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City

Athens

The city of the Acropolis, and of 3,000 years of life around it.

8 museums
All museums ↓
📷 Diasbuenasio · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Athens is a big, lively capital where ancient temples rise between apartment blocks, markets and cafés.

The story of Athens

Climb the Acropolis early, then visit the Acropolis Museum below it. Walk through the Ancient Agora and Plaka, the old quarter. Give half a day to the National Archaeological Museum, and visit the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art in the Kolonaki district. In the evening, go up Lycabettus hill or eat in a taverna under the Acropolis.

  • 1834Athens becomes the capital of modern Greece
  • 2004Athens hosts the Olympic Games again

Athens through time

The big moments, and where to see them today.

  1. 432 BCThe Parthenon is finished.See it: Acropolis Museum
  2. 1896The first modern Olympics.See it: Panathenaic Stadium

What to do in Athens

  1. 01

    Acropolis Museum

    The Parthenon gallery and the Caryatids.

    Athens2 to 3 hours
  2. 02

    National Archaeological Museum

    The greatest collection of ancient Greek art.

    Athens3 hours
  3. 03

    Benaki Museum

    Greek culture from antiquity to the 20th century.

    Athens2 hours
  4. 04

    Museum of Cycladic Art

    Cycladic figures and ancient Greek art.

    Athens1 to 2 hours
Getting there

Getting to Athens

From the airport to the city centre by public transport, then the trains and local lines to the museums.

Arriving by plane

ATH
Athens Eleftherios VenizelosAthens · Athina · Piraeus

Getting around Athens

Lines and timetables change. Check the operator’s website before you travel.

On the map

Route ↗
Hidden story

An owl for Athena

The owl of Athens is on the Greek one-euro coin.

Read the storyClose

The owl was the bird of Athena, goddess of wisdom and protector of the city, and appeared on the silver coins of ancient Athens, the 'owls' that were used all over the Mediterranean. Today the same owl, copied from an ancient coin, is on the Greek one-euro coin.