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This 12th-century monastery sits on fragrant, wooded slopes just outside Athens. Most of its surviving frescoes are from the 16th and 17th centuries, and its rushing spring waters are said to cure infertility. (see Kesariani)

Athens’ massive cathedral of 1862 was the first major church built after Greece’s independence. It became the seat of the archbishop and hence of modern Greek orthodoxy. Though its colourful frescoes and pricey ecclesiastical objects are certainly impressive, its architecture is less so. Mitropoli’s importance is almost entirely spriritual, as the central point for the Greek Orthodox Church. (see Mitropoli)

This was once the greatest monastery of the area, this is the church from which the Monistiraki neighbourhood takes its name. “Little monastery” was so named after the destruction of its many surrounding buildings during 19th-century archaeological digs. The church is due to reopen in early 2006. (see Plateia Monastiraki)

The museum, not yet completed, is being built over a late-Roman and early Byzantine settlement. The site is packed with houses and at least one fountain and reservoir, rare in the parched city. A walkway through the site and glass floors in the museum will allow visitors to see all angles of it, a fascinating juxtaposition to the earlier archaeological finds within the museum. (see New Acropolis Museum)

Dwarfed by the bulk of Mitropoli, tiny Panagia Gorgoepikoos (Mikri Mitropoli, “little Mitropoli”) actually far outshadows its vast neighbour in historic and artistic importance. It was built in the 12th century, on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to goddess Eileithyia. Its walls are built entirely of Roman and Byzantine marble relics, sculpted with reliefs depicting the ancient calendar of feasts. (see Mitropoli)

One of the most interestingly layered sites. Buildings and remains include the ingenious Tower of the Winds from 50 BC, the first-century AD Roman forum, and a mosque built by the Ottomans. (see Roman Forum & Tower of the Winds)

The colossal temple to Zeus was commissioned in 515 BC and took nearly 700 years to complete, during which time many other buildings – temples, baths and a law court – sprang up around it. (see Temple of Olympian Zeus)

The great marble shrine to the sea god, situated on Cape Sounio’s peak and surrounded by the Aegean Sea, is among the most stunning sights in all of Greece. It was built in the 5th century BC. British poet Lord Byron was one of many who fell under its spell 2,400 years later, composing poetry in its honour and carving his name on a pillar. Come at sunset, just before it closes, for a spectacular and unforgettable view.