The Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Temple of Poseidon, there are thousands of years of ancient history to explore oin the capital of Athens.
From the airport
Train: Trains depart every 15-30 minutes for Larisis station in the centre.
Bus: Five express buses offer round-the-clock services: E92 to Kifissia, E93 Kifissos Avenue inter-city bus depot, E95 Syntagma Square, E96 Piraeus and E97 Dafni metro station. The E94 from Ethniki Amyna metro station also runs from 6am-midnight.
Shop
Escape from the chain stores by ducking into the side-streets of Athens's historic centre, the triangle between the main shopping drags on Ermou and Stadiou streets.
The cheeky and original messages on the bags at Wendy are guaranteed to brighten your day and jazz up your look.
Despite its location next to one of the major archaeological sites in the city, the Acropolis, the rundown Kerameikos district is possibly one of Athens' best kept secrets and is now acquiring its own more highbrow scene.
Public transport offers cheap way to go on a sightseeing tour of the city's main attractions. Take the 400 bus.
Strolling through the narrow streets of the Plaka on the night of the full moon is a time-honoured tradition in Athens.
Day trip
Patras. This port is about three hours from Athens and boasts Greece's most impressive Carnival. The festivities start on the 17 January each year and lead up to a final three-day extravaganza that ends with fireworks and the burning of King Carnival on the last Sunday before Lent.
Kea. The nearest of the Cyclades islands to Athens, Kea is an hour's boat ride from Lavrio, another hour away by car from Athens. Spend the day on one of its picture-postcard perfect beaches, stopping for lunch at a typical taverna while admiring the buildings built into the cliff face.
Situated on the highest point in Athens, the Acropolis has dominated the area for centuries now. In the 5th century B.C., on the initiative of the statesman J.C. Pericles and the famous sculptor Phidias, a national sanctuary was built for the worship of the twelve Greek gods. The Parthenon dedicated to the city goddess Athena, is a masterpiece of Doric architecture. Much lighter in design are the Erechtheion with its caryatid gallery and the small Nike Temple, which both belong to the slender, Ionic order.
Train: Trains depart every 15-30 minutes for Larisis station in the centre.
Bus: Five express buses offer round-the-clock services: E92 to Kifissia, E93 Kifissos Avenue inter-city bus depot, E95 Syntagma Square, E96 Piraeus and E97 Dafni metro station. The E94 from Ethniki Amyna metro station also runs from 6am-midnight.
Shop
Escape from the chain stores by ducking into the side-streets of Athens's historic centre, the triangle between the main shopping drags on Ermou and Stadiou streets.
The cheeky and original messages on the bags at Wendy are guaranteed to brighten your day and jazz up your look.
Despite its location next to one of the major archaeological sites in the city, the Acropolis, the rundown Kerameikos district is possibly one of Athens' best kept secrets and is now acquiring its own more highbrow scene.
Public transport offers cheap way to go on a sightseeing tour of the city's main attractions. Take the 400 bus.
Strolling through the narrow streets of the Plaka on the night of the full moon is a time-honoured tradition in Athens.
Day trip
Patras. This port is about three hours from Athens and boasts Greece's most impressive Carnival. The festivities start on the 17 January each year and lead up to a final three-day extravaganza that ends with fireworks and the burning of King Carnival on the last Sunday before Lent.
Kea. The nearest of the Cyclades islands to Athens, Kea is an hour's boat ride from Lavrio, another hour away by car from Athens. Spend the day on one of its picture-postcard perfect beaches, stopping for lunch at a typical taverna while admiring the buildings built into the cliff face.
Situated on the highest point in Athens, the Acropolis has dominated the area for centuries now. In the 5th century B.C., on the initiative of the statesman J.C. Pericles and the famous sculptor Phidias, a national sanctuary was built for the worship of the twelve Greek gods. The Parthenon dedicated to the city goddess Athena, is a masterpiece of Doric architecture. Much lighter in design are the Erechtheion with its caryatid gallery and the small Nike Temple, which both belong to the slender, Ionic order.
The pillars of the Parthenon measure 1,90m in diameter at the base, and 1,45m at the top. They are slightly tapered for the optical effect. When looking straight at them, they give the impression of being further apart from each other at the top than at the bottom.
