Athens is the capital of Greece, thus one of its busiest cities. Being the home of almost 5 million people has very fast rhythms. As a city it manages to combine successfully modern, ancient, and traditional elements, as well as the eastern and western culture. Most people visit Athens in order to see closely the remains of its ancient civilisation. The Acropolis Hill dominates the city and the interest of visitors, since they can view closely the Parthenon and other architectural masterpieces. A plethora of museums can also be found on the slopes of the Acropolis or close to the site. Syntagma square is a central point for tourists and business travellers.

For those who except from visiting the ancient monuments are interested in shopping then in Athens they can find everything. For ceramics, jewellery, bookshops, leather goods and departmental stores the ideal place to go is Monastiraki and Ermou Street. The area Kolonaki should also be visited if you are looking for top brands and if you are looking for great deals then go to Omomoia Square.

During daytime visitors can visit the ancient sites, such as the Parthenon, the Acropolis and its museum, the Roman Agora, the temple of Olympian Zeus, the Lycabbetus theatre and other ancient sites.

Greeks love their coffee and drink it fanatically, which explains the plethora of coffee shops. A great range of coffee is available so to satisfy everybody’s preferences.

As far as food is concerned, then traditional Greek cuisine is served in many restaurants around Plaka, Syntagma and Kolonaki. The prices are reasonable and when you get the bill you will not be disappointed. However, if you re not keen on Greek food then Italian, French, Chinese and Indian food is also available, although the cost is slightly higher.

Athens comes to life at night. Everybody goes out whatever the weather conditions. Bars open at

The ideal time to visit Athens is during April, May, October. It is not very warm, with temperatures around 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. For those who are not fond of the heat then you should avoid visiting Athens on July and August. From November till February the climate is quite cool with temperatures ranging from 10 to 18 degrees Celsius. During the winter months rain is more or less an ordinary phenomenon.