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The Parthenon
Plaka district
Islands of Greece
- Hydra
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Ancient Sites
- The Agora
- Delphi
- Cape Sounion
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Museums of Athens
- New Acropolis museum
Ancient Athens

Athens, Greece, ancient and modern.

In Athens you will find hotel accommodation of a high standard, good transportation and excellent shopping and dining. A warm welcome will always be found. You will find much to do and see in Athens. Many wonders of ancient Greece await you. Athens is a large modern city to explore, busy streets and squares with many bars and restaurants but one can easily find quieter little alleyways in the Plaka and Mets areas. Athens is a dynamic city, rich in culture and technological innovations. Its eagerness for renovation however, still links it inevitably to its glorious past. The modern architecture of Athens is daring, yet it has a strong classical influence, the post-industrial areas are filling up with theatres, art galleries and nightlife.

Modern Athens

Athens is more than just a showcase for its history. Take some time to smell the souvlaki, wander through the Plaka district, browse the Monastiraki flea market, or explore the Psyrri neighborhood, the cutting-edge place to go for nightlife and dining. The narrow winding streets of Athens can be little confusing, but you can keep your bearings by the Acropolis looming above.

Shops: Athens is a paradise for shopping, all kind of shops are to be found in the most famous shopping areas of Athens the Ermou street, Aiolou street and in the area of Kolonaki. For books and music instruments the Solonos and Academias street. Many shops are on the two main streets that heading to the Parliament square Panepistimiou and Stadiou. But the most famous market place for the tourist is Monastiraki and the flea market. Worth of a visit is the Athens market at Athinas street and the small shops at Evrypidou street.

The area of Plaka is one of the most attractive districts of Athens. Under the slopes of the Acropolis, the Plaka attracts many visitors of Athens with its neoclassical mansions and houses with red tiled roofs. The Plaka is referred to in Greek literature as the neighbourhood of the Gods as the sacred rock of the Acropolis dominates the area.

Syntagma and Omonia are the main central squares of Athens, they are linked by Stadiou Street and Panepistimiou Avenue, along which some of Athens most beautiful Neo-classical buildings have been erected.Dominating Syntagma Square is the Greek Parliament building and in front of it the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones in traditional costume. From this square starts the beautiful (40 acres), south of which stands the impressive Zappeion Mansion (1874-1888). From there you can continue towards the Presidential Mansion (1897) and thence to the Panathenaikon (Kallimarmaro) Stadium , where the first Olympic Games in modern history were held (1896). From there, crossing the Mets neighbourhood, the road leads you to the the oldest one in Athens, basically an outdoor sculpture display with a wealth of wonderful monumental tombstones by some of the most important sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries.

From Omonia Square starts Patission street, a busy street with interesting buildings, amongst which are the Neoclassical mansions of the Polytechnic School and the National Archaeological Museum , one of the leading museums in the world which hosts rare art treasures from the Neolithic era up to the Roman period. nearby is the Exarhia area, a charming and lively neighbourhood, a meeting point and home to many students and artists. From Exarcheia, crossing the Neapoli neighbourhood, you can ascend Lycabettus Hill . From its top you have a view of the entire city, all the way to the Aegean. Looking over the other side of the hill you will see the Kolonaki neighbourhood which includes Sophias Avenue, one of the most grandiose streets of Athens with beautiful buildings, museums, {Cycladic Art, Benaki, Byzantine} the National Gallery and green areas. In Kolonaki, considered to be the most “aristocratic” area of the center of Athens, there are many shops selling expensive brands, modern restaurants, taverna's and cafes. Other places worth a look : Piraeus , Greece’s main port , the Daphni Monastery (11 km. west), one of the most significant Byzantine monuments of the country (12th c.) with unique mosaics, the Kaisariani Monastery (5 km. east), which Tomb of Marathon,Greece. was founded in the 2nd century, the temple of Poseidon (5th c. B.C.) on Cape Sounion (58 km. south), following a scenic route along the coast through the area of the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.) with the Tomb of Marathon .

A trip around the streets of Athens today including The Plaka district.

The Tram was abandoned in the 60s because if was thought of as noisy and out of date. It has now once again become part the Athens way of life since the 2004 Olympics.

The application of advanced technologies to ultramodern and highly aerodynamic transport means it has convinced the inhabitants, who are very suspicious by nature, to welcome this practical, fast, quiet and especially ‘green’ form of public transport.

Thanks to the 28.9 km of new Tram lines, Athens has finally managed to take possession of its beaches. There is now a fast link between the center and the beach areas of the south coastline, which once could only be reached by car or bus.

The two Tram lines are perfectly integrated with the rest of the Athens Metro Network, the underground and the suburban line, creating an urban network of rail transport 156 km long!!!

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For such an unnatural setting as Athens, there is lots of open space and wildlife in the area around the Acropolis. Much of it is free and full of ancient ruins. There are miles of pathways to walk on and in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom you can feel like you are out in the country or walking through an Athens that existed before the age of apartment buildings and traffic. There is a plan that is being carried out where all the archaeological sites will be connected by these wildlife areas and a series of pedestrian streets and you can see much of this coming into being on the road that separates the Acropolis from the neighborhood of Makriani, on the opposite side of the rock from the Plaka. What used to be a very busy street is now on it's way to becoming a park. There are even plans to take Amalias street and submerge it while at the same time exposing the ancient river which now runs under the city in a giant sewer-pipe.

I-Guide Athens

The Parthenon

The Parthenon. When the Persians destroyed the old city of Athens in 480bc they presented the citizens with an ideal opportunity for the building program which resulted in the construction of the buildings of the Acropolis, the remains of which, can now be seen on the Acropolis. The Parthenon, the Erechtheum, the monumental gateway to the Acropolis and the exquisite little Nike temple on the west bastion beside the entrance. Inscriptions state that the majority of the work on the Parthenon was begun in 447bc and completed by 432bc, an amazing feat of creative achievement.

The caryatids, Erechtheum,Athens,Greece. The Erechtheum, opposite the Parthenon, is rich in beautifully carved architectural ornament but its chief glory is the Porch of the Caryatids whose serene poise and rising lines brilliantly avoid any feeling of weight and pressure and constitute one of the most successful examples of this form ever to be created.

Odeom of Herodes Atticus,Athens. The south slope of the Acropolis was a focal point for the spiritual development of ancient Athens, with the theater of Dionysus and the Odeom of Herodes Atticus playing a particularly important role in the overall artistic activity. The remnants of both can be seen today.

The new Acropolis museum

Select image to view how the Acropolis was in ancient times.

The history of Athens is rich and varied. Athens had been occupied from 3,000 BC onward, but not until the height of Mycenean rule (1,400 BC to 1,200 BC), did the city begin to create the buildings commonly associated with it. Originally situated on the rocky mount known as the Acropolis, the city began to spread southward. As Athens expanded physically, so too did it expand from a political standpoint. As the Dorians and the Greek Dark Ages began to slowly relinquish their hold upon Greece, a change in political thought came to Athens. The aristocratic families which had lost most of their power due to the monarchy of the Dark Ages, elected a statesman who would represent the city for one year. This practice carried on to create a democratic tradition within Greece, the remnant of which still serves as a model within the present.

Places to Visit

To the ancient Greeks Delphi, situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, was seen as the center of the world, site of the oracle of the God Apollo. The Pythian Games took place every four years to honour Apollo, also music and poetry competitions, see the remains of the superb stadium and theatre. Breathtaking views can be seen of the area.

Cape Sounion is one of the most famous and picturesque places in Attica with a magnificent view of the Aegian Sea. The temple that we see today {the Temple of Poseidon} was built in 444 BC.On one of the twelve remaining Doric columns Lord Byron carved his name. According to legend Aegeas, King of Athens, leapt to his death from the cliff believing his son Theseas was dead.

Hydra is famously known as the location of the Sophia Loren and Alan Ladd film ' Boy on a Dolphin'. Easily reached by ferry from the port of Piraeus. Hydra is a beautiful island, closed to traffic. Most of the transport is horse and carriage or by donkey.

Aegina, Greece.

Aegina is one of the islands in the Saronic Gulf, just outside Athens Greece. Many Athenians have summerhouses on this pretty island, and it is a perfect destination for a ferry trip.

Poros, Greece.

Poros is a small, beautiful volcanic little island. It is very close to Athens Greece, and is a popular summer resort to both Greeks and tourists.

Mount Lycabettus, Athens.

Lycabettus Hill, approximately 300 meters in height, with the church Agios Georgios dating from 1780 atop, provides a superb panoramic view over all of Athens.There is a path that leads to the top but is only recommended for the more energetic tourist. A ride on the funicular is more favoured. There is also a cafe at the summit. During the summer various cultural events are held in the open air theatre.

Nightlife in Athens.

Athens is famous for its vibrant nightlife. The Athenians like to party and will do so almost every night of the week. The choices are plenty and they appeal to all tastes and lifestyles. In general, things get started pretty late: after midnight for bars and clubbing and after 10:00 p.m. for dinner at the city's tavernas, Athens Restaurants and bar-restaurants. Athens nightlife is also affected by the people - The Greeks are known for their love-of-life lifestyle; a sort of "OPA!" mentality that includes good food and good company, regardless of age. In Greece, life is for living and leaving your worries behind. The result is a good-hearted, energetic city with bars and restaurants to match.

So many things to do and see in Athens, ancient historic sites, museums, taverna's, concert halls, nightclubs, restaurants, markets, ancient Greek drama, open-air cinemas, traditional Greek music, all is there. The public transportation in Athens has a city bus that goes to all of the tourist attractions.

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