Beautiful Greek Island that’s home to Europe’s ‘friendliest seaside town’

Summer may be coming to an end, but for those looking to chase the sun, this lovely city in Europe may just be the perfect place to visit. The Greek islands are frequented by British holidaymakers year on year, famous for good weather and sandy beaches.

There are so many islands to choose from when booking your holiday, but this one has tourists gushing about it upon their return. According to a study by Booking.com, Syros’ capital Ermoupoli is one of the friendlist in the whole of Europe.

The administrative capital of the Cyclades island group isn’t a major tourist destination, so the beaches aren’t crowded by tourists either, reports the Mediterranean Traveller.

The town was founded in the 19th century, after the Greek God Hermes, during the Greek Revolution. At the time, the city was reportedly the industrial and commercial centre of Greece.

Although the title was soon calimed by Piraeus, it remained a strong hub for the Cyclades islands, and its economy is still booming.

According to the Syros Cyclades website in the town tourists “are treated to neoclassical architecture and a cosmopolitan aura that can be traced back to Syros’ commercial and artistic flourishing in the 1800s, following the arrival of the refugees from surrounding Greek islands and Asia Minor after the Greek Revolution of 1821”.

The town has so much to do for visitors, the city centre hosts the Miaouli Square next to the Town Hall which was the creation of German architect Ernst Ziller.

There is also the Archaeological Museum of Syros, Apollo Theatre, and the Cultural Centre of Ermoupolis, for those keen to find out more about the rich cultural heritage.

TripAdvisor is flooded with glowing reviews of Ermoupolis, with one user recommending the Church of The Assumption of the Virgin Mary. “Built in the years 1826-29 by refugees from the island of Psara it is the second oldest church in Ermoupolis after the big main church a bit further up, the Metropolis Metamorfoseos Sotiros (which has no entry in Tripadvisor).

“It is dedicated to the ‘Kimisis Theotokou’, which translates as the ‘Dormition of the Mother of God’, a feast, which in the West is known as the ‘Assumption of the Virgin Mary’ (which is not exactly the same, since chronologically the Assumption came after the Dormition). The church, restored in the 1950s after damage during WW2, has a very richly decorated interior with a lot of gold, with chandeliers and columns that are painted to look like striped green marble.

“Quite impressive, but not too different from many other rich Greek churches. What makes this ecclesiastical building special though is to be found in the narthex, on the right side of the inner entrance.”

Another user, Betty G praised the poeple of Ermopouli, saying that she received a “warm welcome and lots of explanations about the food” when she visited the Miaoli square for dinner. After all of the anti-tourist protests occuring across Europe, this warm reception was welcomed with open arms for many travellers, who may feel unnervy about choosing their next holiday destination.