City of Athens
Named after the Greek god Athena — capital of Greece, a bustling metropolis home to over 3.2 million people and the cradle of western civilization.
Athens, named after the Greek goddess Athena, is the capital of Greece
Athens is a bustling metropolis that is home to over 3.2 million people. It is also the center of commerce, finance, industry, political and cultural life in Greece.
The origin of Athens dates way back to the BC era, and since then it has always been a major settlement in Europe. Historians call this city the cradle of western civilization.
Preferably, tourists to the city must start their sojourn with a walk along the famous Dionysiou Aeropagitou Street
This pedestrian boulevard skirts the southern slopes of the Acropolis and connects most of the major archaeological sites of central Athens — the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora and the Plaka.
The essentials
- Acropolis & Parthenon — go first thing in the morning or in the last hour before closing.
- Acropolis Museum — Bernard Tschumi's modern masterpiece, with the original Parthenon sculptures.
- Ancient Agora — where Socrates and Plato walked, with the beautifully preserved Temple of Hephaestus.
- Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds.
- Plaka & Anafiotika — the old neighbourhood beneath the Acropolis, where tiny whitewashed houses make it feel like a Cycladic village.
- Monastiraki — flea markets, rooftop bars and metro views of the Acropolis.
- Psyrri & Gazi — buzzy nightlife, mezedopoleia, street art.
- Kolonaki & Lycabettus Hill — for upmarket shopping and the city's most spectacular panoramic view at sunset.
- National Archaeological Museum — see the article on its highlights.
- Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro) — the world's only stadium built entirely of marble, where the first modern Olympics took place in 1896.
Eat & drink
Athens is one of the most exciting food cities in Europe right now. From classic tavernas in Plaka to award-winning chefs in Pangrati and Kerameikos, you can eat extraordinarily well at every price level. Don't miss a slow lunch under bitter-orange trees, an evening ouzo at a mezedopoleio, and an early-hours souvlaki on Mitropoleos.
