The cradle of the greatest civilization of the antiquity, the heart of the Greek Empire and the capital of the modern Greece, Athens still saves the evidences of the events, which changed the world history and the art masterpieces, still unsurpassed.
A lot of civilizations fell into oblivion since the time Athens was born, but Athens is still alive. The history of Athens began in about 1600 BC. It became the capital of Attica and then of the whole Greek Empire. As the world leader of the time, Athens concentrated the best minds and the most talented artists. The works of the ancient sculptors still impress with its beauty and realism.
Later the Romans took the leading position in the world, but they borrowed a lot from the Greeks – they copied their art and even their gods – they just changed names – Aphrodite became Venus, Jupiter turned into Zeus. The most brilliant samples of the Roman art are mostly just copies of the Greek treasures, somehow lost.
Now the population of Athens reached 1 million (4 millions with suburbs), it's the largest city in Greece and the Greeks themselves find it very dusty and overcrowded. Aphens is also known for its smog hanging over the city. A couple of years ago Athens housed the Olympic Games. Due such a great event the city was renewed a lot, so the citizens and guests still enjoy the harvest of those renovations.
The most of the tourists are attracted by the remains of the ancient civilizations. The most of them get going to the Acropolis with the magnificent Parphenon – the temple of Athena. The Acropolis is the citadel of the Greece and the place where Athens began. The age of the ruins is about 24–25 centuries.
At the footsteps of Acropolis lies Agora – the ancient center of commerce, where Socrat and Plato once liked to walk.
The center of the prestige is Syntagma square. Here the most luxurious hotels and restaurants are concentrated. The building of the Parliament also stands here.
Omonoia square presents a contrast with this oasis of fashionableness. Narrow streets around Omonoia are full of cheap shops, numerous cafes and bars.
Those who are fond of the ancient culture can find various interesting museums to visit in Athens - National Archaeological Museum, The Benaki Museum, The Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art, Museum of Greek Folk Art, National Historical Museum and Byzantine Museum are just some of them.
To make a reservation in one of Athens hotels, please, go to
Athens hotels page
To make a reservation in a hotel in any other part of the world, go to
www.nbportal.com
