| Travelers who expect to be greeted by lone | | | | just northeast of Athens and the ancient |
| standing relics of ancient Greece will be awestruck | | | | Mycenaean excavation site at Velatouri is to the |
| by the sprawling urban metropolis of today's | | | | south, boasting the unearthed Thorikos theatre. |
| Athens. The capital city is an explorer's paradise | | | | While the Grecian period is omnipresent, Greece |
| as historic gems are embedded within the modern | | | | has fascinating Turkish and Persian cultural |
| day melee and cultural nuances of a turbulent | | | | influences as a result of many wars and |
| past are written between the lines of concrete | | | | takeovers until the collapse of the Ottoman |
| and the sparkling blue Aegean Sea. Everywhere in | | | | Empire in the 20th century. |
| Athens is a testament to why this mythic | | | | Club Hopping or Island Hopping? |
| peninsula is considered the cradle of Western | | | | In the spring and summer evenings, enjoy the |
| civilization and modern democracy. | | | | cafés and restaurants as they begin to spill |
| Of particular interest, Athens received a much | | | | into the streets and squares. Greece, and |
| needed facelift in preparation for the 2004 | | | | particularly Athens, is notorious for its boisterous |
| Olympics. Notorious for its nefos (smog) resulting | | | | and tireless nightlife. The Port of Piraeus comes to |
| from rapid growth and congestion following World | | | | life as many vacationers head out for their island |
| War II and the Cold War, Athens realized the | | | | excursions from this historic cove. Athens is the |
| need to clean up its act when it became clear | | | | perfect place to become immersed in Greek |
| that historic monuments were eroding at an | | | | culture and life before taking a ferry ride to one |
| alarming rate due to acid rain from air pollution. | | | | of the surrounding tranquil, historic or party islands |
| Due to this Olympic makeover, it is extremely | | | | - the choice is yours. The port itself is also of |
| easy to navigate around the well marked streets | | | | particular historic interest. One of the oldest in the |
| in English and Greek and transportation has never | | | | world, the port was heavily used during the |
| been more streamlined. | | | | Peloponnesian Wars in the 4th century BC and |
| Mythological Mythos | | | | remnants of the long Themistoclean Walls, which |
| Ancient Greece reached its societal peak in the | | | | fortified the port and Athens together during this |
| 1st century BC when magnificent monuments like | | | | time period, still survive today. |
| the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike | | | | A trip to Athens is not only a journey of history, |
| were constructed on the fortified Acropolis and | | | | but one of modernity and progress. After |
| Socrates and Plato developed their Western | | | | Greece's golden age, Athens' grandeur was |
| thinking schools of thought. While most of the | | | | squandered to nearly nothing by invaders and the |
| major attractions from the time period are in the | | | | sweeping tides of history. Today, the free and |
| center of the city, travel in the outskirts of | | | | booming capital city is again a testament to its |
| Athens will bring encounters with many significant | | | | historic commitment to forward thinking civilization. |
| locations from this time period. Marathon, of the | | | | Experience the rebirth of the foundations of the |
| famous battle (and today's 26.22 mile race), is | | | | western world in Athens! |