Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece with a metropolitan population of 3.7 million inhabitants. It is in many ways the birthplace of Classical Greece, and therefore of Western civilization. The main monument to visit is of course the Acropolis, the hill upon which the Parthenon and other important sites are located. The climb can be hot, but it is worth your while.

The Plaka is one of the nicest areas of town: ideal for shopping and wandering through cobblestone streets or sitting down in one of the many tavernas.

Athens is a good base for exploring the region: Epidaurus, Corinth and Mycenae can all be see on a trip from the capital, Cape Sounion, Delphi and Marathon (42 km away) are also good options.

Pireaus is the port of Athens. It is a very dirty place but also the place to start your trip to the greek islands.

Spring and late autumn are the best times to visit Athens. Summer can be extremely hot and dry during heatwaves, but this rarely happens. Winter is definitely low season, with the occasional rainy or snowy day, but also an ideal time to save money while enjoying the city without countless other travellers and tourists.

Whilst peak hour can still be a bit smoggy on the main roads, on most sunny days the skies are azure blue. The main bad impression of the pollution of Athens is given because Athens is enclosed by mountains and a basin is created which does not let the smog leave.