Attractions, Beaches & Things to Do in Athens
Syntagma Square
The central Square of Athens and one of the most photographed spots of the capital that is located in front of the Greek Parliament.
Hop-on Hop-off Bus Athens
A tour that offers a clear picture and orientates the visitor about the location and the history of monuments and attractions in the Greek capital.
Ermou Street in Athens
Synonymous with the definition of the high-end shopping experience, a road that is the most expensive shopping area in Greece.
Museum of Ancient Greek Technology
«Kotsanas»Private museum that sheds light on the unknown aspects & influence of ancient Greek technology.
Museum of Greek Children’s Art, Plaka
Concentrating on the uniqueness of children's art proposing an alternative educational process.
Benaki Museum of Modern Greek Culture
Housed in the neoclassical mansion of Benakis family, while after its 2000 reopening focuses on the Greek culture and its evolution over the centuries.
Frissiras Contemporary Art Museum
Founded by the art-collecting lawyer Vlassis Frissiras, it hosts more than 3000 paintings and sculptures that have the human form as the main theme.
Plaka Neighborhood of Athens
The oldest city-district that preserves the traditional last-century architecture and is characterized by a unique, unexpected environment.
Museum of Cycladic Art
Founded in 1986, it hosts the largest exhibition of the Cycladic civilization. Findings that came from private collections and date since 3000 BC.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Olympian Zeus Columns is one of the largest ancient Greek temples. Founded in the 6th BC and completed 638 years later in the 2nd AD.
Roman Agora of Athens
A monument that was founded between the 19 and 11 BC and dates from the era when Athens where under the Roman occupation.
Athens War Museum
«Polemiko Mouseio»Learning about the evolution of the Greek nation through its war history, while seeing numerous rare battle devices equipment and weapons.
Acropolis of Athens
The hill that hosts some of the most significant monuments of the Greek ancient world and signifies the source of western civilization.
Panathenaic Stadium
«Kallimarmaro»Ancient reconstructed stadium that hosted events of the A' Modern Olympic Games in 1896.
Athens Marathon (The Authentic)
A contemporary annual long-distance race that revives an actual incident of 490 BC in Athens, and became an official Olympic game.
Acropolis Museum
Contemporary and award winning museum that hosts artifacts of the Acropolis as well as parts of the famous Elgin Marbles.
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
Founded in 1994, it's located close to the Acropolis, and hosts over 4000 jewelry pieces, many of which were designed by the founder itself.
Museum of Illusions Athens
Contemporary and interactive museum that uses science and illusion in formulating entertaining tours addressed to everyone regardless the age.
Lycabettus Hill
The famous hill of Athens which has a height of 277 meters over the sea level, and offers a great view over the Athenian city landscape.
Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Housed in a neoclassical building on Keramikos street, hosts a significant collection of items coming from the Middle East and the Persian empire.
Filopappou Hill
Southwest of the Acropolis is located the hill that got its name from a monument erected by the consul Philopappos during the Roman era.
National Archaeological Museum
Includes one of the richest collections on a worldwide level shedding light mainly on the Greek civilization of the Mediterranean region.
Dora Stratou Dance Theatre
Institution dedicated to the learning, revival, & display of Greek traditional dances, while it offers courses of ethnographic & historic orientation.
Hellenic Motor Museum
Occupying 4000 sqm. of a building with distinctive design, it illustrates the car evolution displaying more than 110 cars of the 19th and the 20th century.
Technopolis of Gazi
Contemporary cultural complex in an ex-industrial area of Athens center, famous for the number and the variety of events that it hosts.
Athens Railway Station
Commonly known as Larissa Station, it is the largest station in the country and serves as a hub that connects the Greek railway network.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
Impressive cultural complex that tends to become a city trademark since its opening in 2016.
Allou! Fun Park
The most famous and the biggest amusement park in Greece that offers entertainment and loads of adrenaline the whole year-round.
Benaki Toy Museum Athens
Housed in a fortress-like mansion, is based on the Maria Argyriadis private collection displaying toys & other childhood items from the whole world.
Piraeus
If you're heading to the Aegean islands, you will probably pass through Piraeus, a city adjacent to Athens and a major commercial and maritime center.
Port of Piraeus
Being the largest Greek port and one of the most significant in Europe connects the mainland with the numerous Greek islands of the Aegean Sea.
Varkiza Beach, Vari Attica
Fully-organized sandy beach that is really close to Athens. It can be crowded during the weekends and is easily reached by public transport.
Αkti Vouliagmenis Beach, Vouliagmeni Attica
Organized, sandy and clean beach that can be crowded on weekends and has an entrance fee.
Asteras (Astir) Beach, Vouliagmeni Attica
Exclusive sandy beach in a private bay. Its high prices correspond to the level of offered services.
Athens International Airport
«El. Venizelos»Founded in 2001, it's the largest & busiest Greek airport, serving as the main getaway to popular islands and other destinations.
Archaeological Museum of Vravrona
Located 200 meters from the archaeological site of Vravrona, one of the most important sanctuaries of worshiping Goddess Artemis in Attiki.
Port of Rafina
The port of Rafina is located on the eastern coast of Attica and serves the ferry connections to the southern Euboea & the Aegean islands.
Mprexiza Beach, Nea Makri Attica
Organized, sandy and small pebble beach that provides shower amenities and cloth changing places, but also with some nice beach bars.
Rockwave Festival, TerraVibe Malakasa
One of the most well-known Greek music festivals that attracts world-class famous rock bands.
Avlaki Beach, Porto Rafti Attica
Long sand and pebble municipal beach, that is organized and offers a lifeguard, but also includes numerous beach bars with many amenities.
Mavro Lithari Beach, Saronikos (Anavyssos)
Pebble & sand beach where its famous beach bars attracts many visitors especially in weekends.
Schinias Beach, Marathon Attica
Sandy & very shallow long beach that is ideal for families. It is close to the historical city of Marathon and to the homonymous national park.
Anavyssos Beach, Saronikos Attica
A shallow and windless organized beach that includes numerous beach bars but also a playground that makes it ideal for families.
Questions & Answers about Athens
Why Visit Athens?
- One of the oldest cities worldwide and the oldest European capital.
- Hosted the first modern Olympic Games between 6-15 April 1886.
- Athenians established the first Democracy in 508–507 BC.
Why is Athens named Athens?
The answer is given by an antiquity myth related to the controversy between two gods of Olympus for the name of the city. The goddess of wisdom Athena and the god of the sea Poseidon confronted each other in a battle that would indicate the best gift each of them would offer in the city. The two rival gods reached the peak of the Acropolis followed by the 10 other gods who were the judges and Cecrops l, the mythological king of the city who was a witness. Firstly, Poseidon stood in the middle of the rock and with his trident gave a strong blow to the ground. From there sprang a wave of saltwater, which formed a small lake. Then it was Athena's turn to present her own gift and she planted an olive tree on the rock, which was full of fruits. Then, Zeus announced the end of the fight and ordered the other gods to compare the two gifts and decide to whom the city should be given. King Kekropas, noticed that there was plenty of salty water from the sea surrounded the city. In contrast, the olive of Athena would be useful in providing food, oil, and timber. Thus, the city was finally, with a unanimous decision, named "Athens", in honor of the goddess of wisdom.
Why is Athens so popular?
Athens is a city that combines a tremendously rich heritage with a vivid and cosmopolitan perspective of a contemporary metropolis. It is considered as the core of western civilization where political thought, theater, arts, philosophy, science, architecture reached their epic climax. Archaeological sites, numerous museums, and other cultural institutions shed light on the history of a city that has been continuously inhabited for approximately 6,000 years. On the other hand, Athens is today a cosmopolitan capital and the epicenter of the financial, economic, industrial, political, transport, tourism, and cultural life of Greece. Its Mediterranean climate, cultural significance, and proximity to Greek islands make it a worldwide destination.