athens-greece

Attica Greece

atticaAttica is the most densely populated prefecture of Greece, in Attica located the capital of Greece Athens and the largest port in Greece, the port city of Piraeus.

Geographically the Attica Prefecture is divided into two major subsections, the capital region and the rest of Attica. The capital region includes the city of Athens (Piraeus with) and bounded by the Saronic Gulf and the mountains of Parnitha, Hymettus and Penteli, defining the Attica basin. The extent of the capital region is 427 chlm2 covers 11.2% of the total area of the Attica region and constantly rising standard of limits outside the area basin

The rest of Attica covers most of the extent of the Region of Attica. Specifically, an area of 3,381 chlm2 and covers 88.8% of the total area of the Region. Divided in western, northern and eastern Attica and the rest of Piraeus prefecture where they belong by administrative point of view Salamis, Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Spetses, Kythera and Antikythera, and the province Troizinias located in the Peloponnese.

Attica was the birthplace of the most important Greek city states such as Athens, Elevsis and Megara. These cities, together with the city states of Thebe and the Peloponnesian states of Corinth and Sparta colonised all the Mediterranean coast and the Black Sea between the C5th and C6th BC. Among the colonies which were created during this time were the cities which we know today as Nice, Marseilles, Napoli, Syracuse and, the cradle of the Byzantium Empire, the city of Byzantium.

Attica, for analytical purposes or centralized study informally divided into seven zones, taking into account geographical and socio-economic and historical nature. In Zone A includes the City of Athens, B ‘northeast Attica in the zone C’ giving Southeastern Attica and the zone D ‘western Attica. In Zone C ‘reveals the town of Piraeus and F’ Islands of Argosaronikos. Finally in the zone Z ‘are the Mesogeia with Lavreotiki.

Zone B

The zone B occupies the northeastern part of Attica, from Athens to evvoiko bay. This zone starts from the northern suburbs of Athens in northern and northeastern outlet from the basin, continues its environs and reaches to coastal towns and villages in north-eastern Attica.

Zone C

In Zone C lies the port of Athens, Piraeus. The city of Piraeus consists of the modern municipality of Piraeus and regional municipalities included in the Prefecture of Piraeus piece of land in Attica.

The zone includes the F islands of Argosaronikos, from Salamis, and port Troezena until the Kithyra and Antikithyra on the southeast edge of Peloponissou.

Zone G

G zone occupies the southeastern part of Attica, which looks at the Saronic Gulf. It starts from the southern suburbs of the basin and runs southeast along the coastal line and saronikou perimeter of the Hymettus, in line with the zone Lafreotikis, in the northeastern resort of the basin.

Zone D

The zone D includes regional municipalities of Athens from Tourkovounia to the edge of Poikilou Terms on the west and northwest outlet from the basin up and Kinetta on the west coast of Attica, along the coastal line Thriasiou Field and kolpiskon of Elefsis .

In Zone G is the end of the valley Mesogeia surrounded by mountains of Hymettus, Penteli, Paneio and the Aegean. Apart from Paneio term reveals the Lavreotiki, in the southeastern tip of Attica, which meets the coastal zone C to Hemittus.

From the centre of Athens the coastal cities of Elefsis and Megara and other resorts are less than an hour away. On the east side of Attica you can visit Marathon, the historical site where Athenians defeated the Persians during the Persian Wars of 490 BC. At the southern edge of the Attica Peninsula on the cape of Sounion, lies the famous Temple of Poseidon. If you go there try to locate the signature of Lord Byron, carved by him in one of the columns.

From Sounion, following the east coastline, you can visit the historical site of Vavron and the sea resorts of Lavrion, Rafina, Nea Makri, Agios Andreas and Skinias. Other sea resorts worth visiting in Attica on the west coast and on the way to Sounion are Vouliagmeni, Varkisa, Lagonisi, Anavysos and Saronis. Near to Megara and Elevsis on the west coast are the resorts of Megalo Pefko and Kineta which overlook the island of Salamina and the coast of the Peloponesse. ( Map of Attica )

attica