walk through the streets and Neoclassical houses of Plaka will get you to this splendid outdoor cinema with contemporary film screenings. The rooftop of Cine Paris is enclosed by verdant greenery, small tables and director’s chairs. Old movie posters, which can be purchased at the ground floor, decorate the place.

A W al k aroun d A thens ’ O pen A ir C inemas

The very first open air cinema in Athens, Cine Paris has been operating since the 1920s.

A W al k aroun d A thens ’ O pen A ir C inemas

Cine Aegli in Zappeion

Cine Aegli in Zappeion, just few steps from Syntagma Square in Athens, provides the perfect setting for a cinema night under the light of the moon.

Surrounded by verdant gardens with bougainvilleas and jasmines, this summer cinema creates a magical atmosphere.

Bring your jacket with you, as it gets chilly during the night, grab your popcorn and relish in the high-tech screenings of new blockbuster movies or classic films. The acoustic system is excellent, making the whole experience even better. A cinema evening in Cine Aegli is perfectly combined with a stroll through the beautiful Zappeion garden and a drink at the luxury Aegli Bar.

Cine Psiri

Found in the backyard of a theatre, during the winter months this cinema operates as a warehouse. In summer, the place is converted into a lovely cinema that shows European films, both old and new productions.

With industrial decoration and high quality services, Cine Psiri is one of the most charming Athens open air cinemas. Perfect sound quality and trees and bushes surround the ample space fitted with cosy director’s chairs and small tables. After a cinema night out, you can continue your entertainment at the many bars and clubs nearby.

A W al k aroun d A thens ’ O pen A ir C inemas

Cine Psiri is an impressive outdoor cinema, situated in the most artistic area of Athens, the famous quarter of Psiri.

Sweet Arrival @ Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens The Hotel Grande Bretagne starts a collaboration with famous French Pastry Chef Arnaud Larher.

Chef Larher, developed a passion for the art of p창tisserie from early on. From his early childhood he was fascinated with the idea of experimenting with raw ingredients to produce his own unique pastry creations.

At the age of 12, he had his first professional training, by attending introductory classes, in his native Brittany.

Sweet Arrival at Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens

S W E E T A R R I VA L

“Haute” pâtisserie is an essential part of the Luxury Product Industry and French Pastry Chefs are worldwide leaders in this market segment.

At the age of 15, he began his first apprenticeship, alongside Mr. Guilerm, the finest pastry chef in the city of Brest. In the early stages of his career, he worked in some of the most famous patisseries of Paris, including, Lucien Peltier’s largest pâtisserie shop in Paris, Dalloyau where he acquired the techniques specific to breakfast pastries and five

years at Fauchon’s. He opened his first pastry shop at the age of 25.

Arnaud Larher was, at the age of 28 elected one of France’s best pastry chefs by France’s respected Champérard Guide. Seven years later he won the title of the ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ (Best Craftsman in France), the most important distinction of the country. This competition takes place every three to four years dating back to the era of the French Revolution. His first pastry shop opened in Montmartre. As he says, “winning the title ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ (Best Craftsman

in France) gave me wonderful recognition and still motivates me every day to push and better myself, feeding my hunger for progress and ultimately aiming at perfection.�

Arnaud Larher will create signature desserts for each season whereas the award-winning chocolates and macarons will be available from Paris directly to the GB Corner Gifts & Flavors store all year round.

S W E E T A R R I VA L

For five years now, Arnaud Larher stands amongst the top 10 chocolatiers of France. He selects each and every single raw ingredient with great personal care and experiments with the products to create delicate flavors that above all trigger new pleasurable taste sensations.

He is now truly excited to begin his new collaboration with the Hotel Grande Bretagne. This

is an opportunity to express his creativity and passion in a unique environment, at the best hotel of Athens, and offer his pastry delicacies to our local Greek audience and the hotel guests. As he says, “this is a new challenge.�

HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS

+30 210 3330 000 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax KING GEORGE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS

+30 210 3222 210 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax SYNTAGMA SQUARE 105 64, ATHENS, GREECE grandebretagne.gr kinggeorgeathens.com #grandebretagne #kinggeorgeathens #theluxurycollection