It was in Athens that classical Greece was born. The first city arose in the region of 3000 BC. e. For a long time, Athens has experienced several periods of both rising and decline.

Athens includes the Old City, the central districts, the suburbs, and the port of Piraeus. Two hills rise in the centre: the hill of the Acropolis with the Parthenon and ancient temples and the hill of Lycabettus (Lycabettus) with the picturesque church of St. George at the top. It takes a lot of time to see in details all the ancient monuments and ruins, beautiful neoclassical buildings and museums.

Entertainment and attractions

The Parthenon Temple is the symbol and the main attraction of Athens. It is the most monumental and majestic building in the Athenian Acropolis. But also the whole complex of ancient buildings deserves the attention of tourists. Namely, there is a building that the Greeks have used for its intended purpose for almost 2000 years. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus even now hosts theatrical performances and concerts of classical music.

At its foot of the Acropolis, on the former market square, rises the temple of Hephaestus, the god of fire. This building is well- preserved despite its impressive age.

The old town of Plaka is the most popular tourist area after the Acropolis. The central part of the city looks like a triangle formed by Omonia, Syntagma and Monastiraki squares. On Constitution Square there is the Parliament building with a guard of honour at the tomb of the unknown Soldier. Next to the Parliament is the magnificent royal park Zappio, behind which you will find the ruins of the temple of Olympian Zeus and the famous Arch of Hadrian.

It is also worth taking the funicular to Lycabettus Hill (height 277 m), which offers a magnificent panorama of the city.

Museums

There are more than 250 galleries, museums and temple complexes in Athens. The National Archaeological Museum houses unique finds from all over Greece. The Byzantine Museum has the best collection of icons and mosaics in Europe. The Benaki Museum is famous for its rich collection of ancient Greek and Byzantine art as well as displays of Chinese porcelain, oriental jewellery and weapons.

In the northeastern part of the city there is the Archaeological Museum of the Athenian Agora which has exhibits related to the oldest Athenian democracy in the world. Here are stored ostraka – clay shards that the Athenians used to vote. At the Natural History Museum of Goulandris, you can get acquainted with Greek flora and fauna. The exposition presents rare endangered species of plants.