Vacation in AthensPlaces to visit while you are in Athens

By Marina Rrivas

Vacation in Athens

If you are looking for a place to spend your holidays, you can't pick a better location than Athens, thecapital and largest city of Greece and one of the world's oldest cities. Today a cosmopolitan metropolis,modern Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece.

And where to start with places to visit in Athens, how about the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites:the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery. Athens is a world centre of archaeologicalresearch with locations like Acropolis, ancient temples such as Temple of Erechtheion, The Temple ofHephaestus or the Temple of Olympian Zeus will most definitely take your breath away. Also make sure tovisit the stone theatre Odeon of Herodes Atticus or one of the Athen’s many museums, so you can trulyaprishiate history and importance of this city.

Athens in one of the few tourist locations that provide big entertainment for sports' enthusiasts. City hostedthe Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004. You can visit Athens Olympic Stadium, which hassince gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, and one of its most interestingmodern monuments. You can also catch a game of Athens many sports clubs or try yourself in rockclimbing, hang gliding and windsurfing in one of the numerous outdoor clubs that serve these sports.

For those who prefer their vacations on the beaches and the sea, Athens is good place to go. Many of thesouthern suburbs (such as Alimos, Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza) host a numberof sandy beaches, most of which are operated by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, and require an

entrance fee. If you like sailing, the Saronic Gulf features shorter passages, less wind and waters that arewell-protected and relatively flat, which are conditions perfect for less experienced sailors. The SaronicGulf offers brilliant position, and enables you to visit islands with historic site after historic site. Highlightsinclude Spetses, Poros and the island of Hydra, which is car and motorcycle free, and it is becoming moreand more popular tourist destination.

Make sure to visit Athens amd Greece at least once in your life time, city with such great history can offersomething for everybody. Spend your vacation in Athens, you will remember the experience forever.