Every year thousands of tourists visit Greece and the Greek islands! Athens is the oldest cities in the world, dating back to about 3000 BC.
If you are planning to visit the Greek capital soon, check out my Travel Guide video. I will show you around the city and tell you what to do and see, and at the end I will share my honest review about my experiece.
On the first day I wanted to visit the Acropolis and the ancient ruins. I wanted to dedicate the second day to the Olimpics, and visit the Panathenaic Stadium and Olimpic Sport Complex.
Ancient Agora
To avoid the crowd at the ticket office I recommend to start you day trip at the Ancient Agora and make your way up to the Acropolis. The Antient Agora was Athens’ heart back in the days. The Greek word “Agora” means to “gather”. It was not only a meeting place but also a place of administration and commerce.
In this park you will find two well-preserved buildings which worth visiting: the Stoa of Attalos (which used to be an antient mall where several stores were locetad under the covered walkway) and Temple of Hephaestus hovoring the patron god of metal working, craftsmanship, and fire.
Heading to the Acropolis you will walk by other ruins like the Roman Forum of Athens.
Acropolis
You will enter the Acropolis through a monumental gateway. People lived on the Acropolis until the late 6th century BC, but after the Persians war it was transformed into a city of temples.
The most famous landmark here is the Parthenon, which was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patron of the city.
According to the ancient Athenian founding myth, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, competed against Poseidon, the God of the Seas, for patronage of the yet-unnamed city; they agreed that whoever gave the Athenians the better gift would become their patron. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a salt water spring welled up, Athena offered the Athenians the first domesticated olive tree. Cecrops, the king of Athens, accepted Athenas and declared Athena the patron goddess of Athens.
The temple honiring her is the largest Doric temple ever completed in Greece. It took 15 years to build and had a gigantic statue of her which was over 12 m high and made of gold.
The other standing building on the north side of the Acropolis is the Erechtheion which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. It is famous for the Porch of the Caryatids, where six draped female figures are the supporting columns.
At the bottom of the hill you will find two antient theaters: the Odeon of Herodes and the Theatre of Dionysus.
Acropolis Museum
If you want to learn more about the Acropolis you should visit the Acropolis Museum, which is next to the site and showcases its surviving treasures. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.
Hills with amazing views
If you want to take a closer picture of the acropolis go to the nearby Areopagus Hill or the Filopappou Hill.
Panathenaic Stadium
I’ve decided to dedicate the second day to the Olympics, so I’ve headed to the Panathenaic Stadium, which is still in use today and the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.
Did you know that the ancient Olympic Games were never held in Athens? They were held in the city of Olympia, and Athens was the home of the Panathenaic Games.
What is the difference? The Olympic games was for everyone (apart from women), but the Panathenaic Games was for the Athenians. And the Olympic winners got only olive wreaths and ribbons, however Panathenaias received money and jars of olive oil.
The ancient Olympic Games were originally a festival, or celebration, of and for Zeus, King of the Greek Gods. All free Greek males were allowed to take part, from although the majority of Olympians were soldiers. Women could not compete or even attend. The minimum age for participation in the games is estimated at 12 years.
Athens was however the host of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and this stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies. Fourteen nations and 241, all male, athletes took part in the games. And my home country Hungary was also one of the Participating Nations, however it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at that time.
Download my free Travel Guide
Everything in one PDF you need to plan your trip to Athens: maps, useful tips, hotels and cool things to do while you are in the city.
Daytrips from Athens
If you wanted to extend you stay in Greece, there are several day trips you could choose from.
You could visit the sacred center of the ancient Greek world at Delphi and Explore the ruins of the famous theater and the Apollo temple
Take a tour to the Meteora Monasteries which is an important orthodox site in Greece built on the top of giat rocks.
You can spend a day cruising to the 3 main islands and Hydra, Poros, and Aegina.
Our you can hop on a plane and travel to Santorini for example, just like I did. Check out that Travel Guide!
