The Hellenides are commonly divided into three structural provinces, the External Hellenides, the Internal Hellenides and the Hellenic hinterland. The borders between these provinces are defined by the ophiolitic suture zones of Vardar and Pindos; although some studies question the occurrence of Pindos suture/ocean. The Alpine tectonic evolution of the Hellenides remains also controversial. Currently, popular tectonic models interpret the Hellenides as a unidirectional, SW-vergent orogenic belt. In this interpretation, the HP-units exposed in the Internal Hellenides are laterally equivalent to the external units and have been exhumed in the footwall of syn- and/or post-orogenic extensional detachments. However, several studies have shown that the exhumation of the internal HP-units is related to NE-directed thrusting emphasizing the importance of retroward movements in the orogenic evolution of Hellenides. This presentation discusses facts and controversies for the orogenic evolution of Hellenides and provides a general outline of the major lithotectonic units/zones, the Mesozoic palaeogeography, the Alpine deformation and the Active Tectonics in the area.