Athens – grandiose history city that everyone should visit
Athens is a place of Neolithic ruins, temples for gods and goddesses, ancient Acropolis covered in white marble proudly standing on top of a hill and shining a new light at night. Athens is a wonderful place to visit for Greek mythology lovers and casual tourists alike, because the city has unique and amazing culture, rich history, oldest surviving architecture, and impressive mountains and beaches to offer.
How to travel?
Cheap flights to Athens begin at 50 Euro. Therefore, you can reach the international Athens airport without having to spend too much. You can then go to the city centre using taxi or metro services; these are, however, quite pricy. A cheaper way of travelling is using rapid transit buses, but these only go once in every 24 hours. Inner Athens travels are best conducted using metro, buses or trams.
What to taste?
We recommend visiting the Plaka district, where roads are covered in stones and surrounded by ancient trees. Plaka is also famous for its authentic Greek cafés that will offer you a breakfast meal of fresh stuffed pastries with cheese tiropita, and a fragrant drink of Greek tea or coffee. For lunch, order some Italian-lasagne-like pastitsio, made from pasta, meat, and tomato sauce. While visiting Athens, definitely also try some phyllo dough spinach pie spanakopita, fried zucchini flowers kolokythoanthoi, and some Greek yogurt tzatziki.
What to see?
After arriving to Athens, the first object all tourists want to see is the great Acropolis. After rising atop a hill, to a 156 metre height above the sea, you can view the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of Athena Nike, the famous Parthenon, and the majestic Theatre of Dionysus that created the tragedy genre. Do not miss out on seeing the vast Temple of Olympian Zeus, which was being constructed for seven centuries, as well as the Temple of Hephaestus, the ancient graveyard, and the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Olympic Games took place.
What to do?
If you still have some energy left after the extensive trips along the paths of history, pay a visit to the Syntagma Square, covered in white marble, the Exarchia artists’ neighbourhood, or go and see the National Archaeological Museum and the National Gardens. You can then wrap your journey ip with the help of a gorgeous panoramic view from atop the Mount Lycabettus, 200 metres above sea level. Here, you will also see the 19th century Chapel of St. George, and you will be able to find some delicious food right at the nearby restaurant on top of the mountain.
