Athens snapshot

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The capital city of Greece, Athens was named after the goddess of wisdom Athene and reached its zenith as a city state in the 5th century BC with many of its great classical buildings such as the Parthenon, Erecttheion and Hephaistein built in this period.

Athens is considered the home of democracy and western philosophy and its cultural legacy is in evidence today. The rise of Rome and Christianity heralded a long period of occupation, notably by the Turks for about 400 years.

Modern Athens dates from 1834 and the end of the Greek War of Independence which was followed by rapid growth and considerable urban sprawl.

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Classical heritage

Much of Athens' classical heritage is now surrounded by acres of ugly concrete and traffic jammed city streets. However the central 'Plaka' residential area of Athens has retained a village feel with tavernas, markets, a maze of narrow leafy streets and some specialist museums.

Constitution Square is the epicentre of the city and most sightseeing highlights are within a 30min walk from there. Key attractions include the Acropolis and its museum, the Dionysus Theatre, the Agora and the National Archaeological Museum. The National Gardens are a green haven in the centre of the city.

Ancient sites

More than 3million tourists arrive each year to visit the ancient sites and museums. The tourist season lasts from April to October and peaks in August when the city is very crowded and often very hot.

Public transport is cheap and extensive but often overcrowded. It consists of buses, trolley buses, trams and a metro train service. Despite the government’s efforts, the centre of Athens still has a traffic and pollution problem and parking is extremely difficult.

Athens' staging of the Olympic Games in 2004 prompted major building projects including the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, an extended metro system, a revamped port area at Piraeus and a 4km traffic free 'archaeological promenade' that leads visitors through the city's major historic sights.

The airport is 27km northeast of the city with 24-hour express buses linking it to the centre. Piraeus provides the ferry links to many Greek islands including Crete and the Cyclades and even to Istanbul.

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