The summer school will take place in the Ursuline School of Naxos which is located in the castle of Naxos town (Chora). The building is situated on the highest spot of the medieval castle area offering a spectacular view over the Aegean, the neighbouring islands (Paros, Mykonos, Syros) and the Temple of Apollo.
About the venue
The building of the School of the Ursulines was constructed in 1930, when the School for Girls (founded in 1739 by the Roman Catholic nuns of the Ursuline order) needed to be expanded due to the rapidly increasing number of students, who came from mostly well-to-do families from all over Greece. The three-storey building consisted of classrooms, chemistry and physics laboratories, theatre and dormitories.
The School played a key role not only in the academic, but also in the moral and social education of its female pupils, whether they were Christian Catholics or not. In November 1931 it was renamed “The Greek-French Ursuline School of Naxos” and turned into a secondary school, similar to the public schools. Practically, this change set the basis for the girls to continue with further education if they wished to do so.
During the Second World War, the School was almost completely destroyed. The reconstruction of the School began in 1945 under the patronage of the French government and during the school year 1946-1947 it welcomed a good number of students. The possibility of closure was always present, however, as there was only a handful of nuns available to run it. By 1958, the renovation was completed and School regained its prestigious identity. New teachers were recruited and the acceptance criteria became more selective for new admissions. Over the years, however, the small number of ageing nuns was not replaced by new staff and the high operating costs meant that the School operated at a loss. In 1976 the School and Monastery closed and in 1986 the Greek state purchased the building.
The building underwent extensive renovation (2003-2009) and today is used as a cultural and conference center. There are fully equipped seminar, conference and exhibition rooms, as well as two terraces, the south terrace on the ground floor and the north terrace on the first floor, with tables and chairs. The building also hosts the Historical Archive and the Library of Naxos (1st floor).
(Sources: https://www.naxos.gr/a-tour-of-the-kastro-castle-district-in-the-old-town/?lang=en)
General information about the island of Naxos can be found at:
- https://www.naxos.gr/?lang=en
- http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/greek_islands/cyclades/naxos
- https://www.naxos.gr/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Naxos-Guide-EN.pdf
Accommodation
Accommodation-Option 1
University (BA, MA, PhD) students (participants of the Naxos summer school who are not receiving a CIVIS mobility grant / who are not registered through the spring & summer CIVIS course) can stay for free in the hostel/dormitory of the Municipality of Naxos and Small Cyclades. The hostel/dormitory is situated in Vivlos, a small hospitable village 8 km (15 min. by car) from the venue. The hostel/dormitory has triple and quadruple rooms (in apartments of 7 or 9 persons).
http://www.tripodesnaxou.gr/tripodes.htm
Accommodation-Option 2: Chora hostel - special rates*
Depis Place and Apartments – D&J group hotels: Chora (hostel)
*Please email Nikolaos Lavidas [nlavidas@enl.uoa.gr] if you are interested in this option.
Accommodation-Option 3: Special rates for the summer school participants (hotels)*
- Hotel Anixis [350 meters from the venue] info@hotel-anixis.gr
- Doron Hotel Delfini [750 meters from the venue] info@doronhotel.gr
- Depis Place and Apartments – D&J group hotels: [Chora] djhotels@yahoo.gr
*Please contact the hotels directly to make your reservation.
There are also other accommodation options near the venue (traditional guesthouses, rooms and apartments for rent, youth hostels).
Travel Information
If you are flying into Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, you can catch a flight directly to Naxos with the national carrier.
There is a flight twice or three times a day (45 min.). The Apollon National Airport in Naxos is located 3 km from Chora and is connected by taxi and regional buses (KTEL).
In the peak season there are additional flights as well as charter flights from many European airports.
Connection to Naxos from Athens by boat:
Another option from Athens -a route that most Greeks prefer due to the space availability and timetable frequency – is to travel by ferry [5-5.5 hours] or high-speed catamaran [3-3.5 hours]. The trip by boat is all part of the island experience and is considered pleasant by most people during the summer months. The fares are usually cheaper than airplane tickets and there are also reduced prices for students, specific dates and other groups of people. [More information is available from the ferry companies in early spring, and we will keep you posted about that.] Most of the reservations may be booked directly online, or through your travel agent/service.
Bus service to the port of Piraeus is available from the airport [express line X96 Airport Express Bus Lines – OASA]. The transport time from the airport to the port of Piraeus is about 1 hr 45 minutes. In addition, access to the port of Piraeus from the airport is available by subway: take line 3 (the blue line) from the Airport to Monastiraki station (40 min.), change to line 1 (the green line) from Monastiraki to Piraeus (17 min.) https://stasy.gr/en/
Please Note: In the summer months, a second port, the port at Rafina, about 30-45 minutes by car from Athens International Airport, has also boats departing to the Cyclades. (Please note there is no direct Express bus to Rafina from the airport).
If you’re flying into Mykonos or Santorini airports
The international airports closest to Naxos are the airports at the nearby islands Mykonos and Santorini. If you are flying into these airports, connection to Naxos is then by sea. Frequent service by ferry and catamaran is available from both Santorini [1.5-2.5 hours] and Mykonos [30 min.-2 hours].
See also: https://www.naxos.gr/the-basics-how-to-get-to-naxos/?lang=en
Getting around Naxos
By taxi
Taxis are available throughout the island. There are taxis always waiting outside the airport’s gateway or at Chora port. Rates are fixed every year and different from low to high season.
By bus
The island of Naxos is served by quite an organised network of buses. Even though the routes and the timings differ from winter to summer months, when there are more tourists, there are schedules posted at the bus stations. In the high season there are frequent itineraries from Chora to Tripodes/ Vivlos, Agios Prokopios & Agia Anna, Apollonas, Apiranthos, Chalki, Filoti, Mikri Vigla, Moutsouna, Agios Arsenios & Plaka, Pyrgaki, Sagri and other villages. Ticket values depend on the destination but they are generally cheap.
Source: https://amazing-greece.com/naxos-the-island-of-the-god-of-wine-dionysos/
Useful Links:
- https://www.aia.gr/traveler/
- https://www.olympicair.com/en/Travel/Destinations/Naxos
- https://www.bluestarferries.com/en-gb/
- https://hellenicseaways.gr/en/
- https://www.ferries.gr/gaferries/
- https://www.ferries.gr/nel/default.htm
University (BA, MA, PhD) students (participants of the Naxos summer school who are not receiving a CIVIS mobility grant / who are not registered through the spring & summer CIVIS course) may use the 30% discount for the Blue Star Ferries. Please contact: Natasa Tsiropina <natasatsirop@gmail.com>
Summer school terms and conditions
See here.
