Best time to visit Grèce

Greece's pre-Lenten carnival season culminates in the Apokries celebrations, with the most famous in Patras where elaborate floats and costumed revelers fill the streets in one of Europe's largest carnivals. The three-week festivities include masquerade balls, street parties, and the spectacular burning of the carnival king.

Greek Orthodox Easter is the country's most important religious celebration, marked by midnight candlelight processions, the joyful cry of "Christos Anesti," and festive lamb feasts on Easter Sunday. The entire country pauses for the Holy Week with deeply moving ceremonies in churches from Athens to the smallest island villages.

Greece's premier cultural event presents ancient Greek tragedies and comedies in the perfectly preserved ancient theaters of Athens and Epidaurus from June through August. Watching a classical performance under the stars in the 2,500-year-old Epidaurus amphitheater is an unforgettable cultural experience.