Athens
Capital of Greece and the country’s largest city, Athens is dominated by the flat-topped hill of the Acropolis, site of the 2400-year-old Parthenon, one of the most famous classical monuments in the world. Close by lie the Theatre of Dionysus and the restored Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a superb theatre in which open-air performances of the International Athens Festival are held from June to September. The ruins of the civic, political and commercial centre of the Ancient Agora can be visited, as can the reconstructed Hellenistic Stoa of Attalos, which houses the Agora Museum. Most artefacts are displayed in the National Archaeological Museum on Patission Street. The old quarter of the town, Plaka, which spreads around the Acropolis, is picturesque with its famed flea market, small tavernas, craft shops and narrow winding alleys. The excavations of the Library of Hadrian can be observed from Pandrossou Street. The centre of modern Athens, most notably the chic area of Kolonaki, has many designer boutiques, smart restaurants and international-class hotels. The city has a thriving nightlife, with most bars and clubs staying open until at least 0300.
Lying at the innermost point of the Saronic Gulf just outside Athens, and connected to the centre by metro, Piraeus is the city’s main port. From here, ferries leave regularly for the Islands (see the information on the Greek Islands).
|
