Athens the capital and largest city in Greece, dominates the Attica periphery: as one of
the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans at least 3,000 years. Ancient Athens
was a powerful city-state. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's
Akademia and Aristotle's Lyceum, Athens was also the birthplace of Socrates, Pericles,
Sophocles, and its many other prominent philosophers, writers and politicians of the
ancient world. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western Civilization, and the
birthplace of democracy, largely due to the impact of its cultural and political
achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC on the rest of the then known
European continent.
The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by a number of
ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all the Parthenon on the
Acropolis, widely considered an important landmark of early Western civilization. The city
also retains a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a small
number of remaining Ottoman monuments projecting the city's long history across the
centuries. Landmarks of the modern era are also present, dating back to 1830 (the
establishment of the independent Greek state), and taking in the Greek Parliament (19th
century) and the Athens Trilogy (Library, University, and Academy).
Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years
later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics, with great success
The history of Athens is one of the longest of any city, in Europe or the world; it has been
continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years. Athens became the leading city of ancient
Greece in the first millennium BC, with its cultural achievements during the 5th century
BC laying the foundations of Western civilization.
PLACE TO VISIT
Acropolis - the ancient fortified town of Athens, dating back to the Late Bronze Age,
now the site of the best buildings of the Greek Classical age: the Parthenon, the
Erectheion, the Temple of Athena Nike. If you attend a university in the European Union,
bring your ID and you can enter for free. The normal entrance price is 12 euros. This ticket
also gives you entry to the Kerameikos, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Roman Agora,
Ancient Agora, and the nearby Theatre of Dionysus.
Ancient Agora - the site of the Ancient Agora in a very green space and a very
beautiful of the Acropolis. You will see the Temple of Hephaestus, the best preserved
ancient greek temple, the Attalos Stoa, the museum of the agora which is a reconstructed
ancient building. From the agora you can walk towards Acropolis. Extension of the agora
is the Roman Forum
Syntagma Square - check out the Parliament building and the newly-restored
Grande Bretagne Hotel. Also, catch the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament
every hour on the hour. Their uniforms and walking style is fun to see but make sure you
don't stand on the wrong side of them if you want to take a picture.
The Kerameikos - the site of the ancient cemetery of Athens. It also houses the
Dipylon Gate, where the Panathenaic procession would begin. It has an museum
showcasing many of the grave stele and other archaeological items found on the
grounds.
Temple of Olympian Zeus - also known as the Olympieion, is a colossal ruined
temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was formerly dedicated to Zeus, king
of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the
Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it
was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD
some 650 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned
as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient
world.
Panathianiko Stadium - the stadium that housed the first modern day Olympic
Games of 1896. A huge white, made of marble with a horseshoe configuration stadium.
Lycabettus Hill - A 200m hill over Kolonaki district. You can reach the top either by
walking or by the funicular railway that exists. There are restaurants and cafés and and a
great view of Athens until the sea.
Benaki Museum - visit the beautiful neoclassical main building which houses
collections of Greek art, from ancient times through the Byzantine period and the modern
state. Open late and for free on Thursday evenings.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens - This is the largest and most popular of Athens' many museums, and is usually very crowded. Its vast collection includes treasures unearthed from Mycenae by Heinrich Schliemann; a staggering array of sculpture including the earliest known Greek figurines dating from around 2,000 BC; frescoes from the volcanic island of Santorini; and so much more that it is recommended visitors make several visits to absorb it all.
National Historical Museum - situated in the old parliament building. Contains a large collection of historic documents such as the first constitution of Greece, furniture, equipment from the revolution. If you are lucky you ay see the old session room.
Numismatic Museum - the building of the museum is one of the most beautibul
in Athens, built by Ernst Ziller and was used as the residence in Athens of Schliemann.
The collection contains thousand of coins ancient greek, roman, byzantine, medieval and
more contemporary european and greek.
Temple of Hephaestos - and Athena Ergane, also known as the Hephaisteion or
Theseion is a Doric order peripteral temple, located at the north-west side of the Agora of
Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill. From the 7th century until 1834, it served as
the Greek Orthodox church of St. George Akamates.
Parthenon - is a temple built for the Greek goddess Athena in the 5th century BC on
the Acropolis of Athens. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece,
generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its
decorative sculptures are considered one of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon
is regarded as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy, and is
one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently
carrying out a program of restoration and reconstruction
National Garden - is a peaceful, green refuge of 15.5 hectares in the center of the
Greek capital. It is located directly behind the Greek Parliament building (The Old Palace)
and continues to the south to the area where the Zappeion is located, across from the
Panathenaiko or Kalimarmaro Olympic Stadium of the 1896 Olympic Games. The Garden
also encloses some ancient ruins, tambours and Corinthian capitals of columns,
mosaics, and other features. On the south-east there are the busts of Capodistrias,the
first governor of Greece and of the great Philhellene, Eynard, and on the south side of the
celebrated Greek poets Dionysios Solomos , author of the Greek National Hymn, and
Aristotelis Valaoritis.
WHAT TO DO
Near Athens, in Glyfada (50 min by tram from the center), there is the Sea Turtle Rescue
Society Archelon. They are regularly looking for volunteers who are willing to work on their
own costs and are able to take care of injured Sea Turtles.
Attend an event at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival. It runs during the summer and
offers a wide spectrum of events covering almost every taste. Try to attend a performance
at the ancient theater of Epidaurus -a truly unforgetable experience.
Kolonaki is Posh Central. It is cosily situated between Syntagma Square (metro Lines 2
and 3), Evangelismós (metro Line 3) and the Lucabettus hill. Come here for first hand
experience of the sport of "people watching" and marvel at the spectacle of elegantly
dressed people of all ages lounging in the cafes on the main square, sipping Frappé and
gossiping. Here is where you'll find your designer goodies, should you be so inclined.
Shopping addicts will love Kolonaki, or for a more reasonable price tag, Ermou Street,
beside Syntagma Square. Turn right off Ermou at the MAC makeup shop and you'll find
yourself on Aghiou Markou and other small streets which are home to incredibly cheap
shoes, bags, jewellery, gifts, homewares, and so on.
'Psiri' is the up-and-coming social hub of Athens- if you are looking for 'trendiness', you
are at the correct place. Situated in the "warehouse" district, beside the Monastiraki metro
station, it's home to many of Athens' more funky restaurants, and a great number of good
tavernas and bars. The place buzzes on a Saturday night, well into the small hours.
For an atmospheric lunch or dinner with the best view of the city, the best choice is
Lycabettus Hill, where Orizontes Lykavittoy and Cafe Lykavittos present delicious
international dishes seven days a week.
A 'club zone' is located in the coastal zone, running to the east- if you go there and you are
lucky, you can actually get to listen to non-Greek music. There are also many clubs and
pubs in the center of Athens.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is situated 27 km (17 miles) east of the city center, near the suburb of Spáta. This well-appointed airport opened in 2001, raising the comfort levels of travelling to Athens and Greece by a phenomenal degree, for travellers arriving from 'Euro-zone' countries. This means that you are going to need euro coins if you want a trolley for your luggage; trolleys are available at the airport and they use coins the same way supermarket trolleys do. You insert your coin, and you get it back by placing the trolley back to its original position- so, be advised, and make sure you carry the correct currency.
Athens airport is a major hub in the Aegean, Balkan and East Mediterranean regions.
Delta and Olympic maintain non-stop flights from North America, while a large number of
European carriers fly direct into Athens.
By regional coach - Regional coaches (KTEL) connect Athens to other cities in Greece. The fleet of buses has recently been upgraded, which makes the journey pleasant and safe. For some destinations one can also use the buses of the railroad company (OSE, see next paragraph) that might be international, but can also be used for in-country transport. At times there are collaborations with companies from adjacent countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania) so your best move will always be to ask on both the bus and the train companies about your available options.
By train - Trains (OSE) connect Athens to other cities in Greece -however, do not
expect the diversity and complexity of railroads you usually find in other European
countries; the national railroad system is poor in Greece, in effect having only two train
lines. One goes to the south (pelloponisos) and the other to the north, connecting Athens
with the second major city in Greece, Thessaloniki. From there the line continues further
to the north and all the way to the east, passing through many other cities of northern
Greece and eventually reaching Istanbul. Be advised that there are two kinds of train you
can use; normal, slow, type of train equipped with beds, and the so called new 'Intercity'
type which is more expensive because of a 'quality supplement fee' that grows with
distance. For example, travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki by the 'Intercity' type will
save you one hour at most, but the ticket will be almost double the price. 'Intercity' tends to
be more reliable, yet more 'bumpy' than the normal train.
