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Greece Athens - the cradle of European civilization

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Athens , where a depression, often muffled and noisy, with millions of years of history to the mix with a lot of mythology, Athens is more than a noisy city. The first impressions for visitors who arrive are the heavy traffic, polluted air, places and museums full of people, intense heat of summer and a constant noise. But despite its effervescent nature, Athens is one of the few cities in the world where it still feels a profound human dimension.
The metropolis that was once known as the " Paris of the Mediterranean "is unique, exciting, passionate, generous, critical, but also noisy, chaotic and always ready to break the rules.
Every year Athens is visited by millions of people, but most quickly passes through the points of greatest interest, ignorant and feel the power and mysticism of this cradle of European civilization.

Athens, the city that stretches to the foot of the Acropolis, which reaches the waters of the Aegean Sea and the plains of Attica, has sites and monuments. Surrounded by mountains Parnitha, Pendeli and Hymettos, is the most prominent hills of the Acropolis and Lykavittos, two of the main landmarks in the city. Visit these hills is a break in search of peace and pure relaxation to escape the city noise, and while we have the chance to watch an amazing view of the sparkling waters of the Gulf, the border city on its south side.

The modern Athens is divided into neighborhoods, and Syntagma Square is the epicenter with four neighborhoods around them. All that is worth being seen is located a half hour walk from this point.

But besides the renowned classic historical sites, the city abounds in monuments Byzantine, medieval, nineteenth century, and has some of the best museums in the world, as well as areas of surprising natural beauty. Such is the case of Pláka, a charming enclave of the nineteenth century that lies southwest of the Acropolis and matching Ottoman and Greek architecture, narrow streets, museums and an unusual quality of life reminiscent of small towns.

The history of Athens is continuously expanding and is characterized by glory, followed by decline, sometimes close to annihilation, resurfacing in the nineteenth century, when it becomes the capital of Greece independent.
It was during the reign of Kekrops that the city was named Athens, which derives from the name of the daughter of the god Zeus, known as Athena, the virgin. According to legend, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, acquired rights to the city after defeating Poseidon in a duel. His victory was celebrated by building a temple on the Acropolis, the site of the first settlement of the city.

The original city-state reached its zenith in the fifth century BC. With Pericles initiated a vast process of construction, unprecedented, which resulted in many of the great classical buildings like the Parthenon, the Erechtheum Temple, the Temple of Hephaestus and Sounion, currently regarded as icons of ancient Greece. During this time, democracy was born, drama flourished and Socrates conceived the foundations of Western philosophy. Surprisingly, although the cultural legacy of this period has influenced Western civilization, the classical period of Athens lasted only about five decades.

Athens remained a privileged political and cultural position under the rule of the Macedonians and Romans. With the Turkish rule which lasted for four long centuries the city suffered new cultural influences.
Modern Athens was born in mid-nineteenth century, when the city gained the status of newly created capital of independent Greece.

Acropolis
This is the main attraction for most visitors. The "city high" dominates the landscape and has always been the focal point of Athenian life. Nicknamed the "sacred rock", is the most important monument of antiquity in the Western world. The first ruins of houses on the Acropolis date from the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, this place has been continuously used as a place of worship.
During the Classic Period were erected the three most important temples of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike, which reflect the evolution of the city.

Parthenon
It is the largest and most important monument of the Acropolis and an icon of Western civilization. Built entirely of marble was designed as a sanctuary for Athens. The two pediments of the temple are decorated with mythological motifs. The Parthenon retained its religious character for many centuries, was converted into a Byzantine church, a Catholic cathedral and a mosque.
The Acropolis Museum and Study Center of the Acropolis have several sculptures and artifacts that were found inside.

Temple Erectheion
Raised to 421-405. C. was wisely adapted to a rather uneven and steep terrain. The place where rose was sacred because it was linked to the founding myth of Athens, having become a shrine with different religious functions. Its name derives from Erectheu, a legendary king of Athens.

Acropolis Museum
Many of the treasures of the Acropolis can be appreciated there. The museum displays an interesting collection of sculptures, statues, masks, pediments and the frieze of the Parthenon was not for the British Museum.

National Museum of Archaeology
The largest and richest museums in Athens has unique collections from around the country. Houses one of the world's finest collections of artifacts from ancient Greece, which includes sculpture, pottery, Minoan frescoes and gold treasures from Mycenae. Perhaps the most popular is the exposure of the treasures of Mycenae, including the "Golden Mask".

Agora
The ancient Agora, situated at the foot of the Acropolis, was a square filled with colonnades, temples and other buildings. In the frames of the Athenian Agora discussed politics, listened and did business philosophy. Socrates, Zeno and Diogenes spread their ideas on this site.
Currently, it is an amalgam of monuments and ruins from different periods. Since the fifth century BC, the site is dominated by the Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best preserved in Greece. Its name comes from the God of Fire and Metallurgy. Another place to visit is the Church of the Holy Apostles dating from the second century. Inside can be seen post-bazantinos fresh and original wall paintings.
The Agora Museum has a collection of objects of day-to-day found in the area. In summer it can be visited on Mondays from 12:00 to 19:00, and Tuesday through Sunday from 8:00 to 19:00.

The tourist season runs from April to October, reaching its peak during the month of August, when the city is full and the temperatures reach up to 40 ° C. Therefore, the best time to visit Athens is in spring or during the month of October when temperatures are more pleasant, ideal for sightseeing on foot.

The best activity in Athens is undoubtedly plunge into the sea of monuments, culture and music. But for those who enjoy golf there are several fields such as Glyfada Golf, among others.

Another option is to visit the Gardens National, a welcoming oasis in the city center which also has a small Botanical Museum with free entry. At night be sure to go through Pnyka, the amphitheater where you can watch the display of several shows nightly light and sound.

To get to know the pulse of the city there is nothing better than to walk across its streets, alleys and squares, and cheap is extremely healthy. If the place to be is a little farther from the city center can opt for the tram, by bus or by the comfort of a taxi.

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