What to see in Athens: tips, photos and videos

😉 Greetings to my dear readers! Are any of you going to the capital of Greece? Tips will come in handy for you: What to see in Athens. And those who have already been to this unique city will be pleased to remember familiar places.

In my distant childhood, when there were no televisions, we had a radio with a green eye-spark. The device is simple. Two controls, one for the volume level, the other for finding the desired radio wave on a scale with the names of the capitals of the world.

London, Paris, Rome, Vatican, Cairo, Athens … All these names were for me the names of mysterious planets. How then could I have thought that someday I would get to these “planets”?

Friends, I have been to all these unique cities and I miss them very much. They are beautiful and not alike. A piece of my soul remained in everyone, and in Athens too …

Top attractions in Athens

Athens was the final destination of our Mediterranean cruise. We stayed in Athens for two days.

Hotel “Jason Inn” 3 * booked in advance. Mid-range hotel. Clean, normal kitchen. The highlight is that we had breakfast in a rooftop cafe, from where the Acropolis was visible.

In my opinion, Athens is a city of contrasts. In different parts of the city everything is different. There are also one-story modest houses, and there are also luxurious districts with mirrored skyscraper houses.

But the most important thing is the history that permeates every corner of Athens. Greece is a country with a rich history and architectural monuments.

In Athens, I was pleasantly surprised that a taxi, compared to Barcelona, ​​is cheap! A sightseeing tour on a tourist bus costs only 16 euros per person. The ticket is also valid the next day. It is very convenient: ride for two days, see the sights, go out and come in. (In Barcelona you will pay 27 euros for one day for this).

Remember the phrase: “Everything is there in Greece”? This is true! Greece has it all! Even flea markets (on Sundays). In any cafe you will be well fed, the portions are large.

What to see in Athens? Here’s a list of the top attractions to see:

• Acropolis (Parthenon and Erechtheion temples);
• Arch of Hadrian;
• Temple of Olympian Zeus;
• honorary changing of the guard at the Parliament building;
• National Garden;
• famous complex: Library, University, Academy;
• the stadium of the first Olympic Games;
• Monastiraki district. Bazaar.

Acropolis

The Acropolis is a city fortress located on a hill and was a defense in times of danger.

The Parthenon is the main temple of the Acropolis, dedicated to the goddess and patroness of the city – Athena Parthenos. Construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC.

The Parthenon is located in the most sacred part of the hill. This side of the Acropolis was indeed the sanctuary where all the “Poseidon and Athena” cults and rituals took place.

The Erechtheion is a temple of several deities, the main of which was Athena. Inside the Erechtheion there was a Poseidon well with salt water. According to the myth, it arose after the ruler of the seas struck the rock of the Acropolis with a trident.

Advice: you need comfortable shoes for the excursion to the Acropolis. For hiking uphill and slippery rocks at the top of the Acropolis. Why slippery? “The stones have been polished by the feet of billions of tourists over hundreds of years.

Arch of Hadrian

Arc de Triomphe in Athens – Hadrian’s Arch. It was built in honor of the benefactor emperor. On the road from the old town (Plaka) to the new, Roman part, built by Hadrian (Adrianapolis) in 131. The height of the arch is 18 meters.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

At a distance of 500 meters southeast of the Acropolis is the largest temple in all of Greece – Olympion, the temple of Olympian Zeus. Its construction lasted from the XNUMXth century BC. NS. until the XNUMXnd century AD.

Honorary Changing of the Guard at the Parliament Building

What to see in Athens? You cannot miss the unique sight – the honorary changing of the guard.

The main attraction of Syntagma Square (Constitution Square) is the Palace of the Greek Parliament. Every hour at the monument to the Unknown Soldier near the Greek Parliament, a change of the presidential guard of honor takes place.

Evzon is a soldier of the royal guard. White woolen tights, skirt, red beret. One shoe with a pompom weighs about – 3 kg and is lined with 60 steel nails!

Evzon must be well trained and attractive, with a height of at least 187 cm.

On Sundays, the Evzones wear ceremonial clothes. The skirt has 400 folds, according to the number of years of Ottoman occupation. It takes 80 days to sew one suit by hand. Garters: black for Evzones and blue for officers.

National garden

Not far from the Parliament is the National Garden (park). The garden saves people from extreme heat, being an oasis in the center of Athens.

This garden was formerly called the Royal. It was founded in 1838 by the first queen of independent Greece, Amalia of Oldenburg, wife of King Otto. In fact, it is a botanical garden with almost 500 plant species. There are many birds here. There is a pond with turtles, ancient ruins and an ancient aqueduct have been preserved.

Library, University, Academy

In the course of the tourist bus in the center of Athens, the Library, the University, the Academy of Athens are located on the same line.

Library

The National Library of Greece is part of the “Neoclassical Trilogy” of Athens (Academy, University and Library), built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century.

Monument at the library in honor of Panagis Vallianos, a Greek entrepreneur and philanthropist.

University

The oldest educational institution in Greece is the Athens National University. Kapodistrias. It was founded in 1837 and is the second largest after the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Sciences of Greece and the largest research institution in the country. At the entrance of the main building there are monuments to Plato and Socrates. The years of construction are 1859-1885.

First Olympic Games stadium

The stadium was built of marble in 329 BC. NS. In 140 AD, the stadium had 50 seats. The remains of the ancient building were restored in the middle of the 000th century at the expense of the Greek patriot Evangelis Zappas.

Panathinaikos is a unique stadium in Athens, the only one in the world built of white marble. The first Olympic Games in modern history were held here in 1896.

Monastiraki district

The Monastiraki area is one of the central areas of the Greek capital and is famous for its bazaar. Here you can buy olives, sweets, cheeses, spices, good souvenirs, antiques, antique furniture, paintings. Near the metro.

These are, perhaps, the main attractions that you must see if you are in Athens.

Greek is spoken in Athens. Good advice: search the internet for a Russian-Greek phrasebook. Basic words and phrases with pronunciation (transcription). Print it out, it will come in handy on your travels. No problem!

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