A COUNTRY in Europe is set to open a multi-billion pound seaside resort with five-star hotels and a huge marina.
While Athens is commonly associated with ancient buildings like the Parthenon, the city is set to benefit from a huge modern development that’s been likened to Dubai.
The £6.8billion project, which is known as the Ellinikon Project, is being built on the site of the former Ellinikon International Airport, which closed in 2001.
Dubben Europe‘s biggest real estate project, The Ellinikon Project is set to have five-star hotels, 8,000 homes, multiple shopping centres, restaurants, a casino, and a marina with moorings for mega-yachts.
There will also be extensive leisure facilities on the site, including a 600-acre public park that will connect the sprawling development to the beach.
One of the site’s main attractions will be the Riviera Tower, which is set to be Greece‘s first residential skyscraper.
Sitting at 200m high, the Riviera Tower will have 169 apartments across 50 floors.
It will also offer panoramic views of the Athenian Riviera and the Acropolis.
With the exception of emergency vehicles, cars will be banned.
The site will instead be served by several public transport routes, including a tramline and two metro stations.
Development company Lamda hopes to make the buildings with recycled materials as much as possible.
The building work is expected to be completed within the next ten years.
Once the construction work is complete, the site is expected to bring in one million tourists annually and create 85,000 jobs in the city.
The site will be located 20 minutes away from Athens city centre, and 35 minutes from Athens International Airport.
Odisseas Athanasiou, CEO of Lamda Development, said: “The Ellinikon will have a transformative effect on both Greece and the world, providing a new benchmark for smart, inspiring indoor and outdoor spaces that excite people, while also significantly advancing sustainability in the places we live, work, and enjoy ourselves for the long term.
“Despite global economic challenges, we are on track with timings and look forward to completing the first phase in 2026”.
According to the MailOnline, some residents aren’t happy about the project.
Ms Koliakakou told MailOnline: “This is a playground for the uber rich, which the average Greek will not be able to enjoy.
“I want my kids to be able to stroll out and enjoy the liberty and ease of a Greek neighbourhood.
“There should have been other alternatives to developing the decrepit airport, not a complete sell out to foreign interests. I am worried that this will tarnish Athens and that it will turn the area into a tacky, mini Dubai.”
Until the sprawling complex opens, there are plenty of other places to visit in Greece, including Patmos, which attracts famous faces like Julia Roberts, David Bowie, Richard Gere, and Tom Hanks.
Patmos is yet to become popular with British tourists.
Not only does it see temperatures reach 22C in the winter, but it’s also home to colourful beaches.
Whitewashed houses line the coast in Patmos, and the town of Chora is home to tiny restaurants serving local Greek seafood.
The port town Skala has more shops and bars, where the cheapest drink is the local Mythos beer or island-grown wine.
Meanwhile, the island of Naxos is cheaper the many of the other islands – with more goats than locals.
