For most visitors the highlight of a visit to Athens (Athína in modern Greek) is the stunning vestiges of the ancient, Classical Greek city, most famously represented by the Acropolis and its surrounding archeological sites. Even on a brief visit, however, it is a shame to see Athens purely as the location of ancient sites and museums. Although the neighborhoods may lack the style and monuments of most European capitals, they are worth at least some exploration.
The old nineteenth-century quarter of Pláka, in particular, is a delight, with its mix of Turkish, Neoclassical and Greek-island architecture, and an array of intriguing little museums devoted to traditional arts, ceramics and music. Just to its north, the bazaar area, around Athinás and Eólou, retains an almost Middle Eastern atmosphere in its life and trade, while the National Gardens, elegant Kolonáki and the hill of Lykavitós offer respite from the maelstrom. Further afield, but still well within the limits of Greater Athens, are the monasteries of Kessarianí and Dhafní, the latter with Byzantine mosaics the equal of any in Greece.
Athens has been inhabited continuously for over 7000 years. Its acropolis, supplied with spring water, commanding views of all seaward approaches and encircled by protective mountains on its landward side, was a natural choice for prehistoric settlement and for the Mycenaeans, who established a palace-fortress on the rock. Its development into a city-state and artistic center continued under the Dorians, Phoenicians and various dynastic rulers, reaching its apotheosis in the fifth century BC. This was the Classical period, when the Athenians, having launched themselves into an experiment in radical democracy, celebrated their success with a flourish of art, architecture, literature and philosophy that has influenced Western culture ever since.
The discontinuity from ancient to medieval Athens was due, essentially, to the emergence of Christianity. Having survived with little change through years of Roman rule, the city lost its pivotal role in the Roman-Greek world after the division of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western halves, and the establishment of Byzantium (Constantinople) as capital of the Eastern - Byzantine - empire. There, a new Christian sensibility soon outshone the prevailing ethic of Athens, where schools of philosophy continued to teach a pagan Neoplatonism. In 529 these schools were finally closed by Justinian I, and the city's temples, including the Parthenon, were reconsecrated as churches. To learn more about old Athens, click through to History.
The enormous and rapid population increase and attendant industrial development that characterized the postwar period had a disastrous effect on the environment of Athens. With a third of the Greek population, half the country's industry and over half of its cars crammed into Greater Athens, the capital has found itself with one of the world's worst pollution problems. A noxious brown cloud, the néfos, trapped by the circle of mountains and aerial inversion layers, can frequently be seen hovering over the city. The level of pollution still aggravates acute respiratory diseases and arguably contributed to the high death toll in the heatwaves during the summers of 1987 and 1988. Alarmingly, the néfos is also gnawing away at the very fabric of the ancient city, including the Parthenon marbles. For more on the environment in Athens, see Athens and Its Environment.
As a visitor, you're likely to spend most of your time in the central grid of Athens, a compact, walkable area. Only on arrival at or departure from the various far-flung stations and terminals do you have to confront the confused urban sprawl. Once in the center, it's a simple matter to orient yourself. There are four strategic reference points: the squares of Syndagma ("Syntagma" on many English-language maps) and Omónia and the hills of the Acropolis (unmistakable with its temple crown) and (to the northeast) Lykavitós. Once you've established these as a mental compass, you should not be lost for long. For additional information on city buses, the metro system and taxis in Athens, click through to City Transport.
As you'd expect in a city that houses almost half the Greek population, Athens has the best and the most varied restaurants and tavernas in the country - and most places are sources not just of good food, but of a good night out.
Starting with breakfast, most Athenians survive on a thimbleful of coffee; but if you need a bit more to set you up for the day, you'll easily find a bakery, yogurt shop or fruit stall. You can also find restaurants that serve a regular English breakfast or a proper American or Continental breakfast – from croissants and pastries to multi-filling omelettes.
Later in the day, a host of snack stalls and outlets get going. If your budget is low you can fill up at them exclusively, avoiding sit-down restaurants altogether. The standard snacks are souvláki me píta (kebab in pitta bread), tyrópites (cheese pies) and spanakópites (spinach pies), along with bougátses (cream pies) and a host of other speciality pastries.
For main meals, Pláka's hills and lanes provide a pleasant evening setting. For quality Greek cooking, it's better to strike out into the ring of neighborhoods around Mets, Pangráti, Exárhia/Neápoli, Koukáki, Áno Petrálona or the more upmarket Kolonáki. None of these is more than a half-hour's walk, or a quick trolleybus or taxi ride, from the city center. For more about restaurants, tea houses and patisseries, and local bars, see Eating and Drinking.
To learn about music, nightlife, and the arts in Athens, see Entertainment. To find out where to look for books, antiques, speciality foods, and outdoor supplies while in Athens, see Markets and Shops. For information on traveling to nearby islands, see The Ferries. For details on exploring Athens and recommendations on the sites you should see, click through to Explore Athens.
To help you plan your fabulous holiday to Athens, Greece:
• Hotel Search
• Flight Reservations
• Vacation Rentals
Previous Destinations:
• Cayman Islands
• Vancouver, British Columbia
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Paris, France
• Banff, Alberta, Canada
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Sydney, Australia
• Japan
• The Bahamas
• Zurich, Switzerland
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• San Diego, California