Athens, Greece

Athens, Greece is one of the oldest cities in the world, and has many ancient landmarks like the Acropolis, Parthenon, and the Coliseum. It is the capital of Greece and has a residential population of 750 thousand people. Ancient Athens was a city-state known for its arts and philosophy. The city's first days dates back as far as 3,000 years ago.

Though there are many places to visit and explore that are easy to travel to, Athens is busy and crowded. But it is worth getting around because the city offers many sights that you cannot see anywhere else. Athens has many churches with beautiful frescoes, where you can spend hours looking at exquisite artwork. Many monuments in Athens, though beautiful, are in a state of ruin or disarray. Many big projects for the restoration of Athenian monuments have been started since the 2004 Olympic Games. It will take many years before they are back to their former glory.

Athens is so old that it is often mentioned in Greek mythology. Oedipus died in Athens, and many historical personalities were born there, including Socrates, Demosthenes, Plato, and Aristotle. When going to Athens, besides the Acropolis and Parthenon, there are many museums to visit as well. There are about 50 museums, and lots of shopping and restaurants. The area known as Plaka, though it is quite busy with tourists, is worth braving the crowd to visit. Many of the city's tourist attractions can be found here.