Fly to Athens, Greece for:
The first thing to know about the brief history of Athens is that there’s no such thing as the brief history of Athens. The city started out as a Neolithic settlement that was inhabited as early as 7,000 BC. Thanks to the development of its seaport, classical Athens had a meteoric rise to fame as a powerful city-state. It peaked under the 5th-century reign of Pericles, which saw the construction of many of the city’s trademark temples, including the Parthenon, and the flourishing of the arts, theatre and philosophy. Today, Athens’ defiant spirit takes pride in the past and welcomes the future, and never forgets to take a siga, siga (‘slowly, slowly’) approach to life.
The Acropolis of Athens and other ancient wonders
Make Greece’s sacred rock, the Acropolis of Athens, the starting point of discovering the many wonders of the ancient world. First a military fortress during the Neolithic period, then a place for worship dedicated to Athena in Mycenaean times, the site was revamped into its current form by the “first citizen” of democratic Athens, Pericles. The ancient citadel houses three famous temples, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike. The most iconic, of course, is the Parthenon, Greece’s largest Doric temple made of Pentelic marble in honour of the city’s guardian goddess. Fun fact: its columns were designed to create the optical illusion of a purely rectilinear construction. In fact, the temple does not have a single straight line. The National Archaeological Museum houses the world’s premier collection of Greek antiquities, including some 11,000 artefacts from the beginning of prehistory to late antiquity. A true gem of the permanent exhibition is the Mask of Agamemnon, declared the "Mona Lisa of prehistory" by contemporary historian of science Cathy Gere. The Little Metropolis, or Agios Eleftherios Church, is a bite-size nod to Byzantine-era Athens in the middle of the city’s busiest shopping artery, Ermou Street. Speaking of small churches: perched atop the highest of Athens' seven hills, Lycabettus, the snow-white Chapel of Agios Georgios rewards visitors with a stunning 360-degree view of Athena’s favourite city.
A souvlaki for the ages: gastro-adventures in the Greek capital
Athenians’ no-nonsense attitude toward food is to keep things simple, fresh, tasty and most importantly, shareable. Horiatiki salad is a true embodiment of this philosophy. Eaten as a main dish or appetiser, this vitamin-heavy mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, feta cheese and juicy olives is the all-star of Greek tables. Don’t miss it. Light, rich and super-healthy, fish soups are made around town with seasonal fish and veggies, and are an absolute must-try for seafood enthusiasts. Pastitsio is comfort food at its Greekest: it’s essentially seasoned ground beef layered with pasta and thick béchamel sauce, baked to delicious, crispy perfection.
Athens airport
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) airport is located 27 kilometres east of Athens’ city centre, bordering the suburb of Spáta. A railway station is immediately adjacent to the airport terminal, with metro line no. 3 and suburban railway service Proastiakos heading right into the city. Bus line no. X93, X95, X96 and X97 also connect the airport directly with the capital. Taxi and car rental options are available.
Athens weather
Athens has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, essentially dividing its weather into two seasons: scorching, dry summers and mild winters with the occasional rainfall. July and August are the driest months with daily average temperatures in the high 30s and can bring severe heat waves. The best time to schedule your Athens city break for is spring or autumn. Or, if you want to beat the crowds and have the Acropolis all to yourself (sort of), winter months.
.jpg "wizzflex_herobanner_picture (1)")
