DK Travel : Athens : Places of interest

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Kanellopoulos Museum

A miscellany of high-quality antiquities from a family collection, housed in a Neo-Classical mansion.
Kapnikarea

One of Athens’ greatest pleasures is walking down a crowded street and suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with a tiny, centuries-old monument in the midst of all the modernity.. The beautiful 10th-century church known as Kapnikarea, smack in the middle of the shopping street of Ermou, provides just such a moment. Built over the ruins of an ancient temple to a goddess, the church kept the theme, with its dedication to the Virgin.
Kastella

Built into the hillside of Profitis Ilias, which overlooks Mikrolimano, this picturesque residential quarter is filled with pastel-coloured Neo-Classical houses, built between 1834 and 1900, and a labyrinth of steep streets and stairways. There’s a village atmosphere here, making it a great area to explore on foot. The highest point is crowned by the church of Profitis Ilias and the Bowling Centre Café (see Bowling Centre Café), which offers spectacular views of Athens, while nearby the small open-air Veakeio Theatre is used for staging delightful summer performances.
Kerameikos

A green oasis in the middle of factories and hardware markets, this is the site of the oldest and largest burial ground in Attica. This is also the outer wall of the ancient city, and running through it is the Sacred Way. Outside the site, the road continues, still incongruously named Sacred Way despite its congested traffic and empty warehouses. (see Kerameikos)
Kythnos

Mostly barren and much less picturesque than the other Cyclades, Kythnos does have one thing going for it: healing thermal springs that are said to be the best in all the Aegean.
Lake Vouliagmeni

Bathers come year-round to take the warm, therapeutic waters of Lake Vouliagmeni, a large thermal spring that maintains a steady temperature of 22–25°C (70–77°F). The source of the clear, half-fresh, half-salt waters is still unknown, but devotees say there’s no doubt about their healing properties. It’s a great place to swim, especially on cold winter mornings, flanked by a high rock face on one side and trees on the other.
Lalaounis Museum

Jeweller Ilias Lalaounis showcases his gold creations.
Lykavittos Hill

Steep Lykavittos Hill juts high out of Kolonaki, and the church at its peak is visible for miles around. Every summer, the Lykavittos Festival hosts a variety of top musicians from around the world in the theatre close to the church; there’s nothing like watching Bob Dylan or Guru with the sun going down over Athens behind them (see Lykavittos Festival (Jun–Sep)). A smart caférestaurant nestles below the church. If you are very, very ambitious, walk up – otherwise, take the funicular from Aristipou.
Marathonas

In 490 BC, the Marathon plain was the site of one of history’s most important battles. There, an army of 10,000 Greeks and Plataeans defeated 25,000 Persians, preserving the newly founded first democracy. A tomb to the 192 Greek soldiers who fell (in comparison to 6,000 Persians) still stands here. After the victory, Pheidippidis ran the 42 km (26 miles) to Athens to announce the outcome, then collapsed dead on the spot. A museum here displays finds from the area.
Mikrolimano

Best known for its excellent fish restaurants with open-air waterside terraces, this delightful small, circular bay is built on a human scale. The ancients, who kept their ships here, believed it was protected by the goddess Munichia Artemis, and initially named it after her. The Turkish navy used it too, which is why it is still sometimes known as Tourkolimano (Turkish harbour). Today it is filled with the small wooden boats of local fishermen, who supply the surrounding restaurants from their daily catch.