Introduction to Athens

If its a trip back in town, pack your bags and head for Athens, where you will witness places where major historic events took place, as far back as 2500 years back. Visit the Dionysos Theatre which is the worlds oldest and where the likes of Euripides and Sophocles performed great plays, or why not just go for a stroll around the Pnyx, the so-called birthplace of democracy, where the local Athenians assembled to vote on major political policies and issues. You can also ramble through the Agora which is the ancient market place where the likes of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates use to go shopping.

All of these sites are within walking distance in the area of the great archaeological site around the Acropolis, which has famous monuments such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hephaistos Temple, the Keramkios Cemetery and the Attalos Arcade in the ancient Agora. The walk up to the Acropolis will probably be the most memorable part of your visit to Athens. This brilliant Panthenon, which was constructed on the top of this hill around the fifth century B.C., has to be one of the most magnificent architectural masterpieces of all time.

Plaka
This is the picturesque Old Town of Athens and is located on the north and east slopes of the Acropolis. Its been a thriving town for over 5,000 years.

You will need a week to explore all the treasures located in its narrow streets, most of which are pedestrianised. Few other places are so full with historic sites - ancient monuments, Byzantine churches, mosques and stately 18th and19th-century houses all stand close to each other here. Situated throughout these quarters are sidewalk cafés, and pubs (tavernas) hidden in vine covered backyards and shops selling local fashion, handicrafts and souvenirs. The neighborhood is an inviting place for the tourist to go for a leisurely stroll both by day and at night.

The Lysicrates Monument, which dates back to the 4th century B.C. is one of the most unusual sights in Plaka and also the Anafiotika, which is a tiny Cycladic village full of white washed houses. Byzantine churches from the 11th and 12th centuries litter Plaka. Churches such as the Agia Sotira church on Kydathineon Street, the church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos and the Agios Nikolaos Rangavas Church on Prytaniou Street.

Other famous must see sights include the Tower of the Winds, which is from the 1st century B.C. and the Roman Agora, the Kanellopoulos Museum which contains Byzantine art as well as the Museum of Greek Folk Art. There are lots of beautifully restored old mansions around Plaka that house all sorts of museums like the Popular Instrument museum and theVlassis Frissiras Museum of Contemporary European Art and the Greek Museum of Childhood.

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