Athens Travel Guide

Athens (in Greek Αθήνα, Athína) is the capital of Greece and is the largest city in the country. This famous city is regarded as the birthplace of the first formal democracies and possesses exceptional importance of abundant archaeological remains, including the Parthenon on the Acropolis and the Tower of the Winds.

The first visit would be to the Acropolis of Athens, the most important archaeological site in all Greece. On a slight hill you may contemplate the famous Parthenon, the Erechtheion, which was the most sacred temple of the antiquity, the temple of Athena-Nike, the Propylaea, the Odeon of Herod Atticus, the ancient Theatre of Dionysus, etc. All these important buildings are visible within this archaeological site with a single entrance. In addition, you can also visit the small but fascinating museum of the Acropolis from the stress that the sculpture of Moschophoros and one of the authentic Caryatids (columns with female figure) and etc.

In this same area, we advise to know the neighborhood of Plaka and Monastiraki. These are the two neighborhoods located at the foot of the Acropolis. During the day you can visit the numerous stores with the most various Greek products, souvenirs, etc… and visit the Monastiraki Flea Market where bargaining used to be the norm and is one of the best place to buy souvenirs from Greece.

At night, you can walk among the many typical taverns until you find some with show or take a bottle of Greek wine in the numerous corners with a view to the illuminated Parthenon. On the other side of the hill, it is also interesting to visit the Areopagus, just above the site of the Ancient Agora, which includes the temple of Hephaestus, the Library of Hadrian, the Hill of Philopappus or of the Muses. A bit further another archaeological site is found, the Keramikos Cemetery.

Close to Plaka, you must visit the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Very close too, is the Syntagma Square, where you can visit the Greek Parliament, The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and its famous changing of the Guard Evzones, especially Sundays at eleven o'clock in the morning. You can continue your visit to the National Park called Zappeio and visit the interior of this great park, referred to as the "lungs of Athens". If you decide to walk a little, you can continue your visit to the Olympic Stadium. In the central street of Panepistimiu, you will find the most beautiful neoclassical buildings of the city, which are the National Library, the University of Athens and the Academy of Arts.

The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is another splendid neo-classical building housing some of the most important artifacts from archaeological locations all over Greece. They would be many beauties to name which we leave for you to discover the wonders inside the house. Other notable museums are the Byzantine Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the National Art Gallery, the Benaki Museum, etc.

In the afternoon, you can visit the Kolonaki, the chic residential neighborhood of Athens, where you can find trendy shops and business center of Athens. Its center Kolonaki Square (Platia Koloniakíou), is a good place for a coffee or a frappé or to go for a drink in the evening in one of the quaint cafes or pubs of this square, while you watch the moving of people who pass through this square. Nearby is the funicular railway that leads to the summit of the Hill Likavitos. The best time to go is a couple of hours before sunset and enjoy the spectacle views of Athens while sun falls and enlighten opposite the Acropolis. You can enter the small chapel that crowns this hill.