Athens
travel guides

Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The capital of Greece sits in the Attica basin between Mount Hymettus, Mount Pentelicus, and the Saronic Gulf, with the limestone Acropolis rising 156 metres above the modern centre. Below the rock, a city of 3.7 million people layers Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and 19th-century neoclassical architecture across walkable neighbourhoods.

The historic centre clusters around Plaka, Monastiraki, and Syntagma - three districts that contain almost every major sight within a 30-minute walk. The Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, and the Roman Forum sit at the foot of the rock; the Panathenaic Stadium and the Temple of Olympian Zeus are 15 minutes east. The metro is fast, modern, and cheap (EUR 1.20 for a 90-minute ticket).

Allow three full days in Athens - two for the central sights, one for a Cape Sounion or Delphi day trip. The city pairs well with Greek island ferries from Piraeus port (Aegina, Hydra, Santorini) for a longer Greek itinerary.