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Top Sights and Attractions in Athens
Although Athens houses a plethora of historic sites and attractions, it is beyond doubt the Acropolis that gets the most attention from tourists. In fact, this iconic landmark ranks as the most visited attraction not only in Athens, but in the whole of Greece. Housing the ruins of several famous ancient buildings and temples, the Acropolis Hill commands a view of the entire city and its other places of interest, among them the Ancient Agora, the Plaka district and the National Gardens. One immediately sees that Athens is a city to be explored on foot, with most of the major sights concentrated in a rather small area.
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Tzistarakis Mosque
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Address: 1 Areos, Monastiraki Square
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Sitting on Monastiraki Square, this 1759 mosque has been transformed into a ceramics museum. A plaque topping the entrance states that the the edifice was erected by Mustafa Aga Tsisdarakis, a local official during the Ottoman period. The structure is known by many different names, most notably 'The Mosque of the Lower Fountain', as it used to contain a fountain, 'The Mosque of the Lower Market', and 'The Mosque in Monastiraki Square'.
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Lycabettus Hill
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Among Athens' few absolute must-see spots, this site is a dramatic break from the otherwise rusing metropolis. The hill is an ideal starting point, especially for those on a rush visit to the city, as from here, one can immediately spot and photograph the more significant venues. Once having seen the stately Acropolis and the grandiose Olympic Stadium from above, one can immediately head towards the Mediterranean coast, as the hill is connected with a pedestrian path lined with century-old trees, leading directly to the shore. The Lycabettus, otherwise, is equipped with a scenic open air theatre that sits right at the top; and during the summer months one can often stop by and listen to a concert or view a performance.
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Temple of Olympian Zeus
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Address: Vassilissis Olgas Avenue
Phone: +30 210 922 6330
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The gigantic millennial-old Temple of Zeus, the Olympian God, once housed a gilded ivory sculpture of the most wrathful of all Greek deities. Demolished in the 4th Century, the evocative temple ruin still has its 104 Corinthian columns still erect. Formerly the largest temple in the entire country, more grand than the Parthenon itself, has been reduced to a regular must-see on every tourist's attractions checklist.
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Acropolis
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Address: Dionysiou Areopagitou Street
Phone: +30 210 32 14172
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 see map
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Athens' Acropolis, hovering dramatically over the spread-out city, remains as an iconic landmark of the classical Greek antiquity. The structure was erected some 2,500 years ago, and is comprised of a vast complex of temples, most notably the Parthenon that dedicated to Athena, the patron of the city.
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Agora
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Address: Adrianou Street
Phone: +30 210 3210185
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The Agora, which is the core of Athens’ politics, commerce and administration, also once served as the religious and cultural hub for the ancient city. The court of justice was also once based here. The site bears traces of civilised human activity dating from as early as the Late Neolithic period. During the 6th Century BC, under Solon, the Agora had already been established as a public area.
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Parthenon
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Address: Top of Dionyssiou Areopagitou
Phone: +30 01 321 4172
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Erected during the first half of the 5th Century BC, the Parthenon boasts an elaborate statuary and par excellence Doric order architecture. Built of Pentelic marble, the temple was where the famous sculpture of Athena was held. The timeless masterpiece by Pheidias marked the location where the Great Panathenaea procession ended. The scene runs along all the four sides of the building and includes the figures of gods, beasts and approximately 360 humans. The decoration represents an interesting blend of Doric metopes and Ionic friezes. The cella, being the core part of the structure, is particularly worth seeing.
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National Gardens
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Address: Amalias Avenue
Phone: +30 210 999 20
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The brainchild of Queen Amalia, this park was desighed in accordance with the 19th-century fashion in garden landscaping. The National Gardens, however, still offer a scenic retreat in the core of the bustling city. Equipped with a multitude of strolling paths, trees casting mighty shadows and placid ponds, this stretch of land is the most popular outdoors venue for Athenians.
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Pnyx Hill
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The legendary Pnyx is where, in the 5th Century BC, the Democratic Assembly of Athens gathered to discuss the city's issues. The Assembly of the Demos is now long gone, but the hill remains one of the most scenic and stress-free daily retreats from the bustling metropolis. Now that the iconic orators of the Demos are no longer present, the site has become an amazingly quiet spot, nestled between Philopappos Hill and the Hill of the Nymphs.
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