Athens is the city of the Olympic Idea, the city of artists, a cultural and scientific centre: the city forms the meeting point of every major conceivable event.
Athens has much to offer: constant sunshine, access to sandy beaches and idyllic islands and of course that first stunning view of the Acropolis.
Today, Athens is a modern city, alive and on the go. Moreover, it is a place of great romance, with busy streets and squares,
shop windows decorated in a riot of colours, as well as little alleys in quiet, peaceful neighbourhoods such as Plaka and
Mets. In the countless shops you will find whatever you need. In the taverns and restaurants you can enjoy any cuisine imaginable,
whereas the nightclubs, pubs, discos and bars are the place to unwind, relax or even dance the night away.
To discover more about the places, please visit www.breathtakingathens.com
Museums
The New Acropolis Museum:
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological site-specific museum, housing the most famous works of classical antiquity. These works are artistic expressions of a deep political change that transformed the ancient city of Athens during the 5th century BC, subsequently marking entire eras from antiquity to modernity. The exhibition program aims to provide visitors with all the key information gleaned from the archaeological finds from the Acropolis. Exhibits are presented not solely as works of art, but also as evidence of the historical and social context of the period from which they developed. The exhibition is organized with topographic, chronological and thematic clustering of the collections. The sculptural adornments and various votives enable visitors to become familiar with the sanctuaries and monuments of the Athenian Acropolis, and assisted by the Museum narrative they have the opportunity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the entire history of the Acropolis in antiquity.
Extensive archaeological excavations conducted during preparations for the Museum’s construction revealed private houses, bathhouses, shops, workshops, and roads. When the archaeological excavation opens to the public, portable finds will be exhibited on the same level as the excavation in a specially designed exhibition area. Visitors will also be able to walk at close proximity to the excavation, over a network of metal ramps.
Benaki Museum
Benaki boasts one of the most extensive collections in Greece, covering several periods ranging from the prehistoric, ancient and roman periods to the Byzantine and the neo-Hellenic period. Among its particularly interesting collections are those of Toys, Games, Chinese and Islamic art.
Museum of Cycladic Art
Devoted to the study and promotion of ancient Greek art, the Museum of Cycladic Art hosts two permanent collections. The Cycladic Collection, with marble statuettes and ceramic pots from the prehistoric period of the Cycladic islands (3200-2000 B.C.), and the Ancient Greek Collection, which exhibits objects of art from the 15th century BC to the 4th century AD. The museum also hosts several temporary collections in its new wing, which is housed in the magnificent neo-classical Stathatos Mansion.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens with its numerous exhibits allows you to monitor the history of Ancient Greek art, which dates between the Neolithic period and the Roman period.
National Gallery of Athens:
The National Gallery showcases Greek paintings and sculptures from the 19th century to the present. There are also 16th-century artworks and contemporary pieces painted by European masters, including paintings by Picasso, Marquet, Utrillo as well as four El Greco paintings.
Byzantine Museum
The Byzantine Museum is dedicated exclusively to the art style, which flourished since the founding of the city of Constantinople (330 AC), the capital of the Byzantine Empire, until its fall in 1453. The museum has been recently restored and almost tripled in size.
Archaeological sites
The Acropolis - The Parthenon
A monument that constitutes the symbol of Greece worldwide, towns the “sacred rock” of Athens, the Acropolis. The Parthenon, a marble temple dedicated to Goddess Athena, along with the other monuments of the Acropolis, are all excellent pieces of art, reflecting the Classical period and the Golden Age of ancient Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Near this archaeological site one can also visit the Museum of the Acropolis.
Herodeion (Odeion of Herodes Atticus)
Built in 161 AD by Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, the Odeon was built in the memory of his late wife. Today, concerts, plays and ballets are still performed in it. You can either admire its beauty and architecture in the morning or treat yourself with the lifetime experience of attending a concert. Herodeion’s natural setting of the Arcades in front, the Parthenon in the back and the moon up in the sky will certainly fascinate you!
Panathinaikon Stadium
Originally built in the 4th century BC for the athletic competitions of the Great Panathinaia (ancient Greek festivities), the Panathinaikon Stadium took its final form during its most recent restoration at the end of the 19th century. It is made of marble and the Greeks also call it “Kallimarmaron” (meaning “made of beautiful marble”). It was the venue for the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896.
Shopping
Athens is the most oriental of all European cities and offers a great variety of products that could interest the visitor.
Greek specialties include leather and fur, silver and gold jewels, pottery and ceramic, hand painted icons, embroideries, flokati rugs and carpets, antiques. The Greek are also well known for their many natural products like honey, olives, coffee, and many others.
As Athens is a crossroad between Europe and the Middle East, you will find an interesting mixture of merchandise and shops.
The large department stores sell ready-made clothing and designer clothes known worldwide. Almost everything you want to buy
is available in the city centre so you don't have to travel far to go shopping!
Going out
Downtown Athens is famous for its vivid lifestyle. All visitors can expect an excellent stay with plenty to do and see.
Apart from getting to know the culture, the idyllic countryside and the Greek gastronomy, visitors should get to know the
fascinating Greek life style.
You can find lots of bars in the center of Athens at Kolonaki, Ampelokipi, Psyrri and Gazi. You may reach the aforementioned
areas with the blue line of the metro (Syntagma, Monastiraki and Keramikos stops, respectively) and the red line for Ampelokipi
(Panormou metro station). Kolonaki is also a shopping area where you can find among others many designers’ boutiques.
Eating out
Eating out in Athens is a great form of leisure, either when dining at a local taverna or at an elegant restaurant.
The Greek cuisine is delightfully uncomplicated and quite different from what is found in restaurants abroad. Much of the cooking relies on simple seasonings and fresh meat and vegetables.
For breakfast, Greeks rarely eat more than freshly baked tiropitas (flaky cheese-filled pastries). Greeks eat lunch in late afternoon, generally between 2:00 and 4:00pm, and dinner around 10:00 or 11:00pm. To stave off hunger between meals, they enjoy snacking on souvlaki or tiropitas. It's common for Greeks to have a lunch of mezedes or appetizers.