Athens is an ancient city in the true sense of the word. Its origins and culture date back to the years when gods of myth walked the earth, a history reflected in popular destinations such as the Acropolis, the Olympieion (Temple of Olympian Zeus) and the Ancient Agora, where the temples of the gods Hephaestus and Apollo are also found.

The 3,000 year history of Athens and, indeed, ancient Greece is perusable on 'museum mile' along Vassilissis Sophias Avenue. Here most of Athens' museums are clustered, including the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Byzantine Museum. The 'mile' starts from Syntagma Square, the home of the Greek Parliament. Incidentally, Athens is widely considered to be the birthplace of democracy...See full details:

The Acropolis

Those arriving in Athens for the first time generally head immediately for the Acropolis. There are very few visitors who are not already familiar with the image of this distinctive citadel of ancient Athens, perched on its steep flat-topped rock above the sprawling city....  See full details:

There's no end of monuments and attractions in Athens, Greece but these are the best of the best that you won't want to miss in your travel to Greece. Only time for one? It's conveniently placed first… See full details:

The National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the world's great museums. Although its original purpose was to secure all the finds from the nineteenth century excavations in and around Athens, it gradually became the central National Archaeological Museum and was enriched with finds from all over Greece. Its abundant collections, with more than 20,000 exhibits, provide a panorama of Greek civilization from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity. For details access the following website:

The Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum ranks among the major institutions that have enriched the material assets of the Greek state. It is also the oldest museum in Greece operating as a Foundation under Private Law. Through its extensive collections that cover several different cultural fields and its more general range of activities serving more than one social need, the Benaki Museum is perhaps the sole instance of a complex structure within the broader network of museum foundations in Greece. For details access the following website:

Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion, is an Greco-Roman temple in the center of Athens, southeast of the Acropolis. Begun in the 6th century BC, it was not completed until the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. In was at that time the largest temple in Greece. For details access the following website:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/athens-temple-of-olympian-zeus.

Parthenon

With the exception of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, the Parthenon of Athens has probably received more attention from archaeologists, historians, architects, painters and poets than any other structure on earth. Words and photographs however, can offer but slight tribute to this extraordinary creation. It is the supreme expression of the ancient Greek architectural genius. With its incomparable setting, the visual harmony deriving from its sacred geometry, and the enduring wisdom of its resident deity, the goddess Athena, the Parthenon exercises a profound and lasting effect upon the human soul. The current author has visited the Parthenon numerous times since he was a young boy and honors the site as having had a major influence on his style of photographic composition. The architectural form of the temple of Athena represents the quintessential marriage of simplicity and power, and the photographs in this book are an expression of gratitude for a lesson so wondrously taught.

For details access the following website:

http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/greece/parthenon.html.