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Athens
City Guide
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Athens City Guide
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the World. It is the largest city and capital of Greece.
Practical Information:
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Official name: Athens.
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Language: greek.
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Religion: ortodoxes (98%), muslims (1,3%).
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Currency : euro.
Athens Sights and Museums
The Parthenon: was a temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Acropolis of Athens. It is the best-known remaining building of Ancient Greece, and has been praised as the finest achievement of Greek architecture. Its decorative sculptures made of white marble are considered one of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy, and it is regarded as one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.
The Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis (high city) in Greece.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympeion (in Greek or Naos tou Olimpiou Dios), is an ancient temple, now in ruins, in the centre of Athens.
Athens Entertainment
January the 6th: including Epiphany, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
March the 25th: Independence day.
First of May: Labour Day.
15th of August Assumption Day (celebrated with family reunions), Ohi Day on 28 October, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day (26 December).
Athens Transports
How to get there by plane: Athens is served, since March 2001, by the ultra modern Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport located near the town of Spata, in the eastern Mesoghia Plain, some 35 km east of Athens. There is an Express Bus service connecting the airport to the metro system and 2 express bus services connecting the airport to Piraeus port and the city centre respectively.
By Bus: there are two main intercity bus stations in Athens: terminal A, about 7km northwest of Omonia at Kifissou 100 and terminal B, 5 km north Omonia off Liossion.
By sea: ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans bound for a bewildering array of islands depart from Athens nearby port, Piraeus.
The Athens Mass Transit System is currently one of the most modern and efficient systems in Europe. It consists of a large bus fleet, a trolley fleet that mainly serves the downtown area, the Athens Metro , a tram line connecting the southern suburbs to the city center and the Athens Suburban Railway services.
The Athens Metro is one of the most impressive underground Mass Transit systems in the world. It currently operates four lines, three of which are distinguished by the colors used in the relevant maps and signs (green, blue and red).
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