Athens sights

Athens Monuments and Places to Visit

There are many who say Athens is worth a visit of just a couple of days and then continue on to the Greek  islands,you need a day to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon ,another day or two to see the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Furthermore, during the summer season the Athens festival is held at the Theater of Herodes Atticus under the rock of Acropolis  and is the best chance to see on stage an ancient Greek drama..During the Athens Festival there are many of world famous artists who  perform at the ancient  theater.It is an amazing experience on a warm Athens night to watch any display on that great Amphitheater .Next to the Parliament the National Garden and the Zappeion are places of interest  a green oasis in the middle of the big city, walking through Zappeion you arrive opposite  the Panathinaikon Stadium where the first modern Olympics took place in 1896.A few metres away towards Acropolis you have the monuments of the ancient temple of Olympic Zeus and the Adrianos Gate, at this point starts the Adrianou street which takes you through Plaka all the way down to  Monastiraki with its flea market and Thission.At the end of Andrianou street is the Ancient Agora and the Attalos stoa museum. Most of its exhibits are connected with the Athenian Democracy and this is the reason that the ceremony of the entrance in the European Union of the 10 new member countries at the spring of 2003 took place at the Attalos Stoa. Walking up the Agora you get to the peripheral road under the Acropolis walls. Another easy way to go up to Acropolis is taking the Dioskouron street parallel to the Agora and after a few steps you get there. From this direction before you get to the main entrance is the rock of Arios Pagos the place where the Apostle Paul spoke to the Athenians, his speech is carved on a metal plate on the rock, it is worth climbing up the rock, the view of Athens and Piraeus especially during a full moon night is amazing but you should  not wear high heeled shoes because the steps are uneven and slippery. From Arios Pagos you can watch the Sound and Light displays  which are held every summer in Athens at the Pnika hill, the sound and light show consists of light and sound effects on the Acropolis and the Parthenon .The Lycabetous Hill is another place of interest something like the hill of Sacre Coeur in Paris. Though the  small church of St George on the hill doesn't have the status of the Parisian church, the view is worth seeing, especially the ascent of going up in the same kind of funicular train like in Paris. You can get there from Ploutarhou street between Kolonaki and Hilton at the right side of Vasilisis Sophia's street. But the heart of Athens for the tourist and many Greeks as well are the areas of Plaka Psiri and Monastiraki.

During the summer the Athens festival organizes cultural events at the Odeon of Herod Atticus and at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.

more about Cultural events in Athens

 Guide to Athens in Italian Atene