More than 250 bridges across Greece are being transformed into “smart” structures as part of a major national project that uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor their structural health in real time.
Through a system of fibre-optic networks and sensors, each bridge will continuously transmit data, such as vibrations, strain, water levels, and movement, to scientists, allowing them to detect wear, stress, and potential safety risks before they escalate.
The initiative, which will be completed by June 2026, prioritises bridges with heavy traffic or aging infrastructure, many over 70 years old, across all 13 regions of Greece.
The first 36 to be upgraded are in Attica, including key bridges along Kifisos and Poseidonos Avenues and major interchanges like Syngrou, Kifisias, and Katechaki.
The system represents a major step forward in preventing structural failures, following a series of bridge collapses in recent years, including incidents in Thessaloniki, Rhodes, and Patras.
According to a study by the Association of Civil Engineers of Greece, many bridges in the country have exceeded their expected service life and lack adequate seismic design, particularly those built before 1993.
Heavy traffic, such as on Kifisos Avenue, where some lanes now carry up to 8,000 vehicles per hour, has further pushed infrastructure beyond its limits.
Each “smart” bridge station will be equipped with multiple sensors, including vibrographs, axial strain and temperature sensors, and water-level detectors. Data is analysed through algorithms and AI to identify early signs of structural degradation.
Engineers say the real-time monitoring network will enable targeted maintenance and prevent accidents, ensuring that Greece’s modern “master builders” no longer need to rely on endless manual inspections, but on technology that safeguards both infrastructure and lives.
The ancient Temple of Aphaia on Aegina has undergone a €1.5 million restoration, breathing new life into one of Greece’s best-preserved monuments.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni inaugurated the project this week, part of the Culture Ministry’s broader effort to preserve and modernise key archaeological sites.
The works, carried out by the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments, included sanctuary restoration, a new fire protection system, improved accessibility with a lift for visitors with disabilities, redesigned entrances, new walking paths and viewing points, updated fencing, and a new guardhouse.
A highlight of the project is the lighting design by Eleftheria Deko, known for illuminating the Acropolis and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games ceremonies.
Her design enhances the temple’s architectural beauty while emphasising energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
“The project reflects three core priorities of the ministry,” said Mendoni.
“Upgrading infrastructure at archaeological sites to enhance the visitor experience, ensuring accessibility for all, and protecting our cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change.”
Built around 500–490 BC and dedicated to the goddess Aphaia, the temple remains a striking example of Doric architecture.
Set on a pine-covered hill overlooking the Saronic Gulf, it continues to draw more than 100,000 visitors each year.
Thessaloniki’s iconic White Tower has been officially added to the European Film Academy’s (EFA) prestigious list of Treasures of European Film Culture.
The announcement was marked by a ceremony on November 7 in White Tower Square during the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Organised by the Festival in collaboration with the EFA and the National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication, and supported by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki City and the Museum of Byzantine Culture, the event highlighted the Tower’s cultural and cinematic significance.
EFA Board Chairman Mike Downey noted, “The White Tower is the first monument in Greece to join this growing network, which reflects the richness and magic of European cinema. It carries a long history as the symbol of Thessaloniki and has served as the backdrop for numerous films by Theo Angelopoulos, arguably the most important figure in Greek cinema.”
Since 2008, the White Tower has hosted a permanent exhibition on Thessaloniki’s history, from its founding in 316 BC to the 20th century, showcasing the city’s cultural heritage through multimedia displays and minimal archaeological artefacts.
Its inclusion in the EFA cinematic treasure map underscores both its historical legacy and Thessaloniki’s enduring connection to the art of film, reinforcing the Tower as a symbol of stories that unite Europe’s past and present.
It’s exactly 35 years ago to the week in 1990 when I first visited what I still describe as the most bizarre country I’ve ever been, Albania.
This country was virtually unknown to the outside world back then as very few were allowed to visit and if they did it was under strict surveillance with an Albanian tour guide who in reality kept an eye on everyone to ensure they did not mix with the local people and spread what they deemed western propaganda. So every hour of your stay was highly organised, giving you little time to explore places on your own.
It was a country which had less than 2,000 cars in the country and only six sets of traffic lights. Instead of cars, many had a horse and cart to transport goods.
It was a country which had less than 2,000 cars in the country.
It was estimated that 1 in 3 people were informers to the ‘sigurimi,’ the nation’s dreaded communist era secret police force. Although everyone knew about North Korea as a hardline communist country, very few knew about Albania.
Thousands were falsely accused of being traitors to the state and either executed or sent to distant prisons away from their families.
No matter what town I visited there was always a statue of Stalin in every main square.
In October 1990, I got my chance to visit Albania, intrigued to know what it was like as we never heard news about it. It stood as a mystery. I joined a bus trip organised from Athens by soccer fans to go and watch a Greek team play an Albanian side.
Our first encounter with Albanian authorities was at the Greek-Albanian border where they checked thoroughly our bags making sure there were no western propaganda reading material and religious items, after all Albania was the only country in the world that had banned religion outright and declared itself an atheist state.
The first stopover was at Agio Saranda – a small town on the southern coast of Albania and less than a 30 minute ferry ride from Corfu.
My room mate during the trip was an American doing ‘research’ on Albania and the Balkans in the hope of writing a book about it. He eventually did called “Balkan Ghosts”.
During my first morning in Saranda, Robert and I walked to the centre of town and entered a cafe just to have a look and the staff could tell straight away by the way we were dressed we weren’t Albanian. Knowing there was a large Greek community there, I asked in Greek if they spoke it and yes they did.
When I told them I was from Australia they were surprised as they’d never met anyone from there, immediately wanting to shout us a drink and insisting we not pay. Within minutes we were surrounded by scores of people wanting to ask if I knew some relative who’d left over 40 years ago for Australia. They had no idea of the size of Australia, thinking I might know them. It was a surreal experience.
When I visited Saranda last year (in 2024) the difference was obvious, a complete makeover, the town is inundated with what seems like hundreds of new hotels, apartments blocks, bars, cafes, and restaurants along the main promenade, and thousands of foreign tourists visiting it and its nearby pristine sandy beaches.
Just minutes by car from Saranda is the ancient site of Butrint which has an amphitheatre and other Greek and Roman ruins including a Venetian castle, a highly recommended place to visit.
From there we went to Gjirokastra where Albania’s dictator Enver Hoxha was born, the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its Ottoman style stone houses and cobblestone streets and a huge castle overlooking it plus the bridge of Ali Pasha. When I visited in 1990 there was a huge statue of Hoxha that stood several metres high, but when I went there last year it had been removed and a restaurant stands there now.
Along the streets in the old part of town in 1990 there were mostly little shops and businesses catering for the locals including barber shops, cobblers and tailors, but in 2024 those streets are full of souvenir stalls and bars catering for the tourists.
I should mention that wherever you went in 1990, you saw thousands of concrete bunkers throughout Albania that Hoxha had ordered to be built in various sizes so citizens could defend themselves if they were ever invaded. Last year I saw only a few left as a reminder of the past or turned into funky little bars.
One image that struck me on my first visit was of a boy playing along a footpath with a hoop and a long piece of wire around it and trying to wheel it around upright – something kids did in Greece decades earlier.
After a couple of days on the guided tour, a few of us decided we’d had enough and “ran off” to travel independently by train to the capital Tirana and meet the rest of the tour there.
We were followed during our journey by what can only be described as an incompetent plain clothes security police officer.
In Tirana, we went to what was the only museum of it’s type in the world – the Museum of Religion where they had things such as icons on walls as though they were figures of art.
The museum is no longer in existence but many churches now exist from what is the largest mosque in the Balkans built by the Saudis to a huge Greek Orthodox church – both in Tirana.
Highly recommended to visit is Apollonia, an ancient town founded by Greeks with wonderful ruins and very few tourists there as it’s not widely known. Next to it is a beautiful 13th century Byzantine church and monastery.
The difference between my 1990 and 2024 visits were like night and day.
If you have time take a quick visit to Albania, you won’t regret it.
By Anastasia Miliou, Attorney at the Supreme Courts
Most people have heard of usucaption (known in Greek law as chrisiktisia). In simple terms, it means that if someone uses a property as if it were their own for 20 continuous years, they can eventually become its legal owner.
This 20-year period counts from the first moment the person starts acting like the owner.
But things become more complicated when the property is shared — for example, a home inherited by siblings, where each one owns a part of it.
By default, the law says that if you are a co-owner and you use the whole property, you are considered to be doing so on behalf of all co-owners. This means you cannot claim full ownership just because you used it more than the others.
A co-owner can eventually take full ownership through usucaption, but only if they clearly inform the other co-owners that:
they will now be using a larger share than their own, or
they will be using the entire property exclusively for themselves.
Once the other co-owners are aware of this, the 20-year countdown begins.
The notification can be:
Explicit – directly telling the others in writing or in person
Indirect – through actions that clearly show the person is taking over the whole property (for example, locking out others, renting it out alone, or making major renovations)
What matters is that the other co-owners become aware of it.
If the co-owners have already made an informal division among themselves — even verbally — and each person uses their agreed part exclusively, then no extra notification is needed. From that moment, each person uses their part on their own responsibility.
In many families, shared properties come from inheritance. For example:
A father dies and leaves a house to his three children.
They all own it together as co-heirs.
Even if one child lives in the entire house, the law still sees them as holding it for all three, unless they clearly tell the others that they now claim it exclusively for themselves.
Summary
A co-owner can become full owner of a shared property only if:
They clearly inform the other co-owners that they now claim the whole property.
From that point on, they use it exclusively for at least 20 years without interruption.
Simply living in or using the whole property is not enough.
*Anastasia C. Miliou is an Attorney at Law at the Supreme Courts with experience in international law and a large clientele in both Greece and abroad. Her telephone number is 6945028153. If you would like questions answered as part of her articles in English online, you can e-mail her at natmil@otenet.gr or visit www.legalaction.gr
Estudiantina of Melbourne have announced the release of their highly anticipated second album, Ta Nisia (The Islands), with a special live launch event at the iconic Brunswick Ballroom on Sunday, 15 March 2026.
Following the success of their debut album Journey to Rebetika, the ensemble returns with a work that captures both continuity and transformation. Ta Nisia is more than a musical homage to the sunlit Greek islands. It marks a pivotal evolution in the group’s artistic journey – honouring their roots in Smyrneika and rebetiko while boldly embracing new creative directions.
Estudiantina of Melbourne unveil second album ‘Ta Nisia’ (The Islands). All photos by Sarah Jane Wentzki.
Ta Nisia operates on both literal and metaphorical levels. Literally, it conjures the shimmering coastlines of the Aegean – whitewashed villages, salt-washed air and glistening seas – reflecting the ensemble’s commitment to Greek musical traditions.
Metaphorically, the album forms a constellation of musical “islands”: each track stands alone yet remains connected to a wider narrative of migration, identity, growth and belonging.
The ensemble’s core musicians for this album are: Maria Antaras-Dalamagas – Accordion, Vocals, Vagelis Ginis – Vocals, Camille El Feghali – Qanun, Jenny Dixon – Violin, Alex Petropoulos – Guitar, Paul Karalis – Bouzouki, Con Kalamaras – Bouzouki, Vocals, Rosco Heck – Percussion.
But also expanding with guest artists Indra Buraczewska (double bass) and Tim Meyen (cimbalom – a rare 145-string Austro-Hungarian instrument) further enrich the soundscape, adding depth, texture and a gentle push into unexplored musical territories.
This album stands as a cultural snapshot of Melbourne’s vibrant multicultural landscape. It speaks to the universality of music – an international language that transcends borders, time and language. At the same time, it pays tribute to Melbourne itself: a city that has quietly but powerfully brought these musicians together.
In many ways, Melbourne becomes an unspoken member of the ensemble – nurturing their creativity and shaping their collective voice.
Ta Nisia represents the ensemble’s continuous growth as artists and as individuals. Through performances at festivals and events across Australia, Estudiantina of Melbourne have cultivated a distinctive sound that now resonates internationally. Their work has received attention from Greek media across several continents, firmly positioning them within the global Greek musical diaspora.
This event is proudly supported by Brunswick Ballroom, ANT Pacific, The Greek Herald, The Hellenic Museum, Neos Kosmos, and the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia hosted an “Evening of Poetry and Certificate of Greek Language Awards” at Charles Darwin University (CDU), bringing together students, families and community members for a celebration of Greek language and culture.
The event featured traditional dances, poetry recitations and the presentation of Greek language certificates to eight young students, who were praised for making the community proud.
Organisers described it as “an inspiring evening dedicated to the Greek language, poetry, and culture.”
The Community thanked CDU for its hospitality, parents for their support, and the students themselves – “the future guardians of the Greek language” – for their dedication.
With continued backing from the Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia, the local Greek school, and the “tireless and creative contribution of Professor George Frazis,” the organisation says it remains committed to advancing Greek learning “in our faraway homeland.”
These days, it feels like more and more Australians – and people across other Western countries – are reconsidering what “home” really means.
Since the pandemic, the rise of remote work, soaring living costs, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction – particularly among millennials – have sparked a quiet exodus.
Many are trading in the daily grind for something slower, sunnier, and more meaningful. One noticeable trend? A surge in digital nomadism, with Greece emerging as a surprising but increasingly popular destination for those in search of a better quality of life.
The Greek Herald spoke to Andrea Smirnneos, who left Sydney for Athens two years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Born and raised in Sydney, Andrea carries a rich cultural heritage – her father’s Greek roots and her mother’s second-generation Italian background which have deeply shaped her identity and outlook on life.
“I also spent five years living in Melbourne, which gave me a different perspective on life and culture,” Andrea explains.
Over time, her love for Greece only grew – something about the people, the warmth, the food, and the history just felt like home to Andrea.
“After working as a travel agent for five years, I started to really think about how I could bring that love for Greece into my work and help others experience it too,” she says.
Before COVID, Andrea had always toyed with the idea of moving to Greece.
“I was visiting every couple of years, soaking up the culture and dreaming about what life here could look like—but it was always just that, a dream without a solid plan,” she says.
But then the pandemic hit, and like for so many of us, everything was put on pause. Andrea’s dream quietly faded into the background over the next few years.
“Fast forward to two years ago, I was on holiday in Greece with friends and family when, completely out of the blue, a family friend offered me a role in the travel industry – right in line with my background back in Australia. It honestly felt like fate, and I haven’t looked back since,” Andrea remembers.
Andrea jokes that one of her first reality checks after moving to Athens came when she stepped out of “tourist mode” and discovered that everything was closed on Sundays. It was a small but telling moment that reminded her she was no longer on holiday – this was real life in Greece.
“Personally, I think my biggest challenge was really understanding the Greek way of life and the pace of how things are done in a casual and professional setting as someone who lives here and not just on holiday,” Andrea explained.
She also struggled with the language difference, not just as someone with heritage, but as someone trying to truly live and integrate in Greece. While she grew up hearing Greek, she quickly realised that understanding the local dialect, grammar, and expressions required more than just the version spoken by the Greek Australian community, which often includes lots of slang.
On a professional level, Andrea’s biggest challenge was putting herself out there in the tourism world.
“Greece is always full of tourists but also full of travel agents who can now provide the same thing, so working on my POD (point of difference) is my biggest challenge”, she explains.
Andrea started her travel agency, Get Tripped in 2023.
This was initially a Facebook Group with a few members, it’s now grown to a few hundred members, and expanded to a WhatsApp Group, with daily travel life updates and communities.
Andrea explains that being an expat herself, assisted in getting her business to stand out.
“I also am focusing on growing Get Tripped Girls which is a travel & event community based out of Athens (and hopefully more places soon) connecting girls who are mainly expat, but of course locals are welcome, and we have a few too! We run nights out, cafe catchups, soon to be summer trips and lots more,” she says.
The rise of in-person communities focusing on interpersonal connection (as opposed to digital connection), has meant many more people are seeking meaningful connections.
Andrea often says she wishes more tourists truly understood Greek culture and the lifestyle that comes with it.
“It’s best summed up by the phrase “siga, siga”—meaning “slowly, slowly.” It’s not about laziness, but about trusting that things will get done in their own time,”.
Learning to embrace that mindset was one of the most valuable—and freeing—lessons of her move.
Moving forward, Andrea wants to stay in Greece and has set some goals to achieve that.
“Ideally in the next 5 years Get Tripped & Get Tripped Girls will be a fully-fledged European Travel Agency that focuses on Greece & the Mediterranean, along with Get Tripped Girls growing to multiple different countries,” she hopes.
Sydney, get ready! The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) and the Greek Festival of Sydney have officially released the full program for this year’s Greek Fest @ Bay Street, set to transform Brighton-Le-Sands into a vibrant seaside celebration on Sunday, 16 November 2025, from 11am to 10pm.
One of the most anticipated cultural events of the year, the festival promises a full day of live music, dancing, food stalls, and family-friendly entertainment – all just steps from the beach.
With free admission and a huge lineup, thousands are expected to pour into Bay Street to celebrate Greek culture and community spirit.
Big names headline the Main Stage
This year’s headliner is the electrifying Maria Maroulis, who will take the main stage at 7pm.
Known for her powerhouse vocals and modern take on Greek favourites, Maroulis is set to light up the evening with a high-energy performance accompanied by a full band, including Thanasi Pylarinos, Telly Benetatos, Christos Evripidou, Andrew Kalogeropoulos, Kosta Benetatos, Damascus Economou, Themis Ioakimidis, Georgios Svolos, Fotis Lambis, George Ganakas, Johnny Bongo, Sofoklis Xristodoulidis, and DJ James Maestro.
Comedian Anthony Locascio will MC the day’s festivities, bringing his trademark humour and Greek Australian storytelling to the main stage.
Music fans are also in for a treat with IHO NYX, performing live at 3pm, featuring a powerful ensemble of vocalists and musicians including Adoni Petrandonakis, Angelo Goutzios, Andrew Kalogeropoulos, George Ganakas, Foti Lambis, Themis Ioakimidis and Johnny Bongo.
DJ Georgie D kicks off the festival from 11am, setting the tone with Greek summer hits and dance favourites.
A full day of dance and cultural performances
From midday onward, the Main Stage will showcase the incredible depth of Hellenic Australian cultural talent, with performances by:
Hellenic Lyceum Sydney Dancing Group (12:00pm)
Cyprus Community NSW Performing Group (12:30pm)
Kogarah School of Greek Dancing (12:45pm)
Kalymnian Association of NSW Dance Group (1:00pm)
Greek Community of Newcastle Hellenic Dancers (1:15pm)
Greek Orthodox Community of NSW Dance Group (1:30pm)
Pontian Association of NSW Pontoxeniteas (2:00pm)
Cretan Association of Sydney & NSW Dance Group (2:30pm)
The festival will also feature a special performance by Nikolaos Vasilas, My Zeibekiko Journey, appearing on both stages.
An official ceremony will be held at 5:30pm.
Junior Stage on Moate Avenue
Families and younger dancers will take centre stage at the Moate Ave Juniors Stage from 1:30pm, featuring:
Cretan Association of Sydney & NSW
Sydney Sizmos Performers
Kalymnian Association of NSW
Lemnian Association of NSW “Maroula”
Greek Orthodox Community of NSW Dance Group
Pontian Association of NSW “Pontoxeniteas”
Nikolaos Vasilas, My Zeibekiko Journey
A feast of Greek food and summer vibes
No Greek festival is complete without an abundance of food, and Bay Street will once again be lined with stalls offering all the classics – gyros, souvlaki, loukoumades, Greek sweets and more.
With the ocean breeze drifting in from Brighton Beach, festivalgoers can enjoy the perfect fusion of food, live music, dance, and summer fun.
Huge raffle prizes announced
The Greek Festival of Sydney stall will be selling raffle tickets, offering major prizes including:
1st Prize: 6-night Greek Odyssey Escape – 3 nights in Mykonos & 3 nights in Santorini (Denny’s Travel)
2nd Prize: Sky Express airline tickets for domestic and European flights
3rd & 4th Prizes: $1,000 Budget Petrol vouchers
5th Prize: LG 43” 4K Smart TV (NAPF Electronics)
6th & 7th Prizes: $500 Bank of Sydney Visa Gift Cards
8th Prize: First Education – 1 Term Free Tuition (value up to $1,000)
Raffle draw takes place at 9:45pm.
A celebration for all ages
With two stages, dozens of performers, local dance groups, big-name musicians, children’s entertainment, and endless food options, Greek Fest @ Bay Street is set to be one of the standout community events of the season.
Whether you dance, eat, shop, listen or simply soak up the atmosphere, this festival has something for everyone.
A full house gathered at The Greek Centre on Wednesday night, as artist Tina Stefanou delivered this year’s John Berger Annual Lecture to a packed audience.
The event attracted artists, art practitioners, academics, students and community members who came to experience Ways of Singing, Stefanou’s performative reimagining of John Berger’s Ways of Seeing through the embodied and insurgent capacities of vocality.
Stefanou’s performance explored vocality, phonophobia, the chorus and listening as social, cultural and environmental forces. resonance and listening as social, cultural and environmental forces.
Drawing on her multidisciplinary practice, she invited the audience to consider how voice moves between people, places, mediums, animals, and memory.
Jim Bossinakis, Chair of the Cultural Committee of the Greek Community of Melbourne, said, “Experiencing Tina’s reimagining of John Berger’s work through voice was extraordinary. The depth of attention in the room and the standing ovation spoke to how powerfully the performance resonated with the audience.”
Reflecting on the performance, Stefanou said, “It felt important to assert my energy as a researcher who thinks through the live voice, working with my struggles with words, but also to bring a chorus of improvisors into this space of discourse, beyond and through the spoken word.”
Speaking to the act of listening, she added, “The words can move beyond themselves moving in others, and you can make your own connections.”
Ways of Singing featured a live ensemble: Durè Dara (percussion), Lisa Salvo (voice), Tom Stewart-Toner (electric guitar and objects) and Callum G’Froerer (trumpet). Together, they created an improvised sonic environment that framed the lecture as a collective act of listening.
The response in the room was immediate, with the event concluding to a standing ovation.
