"Athens - The Birthplace of Modern Civilization" Athens by cheekymarieh

Athens Travel Guide: 4,404 reviews and 10,114 photos

Athens is a unique city. Its centre has over 3 million inhabitants with more people moving from the villages every day. Transportation is a big problem though the extension of the metro may improve matters.

The city centre contains many of the historical sites within a relatively small area. It is like stepping into a theme park based on historic ruins. The old and new stand side by side.

A visit to the city must include the highlight of the historic landmarks - the Acropolis.

There is a commonly-based assumption that Athens ranks as one of our most heavily polluted cities.
In a list of the twenty largest and dirtiest cities of the world (which include London and New York), Athens doesn't feature (statistics, the UN: a prediction for the year, 2,000). Athens reputation as the most polluted city in Europe is based more on myth than on fact.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A rich archaeological history
Cons:Heat can be oppressive in summer
In a nutshell:Old and new side by side

Last visit to Athens: Aug 2000
Intro Updated Feb 22, 2003
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Reviews (40)

Hotel Astor Hotels (2)

Located in central Athens close to Syntagma Square. It is fully airconditioned and the rooms are well furnished. The... more travel advice

The Agora Museum Things to Do (15)

The Agora Museum The Agora Museum various exhibits which were found in theAgora. The museum's collection of pottery is... more travel advice

Panathinaikon Stadium Things to Do (15)

Panathinaikon Stadium This photo was taken on the night that the Greek athletes returned home from the 1996 Olympics.... more travel advice

Lycabettus Hill - go to the... Things to Do (15)

Lycabettus Hill - go to the top and you will be able to see the whole of Athens and Attica. This is the tallest hill in... more travel advice

What to Pack (1)
Packing List
Off The Beaten Path (2)
See All Evia
Local Customs (2)
See All There are lots of references...
Warnings and Dangers (5)
See All Omonia Square isn't a very...
Transportation (6)
See All The flying dolphins from...

Nightlife (2)
See All Glyfada
Tourist Traps (1)
McDonalds - the only reason to...
Favorites (3)
See All Food Glorious Food
Restaurants (1)
Fofi's kitchen!
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Comments (67)

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mindcrime Apr 23, 2008 at 12:25 AM

Hi there! Nice tips here. It seems that tourist like Athens more than we do! :) Thanx for visiting my Limnos page. konstantinos
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JLBG Sep 7, 2004 at 7:45 AM

'McDonalds - the only reason to visit this fast food eatery is to use the public conveniences' 'Public conveniences', you mean the place where they feed customers ? :-)))
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nigelw6443 Sep 6, 2004 at 3:51 AM

Thanks for your comments. I enjoyed your Athens page...will be going through some others too! Keep it up!
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scrooge1947 Jun 8, 2003 at 12:29 PM

Impressive pages, really enjoyed my visit, thanks.
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Sharon Jun 7, 2003 at 2:07 PM

What a place, so much history, culture and awesome food and yet i havent been there. hope to do that this year. Thx.
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gale.blog.pl May 18, 2003 at 1:09 PM

Impressive page indeed :) I like this page more than I liked Athens ;))))
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dr.firas Apr 6, 2003 at 8:49 AM

Splendid Marie
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morgane1692 Mar 2, 2003 at 1:06 PM

Loved the stuffed grape leaves and kebabs, and that awesome liquid gem they call a FRAPPE!!! We just experienced the opposite of your extreme Aug heat too: Feb here was freeeezing! :-)))
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nomorewars Feb 17, 2003 at 12:32 PM

Wow! The next time I find myself enroute to Athens, I will hire you as you appear to know more than some of the tour guides I have dealt with.
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asturnut Aug 11, 2002 at 12:47 PM

Really fantastic page!