Athens

Athens

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If you travel to Greece chances are that you will find yourself in Athens for a period of time, and most likely Athens will provide your first experience of Greece.

The capital of Greece is a large modern city which houses about 40% of the Greek population of 11 million. As such it is a busy city with lively streets, a full cultural calendar, and a healthy nightlife.

The history of Athens

The history of Athens reaches back at least five thousand years. Excavations show evidence of habitation in the area since Neolithic times (7000 - 3000 BCE), and Athens was a major center during the bronze age.

Athens was the only Mycenaean settlement that survived the mysterious rapid decline of all other cities of the era. Athens continued its development through the Dark Age (1100-700 BCE), flourished through commercial activity in the Archaic era (700-480 BCE), and grew to become the envy of the known world during the Classical period (480 - 323 BCE). Most of the invoations we identify with the foundations of western civilization originated or reached their apogee in Athens during this period.

It's light continued to shine bright during the Hellenistic period (323-30 BCE), even as it was eclipsed in importance by other metropolitan centers of the era (Alexandria and Rome). Athens continued to be an important center in the Roman empire, but it slowly declined over the centuries during Byzantine times and the prolonged Ottoman Occupation, only to emerge as the capital of Greece in the middle of the 19th century CE.

Today Athens is the seat of government and the commercial and cultural hub of Greece, and its streets are full of evidence of its passage through history. Ancient, Byzantine and Ottoman ruins, museums, and landmarks are sprinckled throughout the amalgam of shaped concrete that make up the modern city.

Also see: History of Greece

What to See in Athens

The Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is a rugged rock in the middle of the city and in ancient times it housed some of the most beautiful buildings and sculptures on its plateau. It also functioned as the spiritual and financial center of a city that became the foundation of western civilization. Best way to get to the Acropolis is by Metro. Get off at the Acropolis station and walk the short distance to the entrance.
Also see: Acropolis History

The Acropolis Museum

The evolution of ancient Greek art as a beacon for the subsequent artists of all ages is clearly outlined in the Acropolis museum where one can observe the morphing of the enigmatic smiles to a severe austere gaze of the kore, and the transformation of stiff geometric forms to fluid anatomical features. These changes can be traced as the visitor moves through the museum where the first rooms are filled with the robust energy of the art that adorned the early temples atop the acropolis. To get to the Acropolis museum, use the metro and get off at the Acropolis station.

The Agora of Athens

Just below the Acropolis rock one can wander around the streets of the ancient Agora of Athens. The Agora, or marketplace, was the heart of the thriving city of Athens and it functioned as a lively market and as an intellectual playground where concepts such as Democracy were born. Within the archaeological site you can visit the Agora museum and the temple of Hephaistos.

Within walking distance lay the ruins of the Roman agora and Hadrian's Library. They both can be found on the fringes of Monastiraki where you can stay, eat at the outdoor restaurants and shop in the outdoor bazaar at the feet of the Acropolis rock.

To visit the Agora of Athens, use the HSAP train (connects with the Metro) and get off at Thesion.

Athens National Archaeological Museum

While in Athens, a trip to the National Archaeological Museum should be on the agenda. The museum houses some of the most spectacular artifacts from many ancient Greek sites, and its collection of Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic art is superb. The museum also houses art from Epidaurus and Dodona. The National Museum of Athens also houses some of the best known artifacts from the Cycladic civilization, and its collection is equaled only by the Museum of Cycladic Art, also located in Athens. It would take the better part of a day for a thorough stroll through its collection, and multiple visits are a must for more serious study of ancient Greek art. To visit the National Museum of Athens, use the HSAP train (Metro) and get off at Victoria station. then walk the short distance (about five minutes) to the museum.

Other Places of Interest around Athens

Other highlights of Athens iclude: Museum of Cycladic Art (art from the cycladic era and some special exhibitions), Museum Benaki (art and artifacts from ancient to modern times), the Olympeion, Keramikos archaeological site and Museum, the Pireas Archaeological Museum, Hadrian's Library, and the Roman Agora. All, with the exception of Pireas Museum, are located aroudn the historic center of Athens, and within reasonable walking distance from each other. You can easily visit them all in a couple of days.

Nice places to walk around, have a drink (including the refreshing ice coffee called "frapé") or a meal include the Thesion area, Monastiraki, Plaka, Psiri. For fish, the little port called Microlimano near Pireas is a good choice.

Getting Around in Athens

Traffic in Athens is notoriously inefficient, but you should be able to get around by Metro (HSAP and Metro lines connected at key stations, by bus, or by tram. You can use the intergrated ticket (1.40 euro in 2011) for multiple rides in any of these transports, for up to 90 minutes after it is cancelled.

You can also use the myriads of yellow taxis in Athens. To hail a taxi, stand on the edge of the sidewalk, and raise your arm as high as possible with the intent of catching the taxi driver's attention. More info in the transportation page...

The HSAP train makes two stops around the Acropolis. The stop in Monastiraki would put you within a short (though steep) climb away from the Acropolis, while the stop in Thesion leaves you right outside the entrance to the ancient Agora of Athens. The National Archaeological Museum of Athens can be reached by foot a few blocks away from the "Victoria" station along the same train route. The newly-built metro, which connects with the HSAP train on several stations makes a stop at "Acropolis", right outside the Acropolis Museum.

The entire city of Athens is served by a labyrinthine network of busses, trains, trams, metro, and trolleys. To find a route or a bus number, visit the Athens Urban Transportation Organization.

Visit the Driving in Athens page for information and advice if you plan to rent a car to drive around Athens.

Day Trips from Athens

By Metro

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Visit the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus. Take a forty minute merto (HSAP train) ride from the center of Athens to Piraeus. The train ride is mostly above ground, and it ends at the port. As you exit the station facing the port start walking to your left, following the coast until you find Charilaou Trikoupi street near the customs building and turn left towards Pasalimani harbor. From the metro station it would take a twenty minute walk to reach the museum. After the museum visit you can stroll around Pasalimani harbor towards Zea and watch for the remains of the ancient walls all around the coast.

By Car

From Athens you can make day trips to many interesting places like Sounio, Delphi, Mycenae, Corinth, and Epidaurus.

Sounio is about one hour drive from the center of Athens through the coastal road and can be done in one afternoon or morning. The major archaeological sites of Delphi, Mycenae, and Epidaurus would require an entire day for a visit since all three sites are about two to three hours away. These are extensive archaeological sites which require at least one hour for each visit.

If you only have time to visit one archaeological site outside of Athens, the site at Delphi would be the best choice since it is historically important, and the ruins are extensive. The drive there and the scenery from the site is spectacular, and the Museum of Delphi houses some of the most important artifacts from ancient Greece.

Mycenae and Epidaurus could be visited together during a long day trip. Leaving Athens early in the morning would be best to visit both sites. Near Mycenae, one could also visit Tyrins, Argos, and Nayplion which is a beautiful town with nice beaches near Tolo.

Athens Zoo is a pleasant place to spend the better part of a day, especially if you travel with children.

By Cruise or Boat

You can take a daily trip from Piraeus to the islands of Aegina (don'g miss the temple of Aphaia), Poros, Hydra, and Spetses. You can take a slow ferry, but a flying dolphin will make the trip in a fraction of the time, so you can be back to Athens for dinner. There are many boats that offer daily cruises to the Saronic gulf islands. They usually leave from Faliro and sail to Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and then they return to Athens. Some of these small cruise boats make a stop at Spetses after Hydra. The service varies from boat to boat, but it is usually a far cry from the cruises that sail the Aegean islands for three to seven days.

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