The sun is shining over Athens all year round. The climate is one of the best in Europe, with mild winters and very hot summers, ideal for tourism. It is located just a few kilometers from the port of Piraeus, the central commercial port of the capital, and the shores of southern Attica.

Athens is a city of different aspects. A walk around the famous historic triangle (Plaka, Thission, Psyri) the old neighborhoods, reveal the coexistence of different eras. Old mansions, well-preserved ones and other worn down by time. Luxurious department stores and small intimate shops, fancy restaurants and traditional taverns. All have their place in this city.

Athens and Attica have the most important archaeological monuments - Acropolis, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Olymbion, Roman Market, Panathenaic stadium or Kallimarmaro Stadium, The Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, etc.

You will also admire many imposing neoclassic buildings, true ornaments of the city such as e.g. the Greek Parliament or Athens Academy and University.  Archaeological Museum, Military Museum, Byzantine Museum, etc., are hosting unique treasures of our cultural inheritance.

 Some facts about Athens which you may find interesting:

• One of the oldest cities in the World: its origins date back to 3000 BC. Athens prides itself for being considered as the “Cradle of Civilization” since it was the birthplace of democracy, western philosophy, Olympic games, political science, Western literature, major mathematical principles and theater.

• Home of the Gods: ancient Greeks believed the world was ruled by many different gods, each one of them having their own story and special powers. Mount Olympus was their home from where they ruled mankind. There is a story that says Athena and Poseidon competed to who will become guardian of Athens. Poseidon gave the city the gift of water but Athena’s olive tree won the favor of the other gods, making olive trees to be considered sacred in Greece.

• First Olympic Games were held in Athens in 776 BC. People would come from all over Greece to watch the games where the winners were given olive wreaths. Greeks were so serious about this games that athletes, who backed out, were fined with cowardice. The first games, as we know them, were held here in Panathenaic stadium in 1896, then Athens hosted them again in 2004.

• Origins of the Theater: Greek tragedies were played in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. Comedies in the other hand were about low-class characters. Only boys were allowed to act on the plays, they had to wear large mask so the audience could tell the part they were playing.

About Athenian Acropolis:

• It is the most famous archaeological monument in Europe. Its name comes from the word “Acro” meaning “high” and “polis” meaning “city”. It refers to the sacred hill where ancient Greeks built many temples honoring their gods.

• The most important temple is the Parthenon in honor of Greek goddess Athena, from where Athens gets its name. The Acropolis has survived all kind of natural disasters, wars and invasions for over 20 centuries.

• Acropolis is nominated to be one of the 7 wonders of modern world. In fact the trademark of Athens is one of the favorites.

• Lord Elgin, a former Ambassador to Constantinopole, took almost the entire collection of statues, vases and monuments left from the temples and sold them to the British Museum. There is a long-standing dispute between Greece and Britain about this now infamous “Elgin Marbles”.

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