Page 19 - EMPIRIA 2025

EDITORIAL

The Art of Letting

a Place Change You

OWNER
EMPIRIA GROUP
I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED that some places ask to be www.empiriagroup.gr
seen, while others ask to be felt.
Santorini? She doesn’t ask for anything. She just is — CONCEPT & DESIGN
unapologetically beautiful, boldly dramatic, and quietly ELSE AGENCY Sophisticated Creative House
transformative.
I still remember the first time I arrived. I thought I knew PUBLISHER-EDITOR IN CHIEF
what to expect — the caldera views, the dazzling sunsets, Elsa Soimiri
the iconic whitewashed curves. And yes, they were all esoimiri@elseagency.gr
there. But no one tells you about the stillness. The way
the silence hangs in the air like something sacred. The CREATIVE DIRECTOR CONTENT DIRECTOR
way time doesn’t stop — it simply dissolves. You don’t Lia Galanou Despoina Sampson
come to Santorini to be entertained. You come to be
disarmed. To feel small in the best possible way. And to HOTEL ART PHOTOGRAPHY
remember that beauty, when it's real, doesn’t perform. The Vscope, Tasos Aggelou, Thanos Asfis,
It just exists — and you’re lucky to witness it. Katerina Avgerinou, Dimitra Bratika,
And then, there’s Paros. Effortless. Warm. A little Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann, George Fakaros,
mischievous, in the way that places with soul often are. Denia Kokoroskou, Alexis Mantas, Gio Martorana,
Where Santorini teaches you to be still, Paros teaches you Cait Opperman, Ioanna Roufopoulou,
to let go. Of structure. Of urgency. Of whatever weight Giorgos Sfakianakis, Devin Wilson
you forgot you were carrying. Life flows differently here
— slower, but fuller. A morning swim that turns into a ILLUSTRATOR
beachside lunch, that turns into an afternoon nap, and Amanda Galal
somehow it’s midnight and you’re dancing under the COPY EDITORS
stars with people you just met. There’s a generosity in Georgia Nikolina, Artemis Raftopoulou, Stavrina Vasilaki
the rhythm of Paros. A reminder that joy doesn’t need
planning — it just needs space. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
It’s this contrast — this dance between awe and ease — Elfi Alexandroglou ealexandroglou@elseagency.gr
that I find so irresistible. And it’s exactly what Empiria ADVERTISING MANAGER
captures. Not just through stunning architecture or Thomais Adami thomais.ad@elseagency.gr
thoughtful service (though there’s plenty of both), but PUBLISHED BY
through something deeper: an understanding that travel ELSE AGENCY Sophisticated Creative House
is personal. That where you stay should make space for 341 Kifisias Avenue, Kifisia, 14561, Athens Greece,
who you are — and who you might become. T +30 210 6100211/210 6100212 | Fax (+30) 210 6100213
Empiria doesn’t just offer properties — it creates spaces. info@elseagency.gr
Spaces to slow down, to reconnect, to rebalance. To www.elseagency.gr
arrive as your full self and leave feeling a little more
in tune — with beauty, with meaning, with the kind of PRINTING Fotolio Typicon
experience that lingers long after the trip ends.
This issue is a celebration of that kind of travel — RESPONSIBLE AGAINST THE LAW: Elsa Soimiri
intimate, sensory, unforgettable. I hope it inspires you EMPIRIA is an annual magazine distributed
to seek not just new destinations, but new ways of for free. Empiria Group does not necessarily share
being within them. the opinions expressed in the magazine. It is illegal
to reproduce any part of this publication without the
Elsa Soimiri written permission of the publishers.
Publisher – Editor in Chief
ISSN 2732-8619 (PRINT), 2732-8627 (DIGITAL)

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