Georgia is generally safe for travelers, with crime rates among the lowest in Europe. Crime and corruption have almost been eradicated, but after the Rose Revolution, it is now completely safe to trust the Georgian police. However, the US Department of State rates Georgia at 1: exercise COVID-19 rules, as there are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travelers entering Georgia.
Passport validity must be valid at the time of entry, and one page is required for an entry stamp. Tourist visas are available for vaccinated visitors, but COVID-19 testing is not required. Quarantine is not required.
Tbilisi is open for vaccinated visitors, but there are ongoing large-scale demonstrations and clashes between security forces and protestors. Terrorist attacks in Georgia cannot be ruled out, and attacks could affect western interests and places visited by foreigners. The US Embassy Tbilisi is prohibiting the use of hotels inside the areas outlined in red for temporary duty US government employees in Georgia.
To ensure safety and security, it is recommended to exercise normal precautions in Georgia, including avoiding areas with increased risk of crime, military activity, detention, terrorism, civil unrest, and landmines. The Helpline FDFA deals as a central contact point for matters relating to consular services.
📹 Traveling to Europe’s Most Stressed & Depressed Country
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📹 5 Things American Tourists Shouldn’t Wear in Europe
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Visited Athens couple weeks ago. The center of the city looks depressing with 1/8 buildings abandoned. But there is an unfeasible vibe that drives you to this country. Also, the people are incredible – they are beautiful, intelligent and free-spirited. I hope they will do fine. Been in Greece twice and will definitely come back. Love from Moscow, Russia.
As soon as I saw the title, I knew it was Greece. I’m a greek that moved back to Greece from America in 2021 and this is not the country I remember. Thank you for making this article and creating awareness. People always think Greece is one of the happiest countries in the world because they come for vacation and they just see the front they put on for tourists. Things are terrible! Especially in Athens. The prices are out of control. Example, yesterday, we ordered burgers and fries, nothing fancy but delicious. The burger was 13.5€. An unbelievable price for a country that will pay a 700€ as minimum wage. Don’t even get me started about the groceries, you can buy the same brand of greek yogurt in London for less than you can buy it in its home country. The main reason are the taxes! The greek government is out of control, for many many years now there hasn’t been a government that has truly looked out for the ppl. You pay so much in taxes and you get nothing. The public hospitals are terrible, don’t get me started about the ambulance service. You’re better off taking a taxi than an ambulance in the case of an emergency. How does this translate into the people? They are fed up, most have given up on change and are just miserable, which comes out as hostility when you’re not aware of the situation. When my partner (non greek) and I moved to Greece 3 years ago we were constantly offended by the stares, the rudeness everywhere, and the general condescending tone people in Athens have.
I am a mother of three living in Greece and we’re struggling to stay afloat. We are overworked, underpaid, overqualified, and yet we’re paying taxes all the time. ALL the freaking time! Bills are so expensive, Greece has the most expensive electricity, fuels, groceries and telecommunications. There are times we can’t even find the proper antibiotics because they prefer to sell them outside of the country in a higher price. Public transportation isn’t safe at all while politicians are out there living their best lives!I have absolutely no idea what the future holds for my children, for all these ambitious,intelligent young people who leave this country, travel abroad and suddenly flourish! Greek educational system is so absurdly challenging, parents actually pay an entire wage in order to use the school teachers and professors as private tutors, because it’s impossible for our children to survive in this educational mess. We need an entire fortune to hospitalize ourselves because public hospitals are falling apart. And don’t get me started about bureaucracy. I will NEVER forgive Germany and other Northern countries, for the fact that they demonized my poor nation, us Greeks who gave all our blood in WW II fighting the Nazis for years with tremendous casualties that actually changed the course of war, only to be treated like trash in the end.Blaming us that we are not paying our taxes in order to make Greece a scape goat for Germany’s failure. I’m sorry but many people might have forget the racial slurs but they still ring in my ears.
I feel like portugal and specially lisbon is going through the same, so many americans and rich europeans came here as digital nomads and made the rent super high to the point there the first trailer parks ever were opened here. I think this “tourists/digital nomads go home” mentality is very strong in southern europe right now bc us young people dont have money for nothing, our wages are so little me and my collegues have no prospects of ever owning a house, its so sad
Dear Yes Theory Team, I have been perusal this website for a while now, and this is the first time I have cried after an episode. I felt emotional many times in the past with your articles, but this was different. This is the first time I will share something personal on YouTube. I left Greece 8 years ago amid the economic crisis. As a student, I had the privilege to study at a Public University, and because of that, I was able to start my journey abroad. My parents and my friends’ parents paid for my education with their taxes, making me the person I am today. As a student, I had to live for years with less than 50 euros per week for my expenses. Thousands of people left the country in the last decade because of the financial crisis and the low wages, while the prices have risen. I feel sad that I can’t return to my country and have a proper life. I want to thank all the students who are still fighting for a better future, and I apologize that my generation, which is only a decade older, failed to change the situation. Thank you, yes theory team, for showing the reality of the country and not just the touristic image of Greece, which is 100% fake.
I’m from Turkey, and I was actually a bit surprised to see that the most depressed country was Greece. In my trips to Greece, I have always been welcomed by very friendly people. Even during hard times, Greek people were very kind. I’ve always felt at home. Turkey is going through some economic difficulties right now too, so I understand their situation. I hope everything can work out for our neighbors. ❤️
Thanks for spreading awareness about Greece. Me being in tourism industry, I have the same conversation with every single tourist. “Oh we couldn’t imagine that the situation is so bad in Greece”. Of course no one knows what is happening here since the propaganda of the government is so huge that people have the idea that the economy is thriving. In reality we sink day by day and we cannot see the end of it yet… It’s really sad to see the young generations TRYING to survive in Greece and constantly trying to STAY and the government doing everything possible to push us all away… Thanks for showing the true picture of Greece. We need that because we have zero coverage from big tv medias.
I live in Bulgaria, right next to Greece, and I go on vacations there every summer for the last 4-5-6 years. I was surprised to hear about your article because Greek ppl are one of the most laid-back, welcoming and happy ppl I’ve seen😃 But that’s probably because I go to the islands and during Summer, when it’s the peak season.👌🏻 amazing beaches, superior, fresh seafood and much more. It’s a beautiful country with many hidden gems and small islands. Maybe it also depends where exactly you go. As any other country they do have issues. We’re also not “thriving” in Bulgaria, but I’d say we’re still doing good.
I’m a 26-year-old woman in Greece and even though I pretty much knew all about the situation in my country, I’m grateful that you made this article. First of all it’s heartwarming to see that someone outside Greece cared to see what’s happening within our borders, and secondly it was a reminder even for me, that life isn’t supposed to be this stresfull as Greek people especially in Athens live like. I identified myself completely hearing that statement about our generation being disheartened because of the political and economic state of our country, and even tough I would love to say that I want to stay and fight for my country and that I’m proud of my people, I’m really dissapointed to say that I’m not. Greece is a blessed country because of its natural beauty and history, and Ancient Greeks were really capable people and I’m proud to be in the country they built, but 21st century’s Greeks do nothing to make me proud at all. There’s the mindset that we only care about ourselves and what we can do to have the best for ourselves and our families, even against someone else’s sake, and we don’t care about anything that belongs to another person or that it’s public (hence the graffities). And of course, the top troublemakers, our politicians, have stopped being proper leaders since the ’80s. And we keep on electing the same goverments in rotation because no adequate and capable candidate exists. As for the riots, the matter about the private universities that you bumped into is a light one.
I moved to Athens from Australia 7 months ago with my partner (she’s Greek Australian, always had the dream to move here.) It’s been very eye-opening for the both of us. The people we’ve met here have been the most beautiful, the most kind and the most generous despite making almost no money. They love being out, spending time with people who matter and it does really break my heart that they can’t afford to live comfortably. I’ve spoken with many people who work a service job and get paid 4€ an hour and go back to an apartment they pay 600+ € a month in rent. So many people are looking to get out, but where can they go? A lot of people I’ve spoken to have said “there’s nowhere else for me.” That’s one giant reason the Greek hospitality is so touching man. I wanted to leave Australia to find myself, not because a lack of opportunity. It was a stunning reminder of just how lucky we were to be born where we were. The one thing I’ve noticed so much is that even though young people can’t breath in Greece, they’re still out and spending time with each other – a far cry from what I experienced in Australia (one of the reasons I wanted to move.) It felt like my friends and my community were becoming more and more and more isolated – yes, we can afford a lot more but what’s the point if I’m never with people I care about? Life was way lonelier. The biggest impact living in Greece has had on my life is that now, when I go to coffee with my girl, we go out for hours just talking about nothing and enjoying the day as it goes by.
I immediately knew it was Greece. I went to Athens last year expecting to find a perfect city, while what I found was a dirty city full of abandoned buildings, homeless and junkies. I felt so sorry for what I thought could have been the 2nd most beautiful city in the world. I live in Rome, which basically is suffering the same problems in a minor way, and I think it’s so sad to see the two most important cities in the history of mankind going in the direction they’re going. Of course we all know that Greece has a lot more to offer, and when I went there I also found beautiful and welcoming people and, of course, delicious food, therefore I hope they will rise and I hope the future of the city will be bright and beautiful as it should be. Stay strong my Greek brothers, love from Italy ❤️ Una faccia, una razza 🇮🇹🤝🏻🇬🇷 μια φάτσα μια ράτσα
The abonded buildings are not because of the crisis. These buildings have not been maintained for more than 2 decates. It’s because the legislation system. Usually these buildings end up to belong to more than 1 owner, but because there are disputes between them, the buildings end up like this. Most of these buildings are “protected” by the government, meaning that because they are old and they belong to a specific architecture, it is forbidden to be demolished. After years, the cost of maintenance is so high, that nobody wants to buy, or renovated.
18:53 Exarcheia in Athens and the sentence “Tourists go home”: you don’t mention or don’t know, that the city Center of Athens is very interesting for Airbnb and other investment opportunities hunters (small and big ones). Thanks to Airbnb-Tourists and digital nomads the prices for rental apartments increased crazy the last years.After Koukaki, Exarcheia is the next target for investors. Tourism brings money, but unfortunately also greed. This is the new reality of many cities- think of Venice, Paris, Lissabon….
I first visited Greece in 2019 and I felt right at home. The spirit, optimism and hopeful outlook of Greeks left a mark in my heart. Their friendliness and willingnesss to connect is heart warming. But I understand their pain and troubles; and I really like how you articulated the intricacies of the country’s difficult situation. As rough as Athens may look, there are a lot of good people there which is why I keep coming back every year since (except during lockdown). 😊
I’m from Greece, and your article truly touched me because I experience this reality every day. It’s emotional and admirable that you’re showcasing this side of Greece, not just the islands and vacation spots. I truly hope that we, and all other countries dealing with similar issues, can find balance again. Thank you for highlighting the challenges we face, as it’s an important part of our story too.💙
My grandfather immigrated to America from Rhodes island in Greece. His father owned a winery that enabled him to send his sons across the world to escape the conflict. I am grateful to hear the story from George and see life around their winery. It makes me think about what my great grandfather and grandmother would have been like. Thank you for providing a view of the culture of my family I never got to know.
Greece is my soul country in Europe, even though I am Hungarian by blood and Romanian by birth. Despite all challenges people are truly welcoming and caring. But can still see the sorrow in their eyes and the frustration in their attitude towards their government and leaders. These people went through a lot. I made great Greek friends on my journey. Love and peace for you all! :yougotthis:
that old man seriously has me crying after seeing his military pic, what a man. I work for my mother who is an attorney and serves as POA and/or trustee, and I am constantly around cool old men, but they’re dropping in their 80’s. That man in your article would be my new best friend if he was in my world. Absolute Soul, Amazing. Keep interviewing the elders!
I’m currently studying abroad in Athens and it was really interesting to see your perspective – I think the cameras were the main thing causing locals to be rude to you, as a tourist myself I have felt very welcomed by locals. Also bummed I missed you guys I recognized the spots you walked through! But keep up the good work 😊
Been all over Greece many times and always found all the locals both in cities and rural to be happy and enjoying life. I have been invited into strangers homes for meals and had locals go out of there way to help me….. Even spent some time in the hospital in Greece (not a super experience)… Love the country, love the people.
You guys finally made it to my homecity! I hope you felt welcome and enjoyed your stay. Greece is a strange country. We’re happy and grateful to live here, but also constantly get disappointed and discouraged. I wholeheartedly love this country, but that means hurting for everything that goes wrong here, and unfortunately it happens a lot. I think part of the reason people here are stressed is because we feel responsible for this place, we don’t want to leave it behind, but we also often find ourselves unable to do anything to change it.
Tbh I think this part about Exarchia is quite gonzo. I’ve been to Exarchia just 4 months ago and I liked this quarter the most, cause it still has this untouched and wild vibe. Exarchia has the best night life and beautiful cafes bars and restaurant. I also talked to someone who just moved to Exarchia because it has kind of a vibe like Berlin 15 years ago. So I can definitely recommend you to go there👌🏼
As a Greek student I want to express my gratitude towards this article. I cried at this slice of life vid explaining the sides of my country that people very often overlook and I want to say that you did such an amazing job documenting everything from the good to the bad. This article was awesome! It explains so much from the stressful parts of our unfair government and the battle for a better future from us youth, to the calm euphoric life of an elder in our beloved islands and analysation of our culture. My family also struggles economically, aswell as the majority of the population, so I related alot. It disappoints me to see my country that is the birthplace of many things, falls so behind, so we’ll keep raising our voices to not let it crumble. It’s so nice seeing a article so wonderfully executed to not only get me hooked to the wholesome interactions you made with the locals of all kinds of generations but you also managed to raise awareness in a way that created a heartfelt adventure. Thank you,Yes Theory Team, for showing the reality instead of the popular touristic image of Greece (Which is very much fake) Again, this was such a greatly analysed documentary in terms of everything. I hope you enjoyed your stay! ❤
I know this website since 7-8 years ago and I watch your articles every now and then but not often. No matter how late I come back across one of your articles you always give me goosebumps. You are very talented Thomas. You are a great storyteller and you have good eyes to capture the special in life. Thank you very much for your work.
I went on a study abroad to Ikaria almost a year ago now, and I mean it when I say I miss it every day. Everybody is so kind, so nice, so stress free, and comparing it to how we lived in America? The reverse culture shock coming back home definitely hit, I’ll say that much. And, it’s so interesting to see other parts of greece outside of Ikaria. I heard from locals that the only thing they could say stressed them out in any way was the government, and I guess that rang true even in Athens. Thank you for sharing the struggles to better understand the reality of places like Greece that are often portrayed very differently to foreigners and tourists.
Hey! I’m 19, been living in Athens my whole life. It’s great to see you guys visited our country and experienced both ends of the spectrum from rural to village-like experiences. There’s a lot going on that’s wrong, and some people have unfortunately gave up since a very young age! Nice to see Zacharias too, he’s a beautiful soul.
I recently found your website, Your articles bring me to tears, hope for the future. You guys are amazing, doing an awesome job. I am grateful and honored to watch your work, showing the truth, rawness and the spark that every being has in them. The beautiful authentic connections. The smile and light Zacharias has ❤. Thank you and much love to you all.
I’ve been to Thassos, and Paleokastritsa in Corfu, all i felt was chill in these places. I love the Greek islands, perhaps my favourite place in the world. This lady in Thassos was so nice, she kept making me bowls of pasta with cheese, back when i ate cheese, the people of the islands are awesome people.
I can honestly say that this website is the only thing I have that reconnects me to positive emotions. Im 19 and on my own trying to balance a full time job and chasing my dream of making music. It gets really hard sometimes to see joy when im stuck at home by myself overworked and tired. You guys have shown me what the world is really like and it brought me hope even though I haven’t been able to see any of it.
You guys are walking around in the tourist part of Athens during working hours. Of course you dont see stressed people, those dont actually have to work. The rest of us are working 10 hours a day for 800euro, while rents are 600… the depressed people go from home to work and back. They dont go for walks on a weekday.
Thank you guys for raising awareness about my country. The economic problems have cut our legs for many years now and the governments of the past years are making terrible mistakes and they don’t listen to the citizens. The situation is getting worse and worse sadly. Life is so expensive. For example it’s cheaper for us to go on vacations in central Europe during summer than to go to our own islands. The public system is falling apart. Although I’m not very optimistic about the future, I still have a little hope in me that the better days will come. Again thank you for this one. ❤
I rarely comment on articles on Youtube but i might have to on this one. As a Greek this article hit deep,like really deep.Greece has been in turmoil for centuries now since the Byzantine Empire fell,and never had the chance to get back up and stand on it’s feet.I believe that the reason why Greece is the most depressed and stressed country in the EU is simply because we are constantly ruled by corrupt politicians that don’t care about the greater good,and only care about how they can steal taxpayer money.Thank you so much for making this article and showing the world the sad reality of Greece.I hope that the situation will change for the better in the coming years.Much love!<3
As a local born and raised in Athens for more than 30 years my perceived reasons are: 1. Poor public health system: Many more hospitals than needed cause they were promised by ministers to voters. Most hospitals operate without the necessary amount of trained staff and with insufficient funding. Nightmarish tourist seasons for the doctors on the islands or remote areas since they often have to treat too many patients and work non stop, plus they are also kicked from their accommodation and wander around so that the owners can rent the property to tourists at a much higher price. Lack of assessment for staff/regulations/management. Hellas is among the top countries considering the amount of money people spend for private health services. 2. Poor education: Crowded classrooms often vandalized. Mistrust from students who think the system doesn’t align neither with their interests nor what the workplace is looking for. Students under 18-19 spend around 8h at school 4h at private education organizations a day plus they have their homework to do . Parents rely on private tutors for the important exam preparations. Insufficient funding. Lack of staff. Awful system for appointing teachers to schools especially outside Athens. Teacher salary is often not sufficient to pay rent especially in tourist popular areas. Lack of assessment for staff/regulations/management. 3. Poor law enforcement and justice system : Under equipped, under staffed and under trained police. Corruption. Police officers often being a target for many people with certain political beliefs.
This is perfect timing. Yesterday the education law was voted, although it goes against our country’s Constitution. Also last week was the one year anniversary of a tragic railway crash that cost the lives of around 60 people, most of whom were very young. It was something that could and should have been prevented and the government is still covering the people who were responsible.
I Moved from Helsinki, Finland to Athens 4 months ago and I have been living here in Athens since then and I can all tell you that its completely vice versa for me Finland and finnish ppl seem so much more stressed and depressed than here even tho the living cost is not that different and the normal wage here is much lower. I don’t even know how people survive here for only 500EUR a month. Remember this is just my perpective. But now i got a little depressed that i didn’t bump into you guys😪
I am from Poland and I was in Greece in october 2023. For me the prices were affordable, and it all seemed nice. After seeing this article I can definitely say that I was in a tourist bubble. It’s also interesting because Poland was, unlike Greece, behind the iron curtain and Soviet occupation, but after the 90s, our country started to develop, and it seems that this was the point where Greece started to regress. I hope that we won’t have a backslide like Greece in the future.
I’ve been in Greece many times to a lot of different places and I’m not ignoring the problems the country definitely has, but in my experience it’s always been the most welcoming and serene country I’ve ever been. It’s true that there’s a huge different between Athens and the islands but a lot of the population is happy with a sober lifestyle. It may sound romanticized but a lot of the population still have that philosophical approach to life like in Ancient Greece.
My husband and I tried 2 times to go to Greece to live. He is Greek American and I just love it there. It makes me so sad…but before I even knew this article was about Greece, I called it. Cause despite it’s beauty, we could never make it there and both times came back to the US because of the way things are over there. It’s so sad and your article brought tears to my eyes…cause no one gets it. I wish things were different. 😢
Special permits are required for filming/photographing in military and harbor installations, border areas, airports, public transport, train, metro, and other stations, archaeological sites, monuments and museums, churches, monasteries, and other places of religious worship, schools, as well as for underwater or aerial photography. This is why you weren’t allowed to film there.
What an amazing article! You really did a great job showing these opposite sides of my country! Born and raised in Athens I couldn’t relate more with all these stressed people, but these beautiful people from ikaria gave me hope and relief that you can still get away from this vicious cycle! Greetings from Greece! 🇬🇷🫶🏻
Dear Greek friends as an Italian here. And I can well understand the difficulties that you live every day are the same as we live in Italy. Unfortunately, our countries are governed by criminals who think only of their own pockets and not of the population… Nevertheless, do not give up and keep fighting because one day things will get better. Once you hit bottom you can only climb up, we’ll get justice I’m sure about that
Greece is a piece of heaven ❤ Its situation is similar to many balkan countries- people are helpless against the government and angry, sometimes negative, but deep down they bear beautiful souls and big hearts. This is something very special that makes me come back again and again, very real and a very different vibe from central europe.
You guys are the best thing YouTube has ever given me, i love the stories of countries that i have never been to, individuals that I will never meet yet i felt like I was part of your journey and conversation. Some stories brings tears to my eyes and some smiles on my face. Thank you Yes Theory, you guys are putting out such great stories and deserve all the love and subscribers ❤
Newzeeland is doing better than Europe, because they dont allow foreginers to buy property and not live in them. The real problem is that all over europe, rental housing has gone up so much that working a normal full time job (like nurse, teacher etc.) doesnt allow you to be able go pay rent and food, even less if you would get sick. Its depressing for anyone, regardless where you live. This wasnt a problem in the 90s, because people couldnt buy realestate and live in another country, just profiting from rent. The locals should always have more possibilities, eu has turned everything in a downspiral for the workingclass.
Athens has its share of stress factors, much like any big city around the world. Daily commutes, traffic jams, and the hustle of keeping up with tight schedules can take a toll. On top of that, the remnants of the economic crisis still impact many of us, with people stretching their finances to cover basic needs. The issue of skyrocketing rents, driven by the conversion of residential apartments into Airbnbs, only adds to the stress, limiting rental options for locals and inflating prices to nearly unaffordable levels. Thats why you saw the anti-tourists graffiti. It’s a form of protest against policies and developments that seem to prioritize tourism and profit over the well-being of the city’s residents, reflecting a growing frustration with the current administration’s approach in this, but also a meriad of other topics. Regarding Exarcheia, I believe there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. It’s an area with a significant history and a lively nightlife that perhaps wasn’t fully represented. The neighborhood is much safer and more welcoming than it might have been portrayed. The police presence you observed is mainly due to the tensions surrounding the development plans for the area, particularly the government’s proposal to build a metro station in the main square. This is seen by many as an attempt to alter the neighborhood’s character, leading to resistance from the community. However, despite these challenges, there’s a strong sense of resilience among Athenians. There’s a hopeful spirit here, an enduring optimism that we’ll navigate through these times together and emerge stronger.
Your article perfectly described how I felt about Greece. My family travelled there as tourists in March of 2023, and this article came out while we are traveling through Spain and Portugal. 13 year old me was honestly disappointed by Greece. But now as I learn more about living in the country as opposed to touring, it’s made me appreciate its strong courageous people, lively culture and history, and beautiful landscapes more. We are constantly told in America and other rich countries that what we see in the internet is not the real Greece and to be wary, but it’s actually insane how many people I know don’t truly believe it in their soul. There is an essence of the tourist beauty (that’s why people want to go there in the first place), but overlooking the people and the real country itself only fuels lies and anger. Ever since I’ve been to Greece, I do the best a fifteen year old can do to travel respectfully and safely. Thank you for an amazing, eye-opening article, Thomas and Stefan.
Amazing article. My favorite Youtubers were in my country and I didn’t even know about it… You reminded me of my grandfather through Zacharias’ smile. What a gorgeous soul he is indeed. Your reach always surprises me, you show us things we don’t even know about our own countries and accurately. Keep this up guys. I appreciate it🙏
I played a article game back in the days with a greek community, they were the loveliest most kind people i have ever played with, despite the country”s economy and dept, they always found a way to bring joy and forget about their everyday problems, and greek songs are just amazing i would love to visit greece one day and i hope all greek people find peace and prosperity
I spent 2 months in Athens last year. Most of the time I was with the locals my age in Psiri and Kolonaki. Athens is magnificent. But sadly what makes Athens depressing is not the weather, food, architecture or people. Its their history of handling their finances, corrupt government and the current state of their country. The knowing they should be and could have been so much further ahead then many other European Capital cities.
I’m living in Philippines and people here, mostly are working for $10 a day if they are lucky. They do t rely on the government to help, and even in poverty they are a happy people . They sing a lot 😊. Maybe singing makes people happy ? They also have big families and lots of connections with the friends and neighbors. Idk, but even in Athens they seem to have a lot more wealth and opportunities for advancement- it’s easy for them to leave to get work in other parts of Europe . All that said, yea, the average Filipino is probably happier than the average European
Im 23 years old and ive lived my whole life in Athens Greece. I would say my family is middle class (at least most of my life, we were broke some years ago). I dont know why anyone would say we’re the most stressed and depressed country, personally i wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world. The city center is depressing but thats just the center. If you live ANYWHERE else in athens or greece in general i think you’ll have a much better time.
All countries undergoing neoliberal restructuring are bound to suffer from the same syndromes. Add to that the lack of space, parks, parking space, affordable rent etc throughout the country but predominantly in Athens, it’s no wonder people are stressed out and quality of life is deteriorating constantly. Greece’s saving grace for tourists are its historical landmarks, the weather, the food and the fact everything is open so late at night (which is also owed to the weather).
Late comment but i will give an example for the non-Greeks to understand the struggle: Imagine working in the most beautyful and elegant restaurant. BUT you are a waiter that works overtime, underpaid, with a toxic enviroment and generally a lot of stress. The beauty of the place will not cure anything bad that is happening…
I find this approach of Athens quite unrealistic for the average citizen of Athens. Of course every city has its bad neighbourhoods. You can’t just make an assumption based of a small area of a city. Athens is a really beautiful city and very tourist friendly generally. There are just few areas that are considered dangerous. This article depicts ONLY the bad side of the city and that’s really frustrating P.s. I have NEVER ever heard in my life someone getting kicked of the acropolis just because they have cameras. This doesn’t make sense at all. EVERYONE comes in Greece to take a picture of the acropolis
this article i’m sure had good intentions, but it is kinda not done well. like when they were scared to be in exarcheia, it’s literally just a trendy neighborhood. no one will do anything to you, there’s no reason to think that. and to say “where’s all the depressed people?” is kinda dumb because like why would they be on the streets. and who assumes that an entire country is just the tourist perception of it? i feel like the whole article idea was flawed, but i am sure the intentions were good so it’s no biggie
Zacharias the centenarian is a veteran of world war II. Greece defended itself against Italian invasion, and forced Hitler to divert troops and resources to the Balkans, delaying the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. This delay was crucial for the Soviet Union, allowing them more time to prepare and ultimately contributing to their ability to withstand the German onslaught.
Wow, of all the angles you could have made a article of Greece about you chose this.. dissatisfaction with the government and inflation are not just Greek problems. You showcase a demonstration, scenes from a notorious area in Athens-which every city has, a small market with lots of non Greeks, and a graffiti that says Tourists not welcome. In reality Greeks are the hospitable people, friendly, generous and warm to foreigners unlike some other European countries. This article comes across very anti Greek. Do people not demonstrate in Paris? Are citizens not dissatisfied with their governments in Italy and Spain and Portugal for instance ? There’s so much you missed about the true nature of Greeks and their every day lives compared to other countries and you guys clearly set out and were in a mission of finding gloom. Very disappointed. The addition of the sweet old man in the end was the only bright note.
At 21:06 there is a sign on the wall that says “κι’αυτό θα περάσει” which means “even that (event) will pass by” and it’s litteraly Greece’s mentality, there are even songs about this type of mentality and that’s what’s around. I am a Greek that grew up in a small town and studied, worked and lived in Athens for 6 years. Life outside of Athens is very pleasant, chill with no f…s given. Athens has it’s issues, though. Obviously, it’s not all of it like that but the stress is there. Some of my greatest memories i have are from Athens, so it all comes down into each individual’s perspective and how well you can manage the fast rhythm of the city. I’ve also traveled in most of Greece’s cities, towns and villages and for the most part what you saw in Ikaria island is how it is. Athens it’s just expensive for what our salaries are. In other small towns like mine everything is way more calm, especially to the Greek islands. Loved the article, this side of Greece is unfortunately here.
buildings in athens arent abandoned because of the crisis. They are abandoned because each ones belongs to several heirs who cannot agree in a solution to renovate or sell. This happens because the inheritage laws. Buildings are inherted by even 30 relatives of the person who died who never agree with each other.
Me being Greek just by reading the tittle i was kinda expecting that Greece could easily be the most stressed & depressed country BUT you guys totally failed or rather you never intended to search the reasons. The tittle is just click bait, you just wanted to go to Icaria…. Greece is under dictatorship but in order to understand/”feel it” you must live in Greece. The one that said that “here the Greeks even with 500€ per month they are having so much fun ” belongs to the minority that,most likely, still lives “happily” due to “healthy” family support . By “healthy” i mean they own at least 2-3 houses and a shop/company. That’s not the common . Some people told you that the economy is really bad, you did zero research on that ( not even google basic salary vs rents in Athens) . I understand that you like to make happy articles but honestly i felt offended. To make an extreme example that may make understand how i felt : imagine going NOW to Gaza and make a article that life there is nice and people are always smiling and are having fun …. PS The riot police that you saw at Exarchia is always there and those were very few …. Also running away due to one graffiti was pathetic/funny – “Seek Discomfort” my a$$ 😂😂😂😂
Okay so you need more information/explanation regarding the “abandoned Olympic arenas”. The waterfront arenas were meant to be temporary, and then they were supposed to be sold to private investors and redeveloped. But NIMBYs dragged the redevelopments through the courts for years, and investors came and went, being spooked and losing interest. This has been routine in Greece for decades: lots of red tape, which the NIMBYs exploited to stop anything they opposed. But two things happened the EU/IMF forced reforms during the 2010s crisis, and this one major developer for the former-airport site refused to back down to the NIMBYs. The ones on the former airport site were finally demolished when construction started in 2020, you can look up the Hellinikon project. It’s important to have some background knowledge, because foreigners make articles & write articles about what they see, without any of the background info.
Greece had a thriving economy. The problem was it’s was a black economy and as such it didn’t meet the EU’s expectations. So, Hr. Schaeuble, German finance minister along with one or two other miscreants decided to do something about it. Promised a deal to a greedy govt in the full knowledge that Greece could never meet the interest payments, so it went to the wall. The authors of the deal were jubilant, another country in the grip of “Pay your taxes!!” Austerity set in. I lived in Greece for four years in the eighties, two of which were in the south of Crete, I love the place.
@YesTheory genuine question: why did you leave out Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, (+- Kosovo) from the ‘map’ at the beginning of the article. It is quite offensive not goanna lie. I’m not even from those countries, but i feel passionate for those oppressed by the media..and unfortunately you aswell. They are in Europe too…Very much! So…my question still stands.. or if you won’t answer, please consider being more righteous, and act how you preach. Thank you
As a proud greek this statistic about sressed and depressed is a load of shite. Absolute nonscense. Also exarcheia in athens is a disgrace and embarrassment to all greeks. This is not representative of athens you didnt go to north athens or eastern athens were it is very different ie kifissia maroussi glyfada voula vouliagmeni.
Thank you for this article! As a 32 mother in Greece I’m sadly not proud of being Greek as everything around us tend to disappoint us, especially our government. Greece it’s not only the sun, sea and food that everyone knows as no-one shows the whole picture. Most Greeks can’t even afford to go to the places that the whole planet knows are the “Greece”. Please, keep making these articles.
I am happy that you went also to Icaria. We had a summer holiday there and we were astonished about the peace and happiness you can feel and smell there. We had our best meal in a small family restaurant, where the owner brought us in the kitchen and let us see and taste everything before deciding what to have. And we got to enjoy it with a beautiful sunset on the terrace. Definitely an island to visit once in your lifetime. Thanks for the article, amazing and very rich of culture and informations.
Zacharias is truly a shining beam of inspiration for a beautiful country gone ugly. Its citizens are not to blame, but the inept and corrupt leaders who mismanaged the country’s resources. Although it may take a long while before they see the Day, it’s present and proactive crop of youth is truly the hope and salvation of the Greek Motherland.
So meaningful. Its always good to understand where the locals are at in order to understand their behaviours’. I enjoyed this article, very educational yet insightful of Greece today. Greece has always been and still is right at the top of ‘my countries to visit’ list. Keep making these great articles. THANK YOU!
I think the article does a disservice to the actual situation here in Greece, which is my country. The article doesn’t show the real reason why people in Greece are depressed. The real reason is because of the financial situation in Greece, the few opportunities to grow as a human being or as a businessman, and everyone’s issues with the really awful government. Though, the statistics say depression, very few suicides occur here in Greece. Why is that you may ask? It is because we have the sea everywhere you look, beautiful scenery, hospitality, and overall peace outside of Athens. Also, some men say that they are depressed because of fraud against the government. We do not have a criminal crisis or junkies everywhere or everything is ugly. That is simply not true. Most of those kind of people are refugees and not Greeks. Greece is BEAUTIFUL WITH BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND CULTURE. Don’t get mixed up because of the financial situation. Money is not what makes someone happy!
I was clueless about the desperate economic situation in Greece, especially Athens. and the protracted nature of it, and how that impacts all of the society. I read magazines for retirees that hail Greece as one of the top places for people to retire to. So somebody’s not telling the truth. I visited Greece 10 years ago And really enjoyed it.- i always had been told that Athens was dirty and falling apart and don’t even bother. Just get on a boat to the islands right away. I ended up spending a couple of nights in Athens and it was really great. I went out to some nightclubs left at 3 o’clock and people were out eating, so much life at that time of night. But something definitely needs to happen, and Greece is not the only place that is experiencing this in Europe, but it sounds like it’s a problem that very little people know about outside of the country; I sure didn’t.. I live in Portugal now and it has its fair share of abandoned buildings and poor maintenance of the cities basic infrastructure, but it has improved too, and the government with the help of the EU has modernized the city and brought needed services. It’s not perfect but The people aren’t as hopeless as they are in Greece.
I have been living in Athens since 2017 and it was perhaps the worst life decision I’ve ever made for myself. Especially the way most people treat each other out here is just beyond my comprehension. Hopefully one day things will get better for them but I can’t see myself staying there and being happy.
Sadly you can observe the same situation in many other countries. I live now in Tbilisi (Georgia). There is a lot of very old buildings in the center which can fall down at any moment, metro and railway station requires general renovation, lot of homeless dogs. Government doesn’t care about it, only about money
I struggle with serious depression and go to therapy for it .. Most people like me dont see the light of day unless its for work. Which is my life currently. I am scared of socializing and doing anything outside of my comfort zone simply because i am so stressed about my own life it feels its spreads to others and the thoughts in my brain take me out of any social setting im in. i feel like i dont exist because im so in my head.. im working on it but i prefer being alone for now.
It’s about attitude. We pretty much smile and joke around even when we /are/ stressed and going through tough times, so it’s hard to notice just by looking at someone that we may be upset. I’d say that’s something that’s true across most of the Balkans. Also, Exarcheia is perfectly safe, or at least as safe as any city centre neighbourhood usually is (saying this as a small young woman who’s walked there at night too!)
Guys thank you very much cause you visited our beautiful small Athens. The truth is not exactly this you presented. Greece has a lot of problems since 2008 but there are also people who dont have serious problems and live normally. It depends on where you go and with who you talk about the situation in Greece. For sure we are not the most stressed and depressed country because of the climate and the way of living/ thinking. If you visit us in the future i would be happy to show you some other parts of the city and explain you why Greece has so many problems all of these years, but also why the people are not so stressed and depressed.
like 20years ago I have meet some client from Greece, they are one of the most friendly and charming people I ever met. We have prepare a lot of product sample for them and look forward for a long term partnership but they just stop replying our email…..later we heard that their company is closed and few years later the economy crisis…..Never been to this country before, it sadden me when I saw this article and the news I heard.
I come from Greece and I would like to say how much I loved your documentary. It is documentaries like this, that really could make an impact on how people perceive the world around them. Greece is usually portraited as this touristic paradise with amazing food and endless beaches. However this couldn’t be further from the truth. We struggle everyday due to our bad economic state and the corruption of our government. Therefore it is very heartwarming to see people like you who don’t view Greece, just as a touristic attraction but rather recognize and understand our difficulties.
Been to Greece so many times.,.. But never into cities, especially not in Athens. But I have heard many locals talk about rage against taxes, that are insanely high, yet feel like they get 0 services for them. Last year when I was there it was during the train accident, that was 100% avoidable… Even the EU gave Greece fines for their problematic system. People were outraged… I can def say though- locals would never say these things to a camera, most would be happy and smiling, it’s the culture.
Hi guys! I was surprised to find out this episode was about Greece! Surprised because foreigners (tourists) usually only experience the superficiality of the tourist areas, just like you on the first day…But, on the other hand, i am glad because you seem to be genuinely interested in exploring beneath the surface! Greece is a 2-stroke country characterized by polarity. Its been like this for centuries. But in the present day reality the polarity is very intense, in a way that widens the chasm between the people of the 2 realities. Greece was always a poor country with happy people. No matter what, we always had good food, good weather and our lovely beaches. Unfortunately now many people can not enjoy any of the above, mostly due to financial reasons which in turn are attributed to bad management of our governments, all governments. Other than that, i am sad i missed the opportunity to meet you and show you around! Keep up the good work! Wish i was there with you! Cheers!
Greece has the longest work week in Europe. It also has one of the smallest suicide rates in the world despite the poverty and apparent stress. I honestly don’t know where this statistic came from. Maybe it’s some index calculated from things like income and “quality of life” based on other indeces…
I know this is from three months ago but I just got back from Greece and I learned something very interesting while in Crete. While it is super beautiful there and as a tourist it’s lovely, but it’s very dry and doesn’t rain much there so my guide told me that there isn’t much water available and their farming is struggling due to the lack of water available. As purely a tourist you’d never know
Greece’s situation is very similar to that of my country, Malta. Life is all about work; no matter how much you work or how many degrees you have, you have the bare minimum for a decent life. I am a professional, and I am fortunate to have work, but life is nothing as near to how people in my profession used to live back in the day. I meet clients who are struggling every day to make it meet end. Our country is being sold to the private sector as well. Greece, we are with you! Greetings from Malta.
Great article, thank you very much for making the trip and putting all this together 🙏 This is why we left the country a few years ago and left our families and our beautiful land behind. To avoid depression and stress. To give better opportunities to our children. Hopefully we can help our country to do better in the future the way our politicians consistently failed and are failing to do so.
When we went to Greece last march it was so amazing. But our 2 local tour guides told us that the import and export industries are struggling. Gas is crazy expensive. Graffiti is considered legal but frowned upon. Athens is not set up to home the amount of people that it currently does. It was cool that the street markets opened and closed the way they did but it was very much so a “mind your own business place”. The airport traffic controllers were on strike and protesting because they get paid so little so we were stuck in the Athens airport for 35 hours. The islands are a lot more welcoming to tourists since that’s what keeps them afloat. Santorini was a completely different vibe than Athens. All the restaurants opened whenever they wanted to open them but if you needed help they’d come out of their closed shops to make sure you’re okay. Even the school students helped us find where we needed to go in Santorini. The thing that connects all Greek people is that they are very passionate no matter where you are in their country
like 20years ago I have met a client from Greece, they are one of the most interesting and friendly client I ever met, we have ask our factory to prepare lots of sample and look forward to have long time partnership with them, but they have stop reply the email…..later we know that their company is closed and few years later the economy crisis and things in Greece. Never been to this country before, it sadden me when I see this article.
From this article I learned that stress is about the environment and people around you. Do not let it take over your life, Greece is going through some hard time I see it as normal for the people to be angry and stressed unlike the countryside where everyone is chill and the nature and the landscapes etc.
I am a Greek American living in a small town 2 hours west of Athens, for the past 15 years. I have lived through some of the recent up and downs. I came back to a country that was doing well financially, it seems. It was all lies and deception, from the government. When the economic crisis happened around 2009, that is when the country began to decline. And it has been on a steady decline up until the last few years, where Greece is finally starting to show some financial success. Greece still has problems in from of them. A poor starting salary, unemployment, education and healthcare reform is required, among other things. The country is taking steps to better itself though. But as others here have said, the help is definitely needed in everyday life. Gas, food, and electricity prices are outrageous, compared to the average salary. Assist with that, and you will see the “stress & depression” drop. I believe if the salary was more near the EU average, not even on par, things would be a lot different. Even as it is now, where I live, it is mostly a joy. Especially the summers. The beach, nightlife, and the ability to sit on the beach, and eat some of the best cuisine in the world, brings such a joy to everyone. At least it does to me and my wife. We live in Aigio, which is 2 hours west of Athens, 20 minutes before Patra. We would love to have you guys here anytime you want to come. Our doors are open, and we have plenty of room for you all to stay! Come say hello!
Now it’s easy to say but when I saw the title one of the countries that came to mind was Greece. The 2010 debt crisis became an absurd burden for southern European countries, but the most punished was Greece. The EU failed in these countries and in Greece even more and even though there are responsibilities in these countries, the way they decided to deal with this was by punishing the populations. With all the upheavals currently taking place in Europe, Greece has been left in the background. The European ideal is yet to be fulfilled, in various aspects in each of the European societies, and this feeling is spreading and giving strength to extremist movements.
I was skeptical when I saw the title. I am Greek and Athenian. I thank you for this article. After 2011 Greece started changing because of the financial crisis. The governments act as if they don’t love our country and us. They just care for their fat salaries… In Athens, there is a lot of stress. The sun, the climate, the sea, the Greek spirit, and humor keep us still sane. People come here for vacation and don’t realize how hard life is for locals. So… no, if locals can’t afford it, is not “paradise”.