DK Travel : Athens

Athens is simultaneously known as the Classical, marble-pillared cradle of Western civilization and as a modern urban sprawl of concrete and traffic. Between the extremes lies a kaleidoscopic city, where the influences of East and West entwine in the markets, cafés and tavernas, built upon ancient ruins and rubbing shoulders with gold-leafed Byzantine churches.

1. Acropolis

The crown jewel of Greece, if not all of Europe. Its temples are the most influential buildings in Western architecture. (see Acropolis)
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2. The Agora

Socrates, Aristotle and St Paul all held forth in the marketplace below the Acropolis. This was the heart of the ancient city. (see The Agora)
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3. National Archaeological Museum

The greatest collection of finds from some of the world’s greatest cultures is housed here. Exhibits include the gold treasure of Mycenae and the first sculptures to depict the complexity of the human form. (see National Archaeological Museum)
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4. Museum of Cycladic Art

The world’s largest collection of Cycladic art showcases a matriarchal island culture whose 5,000-year-old icons still inspire artists of the modern world. (see Museum of Cycladic Art)
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5. Roman Forum & Tower of the Winds

The Romans abandoned the ancient Agora and created this orderly new commercial centre. Its showpiece was the magnificent Tower of the Winds, which housed an ingenious water clock. (see Roman Forum & Tower of the Winds)
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6. Benaki Museum

A first-rate collection of Greek art from Neolithic to present times. It is housed in a beautifully renovated Neo-Classical mansion, with an intriguing history and famed rooftop view. (see Benaki Museum)
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7. Kerameikos

Classical Athens’ cemetery gives a fascinating cross-section of life, and death, at the city’s edge, with elaborate tombs, temples, sacred roads – and an ancient brothel. (see Kerameikos)
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8. Byzantine Museum

The rich, complex history of the Byzantine Empire is told through the greatest of its works, from the intricacy of precious metalwork to the solemnity of the many icons. (see Byzantine Museum)
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9. Filopappos Hill

A green-gladed respite in the city centre, with a wonderful view and a mix of monuments that encompass ancient, Byzantine and modern Greek culture. (see Filopappos Hill)
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10. Temple of Olympian Zeus

Ancient Greece’s most colossal temple stands beside the monumental arch that divided Athens between Greek hero Theseus and formidable Roman emperor Hadrian. (see Temple of Olympian Zeus)
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