Five Places to Visit in Athens

Athens is the capital and the largest city in Greece. The city is also one of the oldest cities in the world with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years. Athens is also recognized as the centre for the arts, learning and philosophy. The city has a rich history and a beautiful atmosphere that makes tourists come back to this city, what captivates the tourists is its many historical sites that date back some 3000 years or so.

If you’re thinking of visiting Athens, here are five places that you shouldn’t miss:

1. Acropolis – Acropolis is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the place was the ancient fortified town of Athens that date back to the Late Bronze Age. This is also where you can find the best buildings of the Greek Classical age and some of that are the Parthenon, the Erectheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The entrance price to the place is 12 euros. A good place to see and experience some of the wonders of ancient Greece.

Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Acropolis by microbe

2. The Ancient Agora - The Ancient Agora is in a very green space and has a very beautiful view of the Acropolis. Some of the things that you can see are the Temple of Hephaestus and the Attalos Stoa. From the Agora you can take a walk towards Acropolis. Visiting this place is like going back in time because of the well preserved historic buildings that are still standing in this place. Also, don't miss checking out the Museum in Agora.

3. The Temple of Olympian Zeus - Sadly only the ruins remain today and the column that has fallen can still be seen on pieces was brought down during a thunderstorm about a century ago. It must have been an awesome experience if the building is still intact, nevertheless it’s still worth visiting.

Photo Credits (Flickr CC): The Temple of Olympian Zeus by tiseb

4. Panathinaiko Stadium – This is a great place to visit for sports fanatic as this is the stadium that housed the first modern day Olympic Games of 1896.

Photo Credits (wikimedia Commons): Panathinaiko Stadium by Joanbanjo

5. The National Art Gallery – This is one of the country’s main art institutions and the national Art Gallery features paintings and works of art from some of Greece's and Europe's and some of best from the 19th and 20th centuries. A nice place to check if you want to see some beautiful and historic artworks.

Photo Credits (Flickr CC): The National Art Gallery by Tilemahos Efthimiadis

These are just some of amazing sights that you can find in Athens. There are still much more places to see and visit.

Have you been to Athens? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.