Top 13 attractions you can't miss
Best Activities For You.
Best Activities For You.
The Acropolis, the most significant symbol of ancient Greek glory, rises brilliantly in the heart of Athens. The summit of Pericles' reigning hill in the 5th century BC was considered a religious sanctuary.
You can climb the marble stairs to the west and stand behind the towering pillars of the magnificent Parthenon, as pilgrims came here and prayed thousands of years ago. Then, complete your experience with concerts and performances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Natural light flows through the spacious gallery of the modern Acropolis Museum, removed from the top of the hill, and illuminates the precious treasures for storage.
The highlight of the museum is the glass atrium on the top floor. A 161m long freeze (except for the part preserved in the British Museum), which surrounds the upper Parthenon, is installed at eye level, allowing visitors to see all the details. So get a more authentic feel of this marble masterpiece and its size.
Follow in the footsteps of Socrates and his various political and philosophical cohorts in Agora, the center of civilian life in ancient Athens and the birthplace of democracy. Located in Attaros' majestic store (a shopping arcade architectural paradigm recognized in modern Athens), the Agora Museum exhibits rare discoveries from ancient everyday life.
The temple of Hephaestus is exquisite and well preserved. See the number of Heracles workers you can see in Freeze.
The outstanding museum in Athens houses the world's largest and best collection of Greek relics. Valuable items date from the Neolithic period (6800 BC) to the Cycladic, Mycenae, and Classical schools. It's nice to walk in thegallery and understand how many finely crafted sculptures are familiar to you just because they are a remnant of Western art history. For example, a bronze statue of a bearded God or (maybe, not) Agamemnon. But of course, there are many other surprises among such icons. Do not decorate the second floor of Santorini with frescoes.
The construction of the most momentous temple in Greece took seven centuries. Instead, it was once the most important temple in Greece. The rest has been disassembled and reused in other buildings, leaving only a handful of its massive pillars today. The temple was dedicated to Zeus and informally to the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian completed his construction and built his statue.
Watch out for Hadrian's Arch of Triumph while you are here. Congratulations on his achievements. Explorers can then find the sanctuary to Pan on the other side of the site.
This pure white private collection covers the Greek spectrum from ancient times to the mid-20th century. It is housed in a magnificent neoclassical mansion, where fine works of art and material folk goods (as well as beautiful) are displayed in chronological order.
As a pure classicist counterpoint celebrated elsewhere in the city's ruins, the Benaki collection shows how Greece absorbed foreign influences and ideas to create its own syncretist culture. It tells the story. If you have only one museum, do this.
The city's ancient cemetery ruins include a tomb street where classic VIPs were buried. Many of the best tombstones are replicas. The original is on display on the grounds of a charming little museum.
This area was also the gateway to ceremonies in ancient Athens. Unfortunately, the gate is no longer standing, and the incoming road is a cobblestone street, but it's still an exciting place to stop here and imagine what would have happened outside the gate.
The Mythical Battlefield of Theseus and the Amazons is a lush park dotted with small ruins connected by beautiful stone paths that are themselves small architectural wonders. Make time to arrive here and arrive at the adjacent Pnyx hills according to your schedule. Then, watch the Acropolis lights shine golden against a blue sky one night at sunset.
Roughly speaking, this is also where many Athenians walk their dogs so that you will walk some great Greek puppies.
Designed by the wonder of modern Athens, Renzo Piano, the Stavrosni Arcos Foundation Cultural Center is home to the Greek National Opera and the National Library. Watching a performance here is a highlight of your trip, but there's plenty to do and see, such as strolling through the stunningly beautiful Stavros Niarchos Park.
The gently sloping gardens are designed to showcase Mediterranean vegetation and are a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery and the cool sea breeze.
On Saturday, Central Athens is crowded with shoppers looking for bargains at the huge Monastiraki flea market between the districts of Monastiraki and Thiseio.Here, dealers open a second-hand store to enclose a jumble of flea market finds, second-hand clothing, and antiques, from bold Greek vintage magazines to mid-century furniture and weird accessories. Increase. A closer look reveals some buried treasures (otherwise, you can get a glimpse of how modern Greeks have decorated their homes over the last 60 years).
The beige-toned Greek Parliament Building on Syntagma Square is in the heart of Athens. Try to catch the Changing of the Guard change. There are always two guards here, wearing traditional Evzones costumes, fez hats with tassels, thick kilts, and socks with pompon shoes.
In the summer, regular clothing becomes so hot that it cannot be moved from the position that protects the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so these guards must be wiped off with a handkerchief. Only then do they move freely in a fully choreographed synchrony and kick their feet up as they march to change guards.
It's easy to escape the heat of the city in Athens. Just go to the beach. Take the A1 tram to the Palio Farilo area during the hot summer months. You will find a promenade lined with palm trees and a soft sandy beach.
Further along, the Apollo coast are the more upscale southern suburbs of Glyfada and Vouliagmeni. These are not lacking in luxury beach clubs if you want to go sightseeing all day long. In the off-season, Vouliagmeni has a fast-growing surfing scene.
Lined with white Pentelic marble seats in the canyon next to Aldette Hill, this ancient stadium has been transformed into a modern stadium for both classical architecture enthusiasts and sports enthusiasts who enjoy the roar of thousands of years of imaginable crowds. Is fascinated. With one ticket, you'll have the chance to take an audio tour, enter a small exhibition about the modern Olympics (mainly flashy game posters), and take a photo on the winner's podium.
Stadium-Built in the 4th century BC. It was restored in 1896 for the first modern Olympics. Initially used as a venue for Panatena sports competitions. At the inauguration of Hadrian in 120 AD, 1000 wild animals were killed in the arena. Later, Herodes Atticus' seats were reconstructed in marble.
The Acropolis, the most significant symbol of ancient Greek glory, rises brilliantly in the heart of Athens. The summit of Pericles' reigning hill in the 5th century BC was considered a religious sanctuary.
You can climb the marble stairs to the west and stand behind the towering pillars of the magnificent Parthenon, as pilgrims came here and prayed thousands of years ago. Then, complete your experience with concerts and performances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Natural light flows through the spacious gallery of the modern Acropolis Museum, removed from the top of the hill, and illuminates the precious treasures for storage.
The highlight of the museum is the glass atrium on the top floor. A 161m long freeze (except for the part preserved in the British Museum), which surrounds the upper Parthenon, is installed at eye level, allowing visitors to see all the details. So get a more authentic feel of this marble masterpiece and its size.
Follow in the footsteps of Socrates and his various political and philosophical cohorts in Agora, the center of civilian life in ancient Athens and the birthplace of democracy. Located in Attaros' majestic store (a shopping arcade architectural paradigm recognized in modern Athens), the Agora Museum exhibits rare discoveries from ancient everyday life.
The temple of Hephaestus is exquisite and well preserved. See the number of Heracles workers you can see in Freeze.
The outstanding museum in Athens houses the world's largest and best collection of Greek relics. Valuable items date from the Neolithic period (6800 BC) to the Cycladic, Mycenae, and Classical schools. It's nice to walk in thegallery and understand how many finely crafted sculptures are familiar to you just because they are a remnant of Western art history. For example, a bronze statue of a bearded God or (maybe, not) Agamemnon. But of course, there are many other surprises among such icons. Do not decorate the second floor of Santorini with frescoes.
The construction of the most momentous temple in Greece took seven centuries. Instead, it was once the most important temple in Greece. The rest has been disassembled and reused in other buildings, leaving only a handful of its massive pillars today. The temple was dedicated to Zeus and informally to the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian completed his construction and built his statue.
Watch out for Hadrian's Arch of Triumph while you are here. Congratulations on his achievements. Explorers can then find the sanctuary to Pan on the other side of the site.
This pure white private collection covers the Greek spectrum from ancient times to the mid-20th century. It is housed in a magnificent neoclassical mansion, where fine works of art and material folk goods (as well as beautiful) are displayed in chronological order.
As a pure classicist counterpoint celebrated elsewhere in the city's ruins, the Benaki collection shows how Greece absorbed foreign influences and ideas to create its own syncretist culture. It tells the story. If you have only one museum, do this.
The city's ancient cemetery ruins include a tomb street where classic VIPs were buried. Many of the best tombstones are replicas. The original is on display on the grounds of a charming little museum.
This area was also the gateway to ceremonies in ancient Athens. Unfortunately, the gate is no longer standing, and the incoming road is a cobblestone street, but it's still an exciting place to stop here and imagine what would have happened outside the gate.
The Mythical Battlefield of Theseus and the Amazons is a lush park dotted with small ruins connected by beautiful stone paths that are themselves small architectural wonders. Make time to arrive here and arrive at the adjacent Pnyx hills according to your schedule. Then, watch the Acropolis lights shine golden against a blue sky one night at sunset.
Roughly speaking, this is also where many Athenians walk their dogs so that you will walk some great Greek puppies.
Designed by the wonder of modern Athens, Renzo Piano, the Stavrosni Arcos Foundation Cultural Center is home to the Greek National Opera and the National Library. Watching a performance here is a highlight of your trip, but there's plenty to do and see, such as strolling through the stunningly beautiful Stavros Niarchos Park.
The gently sloping gardens are designed to showcase Mediterranean vegetation and are a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery and the cool sea breeze.
On Saturday, Central Athens is crowded with shoppers looking for bargains at the huge Monastiraki flea market between the districts of Monastiraki and Thiseio.Here, dealers open a second-hand store to enclose a jumble of flea market finds, second-hand clothing, and antiques, from bold Greek vintage magazines to mid-century furniture and weird accessories. Increase. A closer look reveals some buried treasures (otherwise, you can get a glimpse of how modern Greeks have decorated their homes over the last 60 years).
The beige-toned Greek Parliament Building on Syntagma Square is in the heart of Athens. Try to catch the Changing of the Guard change. There are always two guards here, wearing traditional Evzones costumes, fez hats with tassels, thick kilts, and socks with pompon shoes.
In the summer, regular clothing becomes so hot that it cannot be moved from the position that protects the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so these guards must be wiped off with a handkerchief. Only then do they move freely in a fully choreographed synchrony and kick their feet up as they march to change guards.
It's easy to escape the heat of the city in Athens. Just go to the beach. Take the A1 tram to the Palio Farilo area during the hot summer months. You will find a promenade lined with palm trees and a soft sandy beach.
Further along, the Apollo coast are the more upscale southern suburbs of Glyfada and Vouliagmeni. These are not lacking in luxury beach clubs if you want to go sightseeing all day long. In the off-season, Vouliagmeni has a fast-growing surfing scene.
Lined with white Pentelic marble seats in the canyon next to Aldette Hill, this ancient stadium has been transformed into a modern stadium for both classical architecture enthusiasts and sports enthusiasts who enjoy the roar of thousands of years of imaginable crowds. Is fascinated. With one ticket, you'll have the chance to take an audio tour, enter a small exhibition about the modern Olympics (mainly flashy game posters), and take a photo on the winner's podium.
Stadium-Built in the 4th century BC. It was restored in 1896 for the first modern Olympics. Initially used as a venue for Panatena sports competitions. At the inauguration of Hadrian in 120 AD, 1000 wild animals were killed in the arena. Later, Herodes Atticus' seats were reconstructed in marble.
Visiting one of Greece's national parks means seeing Greece in the wildest and most dramatic places. The country's first park, Mount Olympus, was founded in 1938 and now has 10 national parks and 2 marine parks in Greece, set up to protect its wildlife.
Athens is not the city of all open-space parks surrounding ancient ruins. Per capita, green space is probably the lowest in Europe. However, there are several places to walk in the shade and run around in the sunny Greek capital. As a boon to visitors, some of the best attractions are in the city center and its attractions.
