One of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,500 years and its earliest human presence started somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC, Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years. By 1400 BC the settlement had become an important centre of the Mycenaean civilization and the Acropolis was the site of a major Mycenaean fortress. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent, and in particular the Romans.

 

In modern times, Athens once known for smog, traffic and tacky architecture, is a city reformed thanks to fortunes brought by the 2004 Summer Olympics. Spotless parks and streets, an ultra-modern subway, new freeways, an accessible and easy going airport, bilingual signs in perfect English almost everywhere make the city easily negotiable. Meriting more than a stopover en route to the islands, sophisticated Athens sites include many pillars of Western history, from the Acropolis to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as treasures in the National Archaeological Museum.

 

Hectic & exciting, romantic and sensational, mysterious & adventurous Athens is captivating travelers & with its timeless allure will hypnotize you. Leaving her behind, the feeling of nostalgia will overwhelm you as she will call you back like an enchanting Siren.