Central Greece outside Athens Attractions Stereá Elláda

Thermopylai ("Warm Gates") takes its name from the hot sulfurous springs around which a small spa has grown up. Here the mountains approach so close to the sea that in ancient times there was only the breadth of a single wagon at the narrowest point in the pass. The extension of the land area by alluvial deposition has completely altered its character, and the modern highway now approximately follows the ancient coastline. In the little museum on the east side of the hill is a model showing the lie of the land in antiquity.Here Leonidas and his 300 Spartans sacrificed themselves in 480 B.C. in order to cover the retreat of the Greek army after the treachery of Ephialtes had revealed to the Persians the alternative route by a mountain track called the Anopaia. There is a modern monument on the hill on which the Spartans made their last stand, and also a tablet with the famous epitaph by Simonides, "Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,/ That here, obedient to their laws, we lie".

The Saronic Gulf, on the east side of the Isthmus of Corinth, separates Attica from the Peloponnese. It is named after Saron, an otherwise unknown king of Troizen, who was drowned in these waters. Round the coasts of the gulf are a series of tourist resorts - Méthana, Palaiá and Néa Epídavros on the south side of the gulf, Loutró Elénis and Isthmía at its west end, and the resorts on the Attic Riviera on its northeast side.

Evritania is a beautiful area of Central Greece. The landscape is comprised of woodlands and mountains. The capital of this region is the city of Karpenissi, but there are also numerous interesting small towns, loaded with culture and tradition, that area worth visiting in Evritania.

Oeti (Iti) National Park was established in 1966 in Phthiotis. It is 3,010 hectares/7,435 acres (including surrounding area 4,200 hectares/10,375 acres). Special interests include firs and chamois.

The prefecture of Phthiotis is rich in natural beauty, with mountains and forests.Visitors can wander through mountain villages surrounded by plane and oak trees, enjoy winter sports in modern ski resorts or relax at the several thermal springs.