At first sight, Athens appears to be the classical capital of Western civilization, but further exploration reveals a city filled with contrasts and surprises. It’s hot and passionate, beautiful and varied. Every minute, Athens becomes a different city with ancient temples, Byzantine churches, neoclassical townhouses, yet a modern, crowded late-night party scene. Athens is ancient and modern, solitary but human.

Syntagma (Constitution) Square

Is one of the city reference points and the center of all activities. This is the place where the 1843 Constitution was proclaimed, from the Royal Palace balcony, now housing the Parliament. 

The House of Parliament overlooks Syntagma Square and was originally built as a palace for King Otto, the first King of Greece, and Queen Amalia. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the front of the building, was built in 1929-1930. This monument is guarded day and night by a pair of elite soldiers called Evzones. The changing of the guard every hour offers a very spectacular event. You can visit the Parliament House, which keeps precious national treasures such as the First Greek Constitution and many valuable paintings. Worth visiting is also the Parliament's large library.

The Zappeion is located next to the National Gardens, in the very center of the city and just off the central Square of Syntagma. In the center of the gardens of Zappeion, one can admire the Zappeion Megaron; a beautiful neoclassical building designed by architect Theofil Hansen and built between 1874 and 1888. During the last years, the building has witnessed some important political moments. It also houses important art exhibitions and occasionally concerts are given here. 

The Acropolis The 2500-year old temple of the Acropolis is the symbol of Athens, the sacred rock, the link that connects the ancient civilization with the modern. The Acropolis and its monuments represent the glory of this city and the wish of all visitors to absorb its magnificence and beauty. On the top of the hill stands the Propylea – the glorious entrance to the Acropolis; the Temple of Athena Nike, erected to the south of the Propylea to commemorate the victories of the Greeks over the Persians; the Parthenon, a unique masterpiece and the Erechteion, the place where goddess Athena had caused her most sacred symbol, the olive tree, to sprout.  The Arch of Hadrian After the construction of the temple of Zeus, in AD 131 the Athenians built an arch of Pentelic marble, with two inscriptions carved on it. The western side reads: “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus”, while the eastern side reads: “This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus”.

The construction work began in the 6th century BC and was finished 700 year later, during Hadrian’s rule. Only 16 of the 106 original columns are still standing.

Omonia Square is the oldest square in Athens. It is surrounded by hotels and fast food outlets, and contains a train station used by the Athens Metro and the Ilektrikos, appropriately named Omonia Station. The square often becomes the focus for celebrating sporting victories, as seen after the country's winning of the Euro 2004 and the Eurobasket 2005 tournaments.

The oldest of all known theaters in the world, where the plays of the four greatest ancient Greek poets Aeschylos, Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophocles were being performed in the 5th century BC. Experts estimate that the theater could accommodate 17,000 spectators.

The Odeion of Herodes Atticus

The Herodeion as it is called by modern Greeks was built in AD 161 by Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, teacher and philosopher. The ancient Greeks used to give music and recital concerts there. Today the Athens Festival takes place at the Odeion every summer. 

Plaka   As soon as you start walking around Plaka's stone-paved narrow streets, you have the feeling that you are traveling back in time. Be sure you bring a map along, because Plaka is a maze of narrow streets and alleys, which is, nevertheless, easy to orientate, because uphill is the Acropolis and downhill are Syntagma and Monastiraki. National Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and most important museums of ancient Greek art. Its numerous and very notable exhibits will give you the chance for a journey into the depths of history.  The National Gallery is the biggest picture and portrait gallery in the country. The nucleus of the National Gallery collection, consisting of 117 paintings, was catalogued in 1878.

An oasis in the middle of the city. An area of almost 40 acres full of flowers, plants, bushes and trees from all over the world. Five hundred different varieties of plants under a canopy of trees. Designed to be the garden of the Royal Palace of King Otto and Queen Amalia, it was planted between 1838 and 1860. 

Athens is a city full of pleasant surprises for the shopper who is looking for unique purchases and good bargains. Numerous jewellery shops you will find in the areas of Syntagma and Kolonaki, most of them are handmade by local craftsmen. Particularly worth mentioning are also the equally world-famous furs from Kastoria, manufactured with a skill perfected over centuries. A great variety of furriers can be found in the Syntagma area ranging from the classical to the most modern ones. Other good buys include souvenirs, handicrafts and bronze pots. Copperware, earthenware pottery and ceramics are a field in which Athens has excelled since archaic times. 
Also in abundance are antiques, which can be found in shops in Kolonaki, Syntagma and Monastiraki. In the Kolonaki area you will find the boutiques of many Greek fashion designers who have made international careers in Paris, Milan and New York.