Travel route to ancient Athens. Athens weekend or 3-day Athens tour

20.11.2019

What to see in Athens if you have very little time, but want to see all the main attractions?

Athens is the cradle of ancient culture and history, one of ancient capitals Europe, a treasure trove of cultural treasures. Without visiting this city, it is impossible to form a full-fledged idea of neither about nor about ancient culture. Of course, it is impossible to cover all the sights of Athens within one day, and yet, if you find yourself in this wonderful city for just one day, I want to offer this route for a self-guided tour of the most significant and interesting places in Athens. Such places include:

Arch of Hadrian
Athens Acropolis and Acropolis Museum
Ancient agora
Socrates' prison
Sindagma Square and the Greek Parliament
Zappio Park
Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum, Byzantine Museum (one to choose or all at once)
Plaka
Lycabettus

Below is an approximate plan for visiting these attractions within one day and their brief description.

This is not a complete list. sights of Athens and Attica, I just tried to highlight the most striking of them, without which the idea of the city would be scanty. It is also very roughly scheduled for the start time of each sightseeing. That's why you are an independent traveler, to decide for yourself whether to stay longer in any park or museum, or feel free to move on to the next one! However, this plan will help you navigate and better plan your time in order to watch as many interesting things as possible.

7-00 To begin travel to Athens best of all in the morning, not only to have time to see as much as possible, but to avoid the heat inherent in local climate from April to October.

The first place to go is Temple of Olympian Zeus which is located near the Acropolis. There you can also see the majestic arch of Hadrian. In addition to a taxi, you can get there by bus 209 or by trams 2, 4, 11, stop Agalma Vironos.

Arch of Hadrian is architectural monument Roman era, it was built in 131 by grateful Athenians in honor of Emperor Hadrian on the road connecting the old and new parts of the city. The arch is 18 meters high and is decorated with columns in the Corinthian style.

Just a few steps from Hadrian's Arch is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest antique temple in Greece. Its construction began in the sixth century BC under the tyranny of Peisistratus, but was completed already six hundred and fifty years later, in the second century AD, under the same Roman emperor Hadrian. Today, the traveler can admire sixteen proudly towering Corinthian-style columns and one toppled down.

Athenian Acropolis and its map

8-00 500 meters west of the Temple of Olympian Zeus is Acropolis of Athens- the heart of ancient architecture, one of the most important religious centers the ancient world... It is located on a cliff 156 meters high. It is clearly visible from anywhere in the city, so it will be easy and pleasant to walk there on foot.

For your convenience, below is the map Acropolis of Athens(scalable).

Acropolis tickets

Drive west along Dionisiou Ariopagitou Street along the fence of the Acropolis Park, and then turn northwest and follow the path through the park, after a hundred meters you will see the Acropolis ticket offices.

A ticket to the Acropolis costs 12 euros This price also includes tickets for visiting the archaeological sites and museums around the Acropolis (the full list is indicated on the tickets themselves). Discount ticket price 6 euros, students have the right to it, you must show the cashier a document confirming your student status.

Children and adolescents under the age of eighteen, students of educational institutions of the European Union, guides of the blind or other disabled people, journalists, guides can enter the Acropolis for free upon presentation of the relevant documents.

During the winter time (November 1 to March 31) on Sundays, the Acropolis is free for everyone.

For those who are interested in the history of the Acropolis, I suggest watching a short video:

Agrippa Pedestal and Temple of Nike

Climb the Acropolis past Agrippa's pedestal(left) and temple of wingless Nika (right) and through Propylaea go to its top.

Temple of Wingless Nike built in the fifth century BC and dedicated to the goddess Athena Nike (Athena Victory). Inside was a statue of a goddess, wingless so that she could never leave the city of Athens. The portico is a prime example of the Ionian style in architecture.

Agrippa's pedestal was built in the second century BC by the Pergamon king Eumena. On the pedestal there should have been a statue depicting the king and his brother driving a bronze chariot; for a while there was a statue of Antony and Cleopatra, which the Athenians demolished in the first century AD to put up a statue of the Roman emperor Augustus Agrippa. But, unfortunately, not a single statue has survived to this day.

Propylaea- this is the main entrance to the Acropolis itself, translated from Greek this word means "threshold". The Propylaea were built in the 5th century BC. They are decorated with Doric columns. Next to the giant central door for the gods, four more doors were made, decreasing from the center to the edges.

Parthenon and Erechtheion

Immediately after entering the Acropolis, you will be greeted by the majestic (right) and Erechtheion(left).

Parthenon in the Acropolis of Athens

is the symbol of Athens and one of the symbols of Greece. This majestic and at the same time graceful building is quite well preserved. The Parthenon is an antique temple of the 5th century BC, built in the Doric style with Ionic elements. It is dedicated to the patroness of the city - Athena the virgin (the word "parfena" means "virgin" in Greek).

The Parthenon stands on three marble steps; in ancient times, its roof was covered with a tiled roof. The temple is thought out in the smallest detail to visually facilitate the construction and correct some errors in human vision. At first glance, it seems perfectly straight, but in fact, there are almost no straight lines in its contours.

It is noteworthy that the Parthenon was built without the use of cement or any other solutions.

The frieze, metopes and pediments of the Parthenon were decorated with many beautiful bas-reliefs and statues. Many of them have survived to this day, some of them are kept in the Athenian museums, some in the British Museum.

Erechtheion - one more of the ancient temples of the Acropolis. It is easily recognizable by the columns in the form of statues of young women (Coretiads). These are copies of the original columns, as the original ones are in the British Museum. The temple was built in the fifth century BC and is dedicated to Poseidon, Athena and the Athenian king Erechtheus, after whom, in fact, it is named.

Erechtheion

Theater of Dionysus and Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Approaching the right (as viewed from the entrance) edge of the Acropolis rock, you can admire two ancient theaters Odeon of Herodes Atticus and Dionysus theater... The theaters are connected by a long gallery-portico called Stoa of Eumenes.

Theater of Dionysus(on the right) is a theater of Greek drama, it was here that the performances of the great playwrights of antiquity - Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes - were first presented. This theater is one of the oldest theaters in the world, it was built in the 5th century BC and was originally wooden, but in the 4th century BC it was reconstructed and became marble. The theater accommodated about twenty thousand spectators, and this is half of the entire population of Athens at that time. The first row consisted of 67 dark bed of the emperor Hadrian, a great admirer of Greek culture. Emperor Nero performed in this theater.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in the middle of the second century BC, designed for five thousand places, to this day, almost everything has been preserved in it, except for some decorative elements. Currently, the theater continues to be used for its intended purpose.

Acropolis Museum

Before leaving the Acropolis, do not forget to visit the Acropolis Museum, located in the southeastern part of it, because it exhibits priceless archaeological finds that are stored in chronological order, from the Archaic (1800-600 BC) to the Romanesque period (1 -5th century AD). Of particular value are sculptures and sculptural groups of pediments, metopes and borders of the Acropolis temples.

Ancient agora

10-00 To the northwest of the Acropolis is located Ancient agora... In ancient times, it served as a market square, as well as a center of social and cultural life. Nowadays, a Sunday bazaar is held here every week. The most interesting structures in the Ancient Agora are the Temple of Hephaestus, built in the 5th century BC, as well as Stoa (colonnade) of King Atalla. You can enter the Ancient Agora with a ticket to the Acropolis.

Opening hours of the Acropolis:

Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Museum of Ancient Agora, Byzantine Museum of Athens, Roman Agora are open from 8:00 to 19:30 in summer and from 8:30 to 15:00 in winter.

Socrates' prison

11-00 Another interesting place to visit in the Acropolis area is prison ancient greek philosopher Socrates... It is located in a small cave on Philopappou Hill (west of the Acropolis). It was in this prison that he spent the last 30 days of his life awaiting execution.

You can also take a walk to the top of the Philopappou hill itself, which is also called the "hill of the muses", in ancient times it was favorite place walks of thinkers. From the top opens beautiful view to the city. There is also a rather nice monument to Philopappos, a man who held many different positions in Athens in the 2nd century AD and rendered many benefits to its inhabitants).

Constitution Square

11- 45 Be sure to visit Constitution Square (Syntagma) in front of the Greek Parliament, because it is there that the changing of the guard of the soldiers of the national guard "Evzones" takes place every hour. The word "evzon" in translation from Greek means "well belted". They are dressed in uniforms modeled on the Greek national costume, the integral parts of which are fustanella (men's skirt), phareon (red cap with a long tassel) and tsaruhi (leather boots with large pompoms). Also noteworthy are the movements of the guardsmen during the changing of the guard, which contain elements of national dances.

Get to Constitution Square (Syntagma) from the Acropolis you can take bus # 230 from the Afetiria stop, Akropoli-Zografou to the Syntagma stop.

Athens museums

12-10 After you enjoy the changing of the guard, you can visit, and at the same time hide from the heat in one of the museums of Athens or take a walk in the Royal Zappio Park located directly behind the parliament building.

The most interesting museums in Athens (in addition to the Acropolis Museum) are Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum, Byzantine Museum.

The Archaeological Museum houses a unique Mycenaean collection (gold jewelry, gems), a collection of Cycladic art, as well as wonderful antique statues, frescoes, ceramics. The Byzantine Museum is housed in a Florentine architecture mansion (1848). It exhibits the achievements of Byzantine art (objects of church service, works of Byzantine and post-Byzantine sculptors, paintings, small handicrafts, icons and frescoes).

The Benaki Museum was founded in 1930 by Antonis Benakis, you can see a collection of ancient Greek and Byzantine art, a large collection of Chinese porcelain, it also displays household items and weapons from the times of the Greek struggle for independence (from the Ottoman yoke), as well as jewelry from the Coptic and Turkish craftsmanship.

Get to the Archaeological Museum(www.namuseum.gr) In Athens, take bus 608 from the Sindagma stop to the Musio stop, also tram 2 (Sindagma-Egiptu) or tram 3 (Sindagma-Polytechnio). Full the ticket costs 7 euros, concessional 3 euros. Museum is open from 8-00 to 20-00.

Byzantine Museum ( www.byzantinemuseum.gr) is located 650 meters east of the Greek Parliament, you can just walk to it along Vasilisis Sofias Avenue. Museum is open from 8:00 to 20:00 in summer and from 8:30 to 15:00 in winter. Ticket price 4 euros.

Benaki Museum(www.benaki.gr) located next door to the Byzantine Museum. Ticket price to the Benaki Museum 6 euros, on Thursdays entrance free.

Plaka and Lycabettus

18-00 You can end your day in Athens with dinner in one of the cozy restaurants on Plake. Plaka for Athens is the same as the Old Arbat for Moscow, the Monde Marthe for Paris or Covent Garden for London. It is located at the foot of the Acropolis, in addition to taverns and restaurants, there are many souvenir shops, cafes, nightclubs and much more.

22-00 After dinner and a walk in Plaka, climb the hill Lycabettus to enjoy the mesmerizing view of the city at night.

The top of the hill is crowned with a tiny, whitewashed church, restaurant and café.Nearby, carved into the rocks on the northern slope, Lycabettus Theater organizes concerts under open air including Placebo and Groove Armada.

Mount Lycavitos

According to legend, the goddess Athena wanted the Acropolis hill to be higher, so she tore off a piece from the nearby mountain range, but on the way to the Acropolis was distracted by more important matters and threw a piece of rock near the Acropolis, later forgetting about her plan. This is how Lycabettus Hill was formed.

One leads to the top of a hill covered with pines and cypresses. highway and many hiking trails. Also on Lycabettus can take the funicular... It works from 8.45 to 0.45 in summer time(except Thursday, when opening hours are from 10.45 to 0.45) and from 8.45 to 0.15 in winter (except Thursday, when opening hours are from 10.45 to 0.15. Rises are made every 30 minutes.

The funicular is located on the street on Plutarch Street (οδος Πλουταρχου) in a closed tunnel. The fastest way to get to the funicular is from the Evangelismos metro station (Ευαγγελισμος); signs along the street will help you to reach it.

At the top is the Church of St. George (X-XII centuries).

Have a nice day in Athens! Hope you now know what to see in Athens on your trip!

The Greek capital within the community - the official administrative unit that includes Athens without the suburbs - small town... But there are so many historical monuments that it will take at least a week to get to know them. Therefore, tourists who have only one day at their disposal should focus only on the main structures, as well as on those that are of interest to both adults and young wanderers.

Map of the most interesting places

Temple of Hephaestus

Experienced travelers are usually advised to start exploring the Greek capital in the morning. At this time, stone architectural structures are not yet hot in the sun, and guests of the city, who cannot stand the heat, feel comfortable.

An independent walk among the remains of ancient buildings is worth starting from the Temple of Hephaestus. Its marble columns and roof stand out from other ancient buildings in that it is much better preserved.

Acropolis

Having overcome a short distance from the Temple of Hephaestus, tourists climb the stone paths to a 156-meter flat rock. The Acropolis and several once majestic temples have been dominating here for more than 24 centuries.

The fortress was almost completely destroyed due to wars, earthquakes, robberies.

Now tourists see in front of them the reconstructed remains of the Parthenon, Propylaea, Erechtheion, the Temple of Nika Apteros and other ancient structures.

Curious travelers are especially interested in the observation deck located here. Standing on it and looking at the metropolitan areas, where the remains of ancient buildings are adjacent to new buildings, tourists can clearly feel the conspicuous interconnection of times.

Odeon

After visiting the Acropolis, you should go down to the southern slope of the hill, where travelers admire the restored Odeon of Herodes Atticus for a long time.

This Roman amphitheater bears the name of the famous Greek orator who initiated the construction.

To look at the majestic facade of the theater, you will have to go down the hill. You can visit the hall only when performances are taking place here.

Theater of Dionysus

To the east of the Odeon are the remains of the Dionysus Theater. To walk between the restored rows of benches and the arena, each guest only needs to pay 12 €. This price includes admission to all buildings of the Acropolis, including theaters.

Tourists with a good imagination can imagine how, in different historical periods, 15,000-17,000 spectators admired the performance of the actors who participated in the performances of Greek tragedies and comedies. Here, during the period of Roman domination, performances of circus performers and gladiators were held.

Acropolis Museum

Over the years of excavation and research, Greek specialists have collected and restored many valuable statues and artifacts. Most of these items can be seen at the Acropolis Museum, whose new building opened in the summer of 2009.

It is only 300 meters away from the Dionysus Theater.

Visitors not only get acquainted with ancient creations, but also relax in a modern restaurant located on the second floor of the museum.

From here, the powerful fortification walls of the Acropolis, as well as the columns and the roof of the Parthenon, are especially visible.

National garden

After the museum halls, it is worth walking to the National Garden, where tourists are happy to stroll along wide alleys in the shade of palms and other trees.

Constitution Square

In the northwest, the park turns into Constitution Square. It is worth coming here for an interesting ritual - changing the presidential guard. Crowds of curious tourists gather outside the Parliament building with cameras or smartphones to capture this beautiful ceremony.

Cathedral of Saint Dionysius

Leaving behind the Constitution Square, guests of the city look into catholic church located not far from it.

Entering the spacious hall of the Cathedral of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, visitors can sit on one of the benches to take a quick look at several stained glass windows, mosaics and 12 gray marble columns.

In the same area, it is worth completing your acquaintance with the Greek capital by photographing the facades of three architectural masterpieces:

Academy of Sciences,
national library,
University of Athens.

What to see with children

Most of the entertainment options for young travelers are located in the suburbs of the Greek capital. But even inside the route through the historical quarters, you can find interesting things to do.

First of all, this is a walk through the national garden, where the doors of the living corner are open for young visitors. Here you can not only watch funny goats, geese or rabbits, but also feed them. Children are happy to have fun on the playground with low slides and swings.

Not far from the garden at the intersection of two streets - Rigillis and Vasileos Georgiou B - there is the Children's Museum.

In it you can attend exciting drawing lessons or become participants in fun competitions.

At the beginning of the garden there is a stop for the "Solar Express" - an excursion mini-train on wheels for children and everyone. With its help, in 1 hour 40 minutes you can see almost everything famous buildings the Greek capital.

Another option for spending the day with the kids is, of course, the Athens Zoo. It is located outside the city limits, but you can get there by public transport (first bus 319 or 321, then 320 route). Although it takes a long time to get from the city center, seasoned tourists they say it was worth it.

Here, on a large territory of the zoo garden, children will see more than 400 species of the inhabitants of our planet. All animals live in large open-air cages, except for predators. You can touch them, but do not feed them carefully and under no circumstances - this is strictly monitored.

Dolphin shows are available for a fee.

The capital of Greece, Athens is a truly wonderful place to relax and romantic trip. Athens sea gate start from the port of Piraeus. In order to find out about changes in the weather, Athens are guided by Mount Pendeli, its peak, covered with heavy clouds, means the approach of a thunderstorm. Famous Mount Gimet, which was sung in antiquity, is famous for its honey and spices to this day.

Travel to ancient Athens

Named after the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, the capital of Greece bears this gift with dignity. The city itself is quite lively and bustling, filled with a lot most interesting places and attractions. Museums with very rare antique arts and, of course, modern art galleries, countless shops and workshops with souvenirs.

Theater of Dionysus, Athens Greece

In the summer, the rest takes on a unique flavor, the coastal shops are simply overflowing with interesting gizmos. The variety of goods is so great and rich that there is much for any wallet. Numerous bars and cafes will offer national cuisine, which is very difficult to refuse, you can also enjoy national music there.

Storytelling: travel to Athens

The sights can be viewed as in the course organized excursion, and just walking or moving independently from one place to another. The famous Acropolis, this is where the treasures are preserved ancient civilization... Its appearance reflects the course of world history. Ancient temples and buildings are located at the very top of the mountain and attract tourists with their antiquity. On the southern slope of the city, there is the Dionysus Theater; this is another of the places that not a single tourist who has visited this country misses. There are still ruins around it. oldest buildings that arouse genuine interest in this place.

Ancient Athens in Greece

There are a lot of significant places that can be visited on vacation in Athens, such as Temple of Zeus, Temple of Poseidon and Parthenon, tell about interesting story of this city. Visiting these places where they once lived and lived mythical gods, carry a certain secret that you want to unravel. The best rest in these places, of course, summer, but also in winter

Photo 1 of 36:© commons.wikimedia.org

It is difficult to write a travel guide to Athens. Not because there are many attractions here (although there are many of them), but rather because each requires at least a little excursion into history.

Therefore, when I started to prepare this article, main question stand like this: give historical information or do without them. I decided to stay on the second option. In the end, site you read for the sake of useful information for travel, and everything else (in particular, why the city was named Athens, in which year the Acropolis was built) can be easily found in Wikipedia.

We will tell you what cannot be found on the Internet in a well-structured form - how to build your day in Athens, what sights to see, how to get around the city, and so on. So let's get started.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 07:00 - 08:00 Watching Athens wake up

To have an idea of the city that you are going to get to know in the next day, you need to look at it from above! Better location than Philopanou Hill in Athens, probably not.

This place is not as promoted as the famous Lycabettus hill, therefore it is essential here fewer tourists... And even early in the morning, even more so, so you can enjoy the calm atmosphere and stunning views of the city. From the top of the hill there is a great view of the Acropolis.

How to get there: you need to get to the metro station "Sigrou-Fix" - this is the red line. Then walk along Drakou street. You will see a green hill and a path - you will go there. You can see the Athens metro map by clicking here.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 8:00 - 10:00 - visiting the Acropolis

If a theater starts with a coat rack, then Athens certainly starts with the Acropolis. It is a symbol of the city, its main attraction. As a result, there are always a lot of tourists here. Therefore, in order to take a picture of the same Parthenon without a crowd of onlookers in the background, it is better to come to the opening itself. Moreover, the morning is not so hot, which is also important when visiting the Acropolis.

TIP: Wear comfortable shoes, you will have to walk a lot, climb the mountain. And be careful - many of the steps are very slippery.

© commons.wikimedia.org

Acropolis is translated from Greek as "Upper City". Its gem is ancient temple Parthenon. The impression can be backed up by scaffolding, which covers many buildings on the territory of the Acropolis - all of them are under restoration. Obsessive merchants are also a little annoying, but here you have to put up with it - the place is very popular among tourists.

In addition to the Parthenon, do not forget to take a photo of the Theater of Dionysus (there will just be a good angle - from above), and also climb the Areopagus rock - a good view of Athens (but again, it is very slippery).

Price entrance ticket to the Acropolis - € 12. The ticket is valid for four days, and now you will understand why you need it. The fact is that as a bonus, you get free admission to six more attractions: the theater of Dionysus, the Roman Agora, the Ancient Greek Agora, the Temple of Zeus, the Hadrian's library and the cemetery of ancient Athens - Ceramics.

How to get there: nearest metro station Akropoli, red line. More details about the cost of travel to public transport below, in a separate chapter. You can also walk from Thessio and Monastiraki stations.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 10: 00-11: 00 - watching the exposition of the New Acropolis Museum

A unique museum is located 300 meters from the Acropolis. We are sure that you will immediately notice the ultra-modern building that stands out against the background of the general landscape. It was designed by the Swiss architect Bernard Chumi. This is the New Acropolis Museum.

The museum is truly unique; it was built on an archaeological site. At the same time, the floors on the first floor are glass - so that you can see everything with your own eyes. The total area of the museum is 226,000 square meters. There are a lot of exhibits, the author of these lines was most impressed by the collection of antique statues. You can see a detailed plan of the museum.

By the way, there is a cozy cafe on the roof of the museum, you can have a cup / glass with an inspiring view.

Museum working hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 08:00 to 20:00. Entrance fee is € 5.

How to get there: the entrance to the building is from Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. The nearest metro station is Akropoli.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 11:00 - 12:00 - visit the Agora

After visiting the Acropolis, many tourists ignore the Agora and, in our opinion, in vain. At the very least, the Agora is worth a visit to see the Temple of Hephaestus - the best-preserved ancient temple. It was built in the period 449-415 BC. and was dedicated to the god Hephaestus, the god of crafts and blacksmithing. Impressive as well as the Parthenon.

Entrance fee: Agora is included in the Acropolis ticket price.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 12:00 - 13:00 - walk around the Monastiraki area

One of the oldest populated areas Athens, bordered by the Agora. It is especially interesting to walk here on Saturday and Sunday, life is raging around - there is a flea market on Ifestu Street. You can buy anything from standard souvenirs to antique furniture.

In general, Monastiraki has a lot of souvenir shops and antique salons. But some sights are few. The main one is located on Adrianou Street - the Church of Agiu Philip of the 17th century. At the entrance to the Monastiraki metro station, there is another architectural attraction - an ancient mosque built in 1759 by the Turkish governor of Tsistaraki.

© commons.wikimedia.org
However, this area is loved precisely for its unique atmosphere, and not for its attractions. Here you can just walk, watch the merchants, listen to street musicians, have a cup of coffee in some cozy cafe.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 13:00 - 14:00 - lunch at the central market

To get a feel for the atmosphere of the city, you should definitely visit the market. Therefore, we continue towards Varvakios Agora - the central market of Athens. In the morning (the market is open from Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 18:00) there is a brisk trade. As one of the travelers aptly put it, "This is a covered building, filled with sellers and buyers, like a bank of herrings, and the trade there is so abundant that it does not fit in the room, splashing out."

In the market, you can not only take a couple of characteristic photographs of the local population, but also buy some goodies for home: sweets, cheeses, spices, olives.

At the same time, you can have a tasty and inexpensive lunch on the market - there are several excellent taverns on the territory. We recommend the PAPANDREOU restaurant located in the meat section of the market. The cuisine is traditional Greek. The audience is very different. From truck drivers, merchants to local youth recuperating energy after a stormy night. The prices are affordable - you can have a hearty lunch for € 10-15.

How to get there: the market is 500 meters from the Monastiraki metro station.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 14:00 - 15:00 - drowning in the cozy streets of Plaka

This is the most ancient area of Athens, without a doubt, it can be called the most comfortable. Plaka is literally created for walking: narrow cozy streets, atmospheric cafes, taverns, picturesque locals... The houses around are not that old and are only "some" 200-300 years old, but they were built on the foundations of ancient times.

Be sure to check out Hadrian Street - it is considered to be the oldest street in Athens.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 15:00 - 16:00 - Ermou street promenade

There are a lot of clothing stores on Ermu, so you can buy yourself some new thing in between. A little hint: boutiques of luxury brands are located at the very beginning of the street, then there are shops of more democratic brands such as Zara, Marks & Spencer, etc.

However, our advice to you is not to waste a lot of time in Athens for shopping. Firstly, you will not have time to see all the sights of the city, and secondly, you will not buy anything super-exclusive and budgetary.

16:00 - 16:30 - watching the changing of the guard at the Parliament building

After walking along Ermu street, we find ourselves on Syntagma square. It's like the Independence Square in Kiev, the heart of the city.

The main attraction of Syntagma Square is the Palace of the Greek Parliament. Nearby is a monument to the Unknown Soldier, near which the presidential guard of honor is changed every hour. It is an interesting sight - it is definitely worth seeing. At least for the sake of the Evzones - a soldier of the royal guard. Their clothes are graceful and lush: white tights, a skirt, a vest with hand embroidery, a red beret. Pay special attention to the Evzon shoes. Strange-looking boots with pom-poms (called tsarukhi) weigh no less than 5 kilograms!

By the way, all evzones undergo strict face control - each candidate must not only be well trained, but also have an attractive appearance, the height is not less than 187 cm.

The changing of the guard takes place especially solemnly in holidays... If you are in Athens on Sunday, come to the square by 11:00, you will see the solemn change of the duty unit, accompanied by a military band accompanying them.

However, we want to warn tourists who like to photograph everything that moves. The soldiers are on duty, so you shouldn't get too close to them, especially trying to hug / throw the Ukrainian flag on your shoulders and similar things that our tourists like to do. If you cross the line, the Evzones will start banging the butt of their weapons on the marble slab. This is a sign that we must move away.

It is worth noting that various kinds of demonstrations are often held on Syntagma Square, which, of course, does not add to this a place of comfort. But on the square you can catch free Wi-Fi, in any case, the local authorities declare its presence.

16:30 - 17:00 - we inspect ancient artifacts at the Syntagma metro station

This station is rightfully included in the rating of the most unusual subways in the world. In fact, it is a small archaeological museum. As you step out of the subway car, you will see various unique exhibits hidden behind glass. For example, a fragment of an ancient Athenian aqueduct or an ancient burial site.

The artifacts were discovered during the construction of two additional metro lines (this was during the preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games), when engineers worked in tandem with archaeologists. As a result, the metro was built and thousands of priceless archaeological finds were preserved. Some metro stations have become underground museums. In particular, various exhibits are also exhibited at the Akropolis and Monastiraki stations. However, Syntagma is more interesting.

How to get there: Syntagma metro station is located at the intersection of the red and blue metro lines.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 17:00 - 18:00 - visit the Panathena stadium

If viewing ancient artifacts at Syntagma station has aroused your even stronger interest in history, then you have a direct road to the National Archaeological Museum, which is near Victoria metro station. The exposition here is the richest in Greece. Also worth visiting is the Benaki Museum.

However, we decided not to include either one or the other in our itinerary, because it’s impossible to visit these museums in one day (our plan, as you can see, is compressed to the point of impossible). But if you are in Athens for more than a day, be sure to visit. The museums are really interesting.

We will continue our route. From Syntagma Square, we walk through the Royal Garden to one of the most amazing sights of Athens - the Panathenaean Stadium.

Just imagine - this is a huge structure entirely built of white marble! It captures the spirit. And this marble miracle was erected back in 329 BC. e. Naturally, the stadium has not survived to this day in its original form, but in 1895 it was literally rebuilt. The money for the project was given by the philanthropist Georgios Averoff, whose statue now stands at the entrance.

Behind Panathena's Stadium, at the end of Anapafseos Street, is another attraction worth seeing. This is the First Athenian Cemetery. Believe me, the place is actually interesting and by no means gloomy.

The cemetery was opened in 1837 and became a burial place for the local elite. Not surprisingly, almost every tomb there is a work of art. Particularly impressive is the mausoleum of Heinrich Schliemann (famous archaeologist) and his family. Therefore, the cemetery is often called an open-air museum.

On the territory of the cemetery, by the way, there are three churches: two Orthodox and one Catholic.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 19:00 - 20:00 - Dinner at the Funky Gourmet Restaurant

Let's say right away that the restaurant is not cheap (you can familiarize yourself with the menu here) and is not located in the very romantic place... But everyone who visited this institution unanimously repeats: they have not been fed so tasty for a very long time.

The restaurant's address is 13 Paramithias Street. The nearest metro station is Metaxourgio (red line). It is better to book a table in advance by calling 210 5242727 or through the official website.

Attractions of Athens in 24 hours. 20:00 - 22:00 - enjoy the evening panorama of Athens from the Lycabettus hill

This is the tallest hill in Athens - its height is 277 meters. It is not surprising that a beautiful view of the city opens up from here: the Acropolis is perfectly visible, behind it is the port of Piraeus and the Aegean Sea. Perfect place for photography lovers.

At the top of the hill, which is often also called Lycabettus, it is worth seeing the white-stone chapel of St. George from the 19th century. There is a restaurant nearby: the amazing panoramas of Athens only awaken the appetite. There is also an open-air theater on Lycabettus. In summer, concerts and various performances are held there.

How to get to Lycabettus hill: Take the metro to Evangelismos station (blue line). From there along Ploutarchou street you will reach bottom station funicular. The funicular is the fastest and most comfortable way to get to the top of the hill.

Funicular working hours: in summer from 08:45 to 00:45 every day, except Thursday (Thursday from 10:45 to 00:45), in winter from 08:45 to 00:15 every day, except Thursday (Thursday from 10: 45 to 00:15) Wagons depart frequently - at intervals of 5-10 minutes. The cost of a round-trip ticket is € 14.

You can also take a taxi to the hill (the cost is about € 25-30, from the parking lot you will need to walk another 5 minutes) and walk (there are two footpaths). At a calm pace, the ascent will take about 20 minutes, but if the day is hot, we would recommend taking the funicular (take a one-way ticket), and descending on foot. If you go up the hill in the evening, it’s better to buy a round-trip ticket on the funicular.

There are no problems with public transport in Athens, well, or almost none (we hint at frequent strikes) The most convenient and fastest mode of transport is the metro. There are only three branches (we gave the diagram above).

The cost of a single trip is € 1.4. The ticket entitles you to travel in any type of public transport (buses, trams) for 90 minutes. If you plan to travel a lot during the day, it makes sense to buy a ticket for a day for € 4 (again, for all types of transport).

Tickets need to be bought at the box office, or better at the machines that are available at every metro station, at tram stations. Nothing complicated - everything is intuitive, there is also an instruction in English. The main thing - do not forget that, roughly speaking, you need to punch your ticket at the entrance (if we are talking about the metro, then at the station itself, if we are talking about a bus - there is a vending machine inside the cabin).

Athens attractions in 24 hours - how to get from the airport

The airport is located 27 km from the city center. Can be easily reached by public transport and save on taxis.

The most convenient and easiest way is the metro. The entrance to the subway (Aerodromio station, blue line) is opposite the airport building. You can buy a ticket from the machine, but there are also ticket offices. We wrote about the fare above. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the city center by metro. It is only worth clarifying one point: most trains from the Aerodromio station reach only the Dukissis Plakentias station. Then you need to get off and change to the metro, which goes to the center. Direct trains to the airport run every 30 minutes.

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