Last Updated on April 29, 2025 by Home in the World
The Olympian goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and war also happens to be the patroness and protectress of modern-day Greece’s capital. Athena, daughter of Zeus, the sky and thunder god in Greek mythology, is indeed widely believed to have got her name from the city itself, rather than the other way around.
I, in fact, like to think of them as one and the same – the city as a goddess itself, standing strong and proud, regardless of the trials and tribulations thrown at her. Athens to English speakers, Αθήνα (Athina) to the Greeks, is one of the world’s oldest cities, having been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years. It is indeed rightly considered one of the cradles of Western civilisation.
And yet a surprisingly large number of people tend to bypass it. While Greece as a country has a vibrant tourism industry – its sunny skies, turquoise waters and party islands attract summer holidaymakers from all over Europe and the rest of the world – its capital is often treated as nothing more than a transit stop on the way to said islands.
Some visitors may decide to spend a night there to see the Acropolis, but I was surprised at the number of people who, when I mentioned I was spending 5 nights there, either had negative things to say about it or simply thought it was not worth nearly that amount of time.
Turns out, Athens is much more than just its famous Acropolis (though that certainly is its main and very striking symbol). And I loved it so much, I ended up going back there the following year! So this blog post is a mix of what I saw and did on those two trips. This also included several day trips, which I have written about separately here.
Table of Contents
The Acropolis
I mentioned the Acropolis earlier, and it seems only fitting that I should start with that, since it is probably the number 1 attraction of all things to see in Athens. It was certainly number 1 on my to-visit list on the first day of my first ever trip to Athens. The word Acropolis actually just means a citadel or fortified section of any ancient Greek city, usually perched atop a hill.
But the one in Athens, with its Parthenon and other striking structures, is undeniably the most famous. Rising up on a rocky outcrop in the heart of the capital, it can be seen from many parts of the city, and my first glimpse of it was from the car as we drove from the hotel to the base of the hill, and what a majestic and powerful sight it was.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it again vanished amongst the rooftops, bougainvillea and citrus trees that were whizzing past my window. I should point out here that we visited the Acropolis (along with a couple of other sites I will mention later) as part of a private city tour organised through our hotel. The tour company was called Alpha Limo Tours, and we used them for all our travels around Athens and beyond – airport transfers, city tours and day tours – on both trips.
The driver parked at the base of the hill, where we then bought our tickets (you can also get them online here) and proceeded to climb to the top, which, incidentally, is not overly difficult or treacherous. As you go, you pass the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a large Roman amphitheatre that was first built in AD 161. It is situated on the southern face of the Acropolis hill, and today continues to play host to world-class musical performances. I can only imagine how legendary it must be to attend a event there.
After ambling your way over giant limestone blocks and stepping through the remains of the monumental gateway to the Acropolis, known as the Propylaea, you finally find yourself at the top of the citadel. It is a little rocky and uneven in parts, but overall quite easy to walk over. Be aware, however, that it is (as you would expect) pretty exposed, with very little shade, so if you are there on a hot and/or sunny day (of which there are many in Greece), be sure to prepare accordingly.
As you approach the Parthenon itself, take a moment to admire the sweeping, 360-degree views of the city. I am always struck by Athens’ interesting terrain – distant hills that reminded me of sleeping mythological creatures, the azure waters of the Saronic Gulf, the rustic orange rooftops of the old Plaka district clinging to the base of the Acropolis, ringed by a veritable sea of white buildings, many with glinting solar panels.
The Temple of Zeus
After a good couple of hours on the highest point of the city, it was time to descend and meet up with our driver again, who would be taking us to our next stop on our city tour – the temple of Zeus. Like Rome, Athens is a bit like an open-air museum. It never ceased to amaze me how you could be casually driving around the city and suddenly pass by thousand-year-old ruins.
Located a short distance east of the Acropolis, not far from Hadrian’s Arch, all that remains of this temple dedicated to the Olympian Zeus is a handful (15 of the original 104) of mighty Corinthian columns. They are 17-metres (56 ft) tall, and one even lies in pieces on the ground – the victim of a fierce gale in 1852. I would recommend spending about half an hour here (in 2017 it cost 6 euros per person to get in), and be sure to look up and admire the great view of the Acropolis, which rises up impressively in the north-western corner.
The Panathenaic Stadium
One of the many relics of ancient Greece that still have relevance in the modern world is the notion of holding regular sporting championships, particularly track and field events – the main difference being that, back then, it was only male athletes, and they competed nude. While the Olympic Games famously originated in the sanctuary of Olympia (about a 3.5-hour drive south-west Athens) on the Peloponnese Peninsula in the 8th century BC, Athens has a stadium of its own – and I’m not talking about the one built for the 2004 Olympics.
The Panathenaic Stadium was built around 330 BC to host the Panathenaic Games, which were held every four years, and featured religious festivities, prize-giving ceremonies, athletic competitions and cultural events. The original stadium took the form of a simple racecourse, but was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus (remember that wealthy Roman senator who commissioned the Odeon at the Acropolis?). And it in fact remains the world’s only stadium constructed entirely out of marble. I did not actually go in, but had a good look through the fences, and the scale of it is pretty impressive indeed.
Omonoia
Driving to our next stop involved passing through Omonoia (also written as Omonia), one of the city’s central but poorer and (according to our local guide) more crime-ridden areas. Greece’s recent economic woes have been well publicised in the global media, and the ramshackle buildings and closed-down businesses here reflected this to a certain degree. But it wasn’t all derelict. The district is also home to some grand buildings, not least the trio of neoclassical structures known as the ‘Athens Trilogy’, comprising the Academy of Athens, University of Athens, and the National Library of Greece.
Mt Lycabettus
Probably the second most famous hill in central Athens after the Acropolis is Mt Lycabettus, and this was the next stop on our tour. While you can hike it or take a funicular up, we were happy to ascend in the comfort of our private car, especially given the heat and the steep, winding incline. However you choose to make your way up there, you will be rewarded with more stunning aerial views of the city – with the added bonus that this time you can actually see the Acropolis, rather than be standing on it.
Syntagma Square
After a brief photo stop on the hill, we drove back down to our final destination of the day – Syntagma Square, Athens’ central square (a.k.a. Constitution Square) and the heart of the city’s cultural, commercial and political scene. With its lush gardens and cooling fountains, the square’s perimeter is lined with luxury hotels, brand-name stores and restaurants (not to mention plenty of traffic).
At its head, however, is the most famous building of all – the Hellenic Parliament, located in the Old Royal Palace, where the changing of the Presidential Guard takes place every hour. These guards, known as the Evzones, are famed for their skirt-like garb (fustanella) and unique pompomed clogs (tsarouhia). At the peak of the economic crisis, Syntagma Square was unsurprisingly a flashpoint for public – often violent – protests, though things have thankfully largely calmed down there these days.
Ermou shopping street
Leading directly off Syntagma Square is the 1.5-km-long (1 mile) Ermou pedestrian shopping street, where our driver left us to explore on our own. It is one of the city’s main shopping areas – but be aware that many of the stores will be shut if you come on a Sunday (as we did the first time). All major brands can be found there, and while it didn’t feel especially Greek, it does lead to some of Athens’ older, more authentic areas like Monastiraki, the ancient Agora and Plaka.
Monastiraki and Plaka
Monastiraki and Plaka are where you want to come if you’re looking to soak up the rustic Mediterranean vibe and saunter down cobbled lane ways lined with eclectic souvenir shops, boutique hotels, hipster cafés, and alfresco dining (complete with menu-wielding touts doing their utmost to lure you into their restaurants with a cheery Kalimera or Kalispera), with some ancient ruins thrown into the mix – this is Greece, after all. We spent several hours here on multiple days during both visits, as it really never gets old.
As always in market-like areas such as these, it is prudent to keep an eye on your bags and valuables, especially around Monastiraki Square, as pickpockets do operate here, though I must admit I felt pretty safe overall. And the shopkeepers were incredibly trusting as well. I was in a jeweller’s shop, run by one lady on her own, and when she realised she didn’t have the ring I wanted in the right size, she told me to wait while she stepped out to source it from another fellow merchant. She disappeared into the crowds of Plaka’s laneways and I was left on my own in the store, with all manner of jewellery and accessories within easy reach.
I assume there were some security cameras somewhere (though it didn’t look like it), but I could have slipped anything in my bag and I doubt it would have been picked up. I thought it was so trusting of her, and appreciated the efforts she went to to get my ring – which I still wear very regularly.
Below is a small collage of some of the other snaps I took around Monastiraki and Plaka. I particularly loved the rustic architecture! Click on any to enlarge.
In the heart of it all is Mitropoleos Square, which is home to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The leafy square was a welcome respite from the heat, and a good place to rest weary feet, but we also made a point of going inside the cathedral, whose construction began in 1842. Its opulent Orthodox interior is well worth seeing.
The Acropolis Museum
As you can imagine, Athens has a number of fascinating museums – but if you only visit one, make sure it is the Acropolis Museum in Plaka. The metro (which, incidentally, we used on several occasions and found it to be extremely clean and efficient) can take you straight there (get off at Acropoli station – there are even exhibits in the station itself) if you’re not already in the area.
This beautifully designed, modern archaeological museum, built in 2007, displays all the artefacts that have been found on or near the Acropolis from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece – and they’re still discovering more. An open excavation site at its entrance is a unique and striking feature – and also be sure to visit the balcony on the upper level for yet another great perspective of the Parthenon atop the Acropolis.
The National Garden
There’s no denying Athens can be a hectic, polluted city. It can also get very warm during the summer months. A great way to escape this, without leaving the central districts, is the National Garden. A stone’s throw from Syntagma Square, hugging the rear and side of the Parliament Building, the garden spans a whopping 24 ha (60 acres), and is a lush oasis of exotic plants, animals and water features in the very heart of Greece’s pulsating capital.
As I crunched along the dusty gravel paths heading deeper and deeper into this verdant sanctuary, the cacophony of horns, engines and voices in the outside world melted away. It was a real haven of tranquility – a great place indeed to sit on a quiet bench in the shade and take five.
Kolonaki
You will find a similarly leafy refuge in the nearby upscale district of Kolonaki, where tree-lined streets are filled with swanky boutiques, trendy restaurants, hipster cafés, exclusive galleries, embassies, and some pretty amazing residential homes (the area was, after all, once home to the Athens elite). It almost has a Parisian feel. Have a wander around here to see how the other half live and play.
The Benaki Museum
A few streets away, on the edge of Kolonaki, is my second favourite museum in Athens – the Benaki Museum, housed in the Benakis family mansion on the corner of Koumbari Street and Vas. Sofias Ave (there are a couple of other locations too). Art collector Antonis Benakis, son of Greek merchant and politician Emmanouil Benakis, endowed the museum with stunning pieces reflecting Greek art and culture from 3000 BC to the early 20th century.
Admission is free on Thursdays, but if that doesn’t fit your schedule, it’s still worth paying the small entry fee to marvel at its three floors of stunning collections – from ceramics, to clothing, to jewellery, to religious texts and everything in between. I spent several hours there, and could easily have spent more. There’s also a cute rooftop café overlooking Vas. Sofias Ave and the Presidential Guard.
Some of the treasures you can expect to see inside:
Other museums
And about five blocks east of the Benaki Museum as you head along Vas. Sofias Ave is the Byzantine & Christian Museum and the Athens War Museum. I walked past them on several occasions, as they were right near my hotel, and was intrigued by what was beyond the exotic archways of the former, and by the publicly displayed warplanes of the latter next-door. I only walked around their grounds – briefly popping my head into a free display at the War Museum – but these, too, are among the dozens of fascinating museums Athens, as a cradle of civilisation, has to offer on varying aspects of history, culture and art.
The Runner sculpture
I mentioned that my hotel was not far from these museums, and in fact if you’re in the area and are interested in public art, you may want to walk a further two blocks on to see the unique The Runner sculpture by Costas Varotsos that stands right outside the hotel. Made from thousands of sheets of dark green glass stacked on top of each other, it gives the impression of an athlete in motion, and is a tribute to the Greeks’ rich sporting and running history. A striking piece to behold from multiple angles!
Athens from above
Although the Hilton, where I stayed, is no longer operating, its Galaxy Restaurant & Bar, which once ranked among the world’s top 10 rooftop bars by Premier Traveler magazine, provided panoramic views of the city. I will always remember seeing Athens gradually twinkle into life as the sun set, while kicking back in funky surrounds over a cocktail and nibbles.
Watching the lights of the Parthenon turn on as I sat on the sweeping outdoor terrace was one of those pinch-me moments. And one night, there was even a storm rolling in, so the Acropolis was set to the backdrop of increasingly moody skies and the odd flash of lightning. An awe-inspiring sight indeed in this ancient city already heavily steeped in rich history and mythology.
Final thoughts on things to see in Athens
So those were some of the things I got up to on my two four-day trips to Athens in 2017 and 2018. The local sightseeing was interspersed with several day excursions, which I write about here. The fact that we went out of our way to return to the city just a year after our first visit should give some indication of how much it exceeded our expectations. I had always been interested in visiting it for its history, but I was genuinely blown away by how beautiful it was.
Parallels are often drawn between Athens and Rome – two ancient cities and cradles of civilisation – and the (admittedly very subjective) question raised as to which is better. They both have their own distinct feel, and while I did very much love Rome, I personally preferred the vibe of Athens. It’s grittier, perhaps a little rougher around the edges overall, but its soul, sprinkled with a dusting of mythological magic, is undeniable. A greatly underrated, underestimated city with so much to offer – be it art & culture, history, food, warm hospitality, or diverse day trips. A European capital that’s definitely worth more than just a transit stop!
** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **
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