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Next to the parched Acropolis rock, pine-and-cypress-clad Filopappos Hill offers a cool, green place to stroll. The peak is marked by the tomb and monument of Roman senator and philhellene Gaius Julius Antiochus Filopappos, and distinguished by sweeping views from the Acropolis to the sea. In summer, the Dora Stratou Dance Troupe puts on nightly performances of Greek folk dances in a theatre nestled among the pines. (see Filopappos Hill)

This is an outpost of the Museum of Greek Folk Art (see Museum of Greek Folk Art), housed in an 18th-century mosque. The museum’s extensive collection includes rich, colourful ceramics, sculpture and decorative folk objects from all over Greece and Asia Minor. Most of the exhibits are made from terracotta or the gleaming faïence that was favoured by the ancient Minoans.

A new, well-run museum of over 3,000 works of top post-war Greek and European artists.

Here, a wealthy, overdeveloped beach-resort and flashy night-life vibe prevails. There are plenty of designer shops and expensive cafés to sit in while sporting new purchases by day, and trendy summer clubs to dance in by night.

Roman Emperor Hadrian built this sumptuous “library” (really more of a luxurious forum) in AD 131. It had a courtyard, mosaic floors, concert areas, and a small area for storing library scrolls, all surrounded by extra-fancy Corinthian columns. Following extensive excavation and restoration, part of the site is now open to the public. (see Hadrian’s Library)

Housed in a 1960s building by the harbour, this exhibition opens with a map of Odysseus’s voyage across the Mediterranean. It then traces the history of Greek naval trading, with models of ships ranging from the 5th-century BC trireme to modern tankers (Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world). Naval warfare is covered by massive oil paintings of historic sea battles against the Turks, plus red flags bearing the star and crescent captured from them.

Lovely Hydra town, its cobbled paths winding among old mansions clustered around the clear-watered harbour, is one of Greece’s most beautiful spots. Its popularity as a celebrity getaway and movie backdrop hasn’t dampened its charm.

The collection’s 15,000 items tell the story of Jews in Greece.

The formal name of this stadium is the Panathenaic, but it’s more commonly known as Kallimarmaro, meaning “beautiful marble”. Built in 330 BC for the Panathenaic games, it later fell into disuse. In 1895, George Averoff had it restored with fine Pentelic marble, and it hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896. In 2004, it provided the final circuit for the Olympic Marathon and also hosted the archery competition. (see Kallimarmaro Stadium)