Places To Visit In Athens

The places to visit in Athens are so many that it is difficult to pick few of them and put them in a list. However, here are the Athens points of interests that one should never miss.

1. The Acropolis and the Parthenon

It is difficult to step foot in Athens and not be charmed by the looming figure of the Parthenon amidst the Acropolis, rising above the city in the distance. It is by far the best and most visited Athens tourist destination. Built, battered and rebuilt multiple times since its inception in the Neolithic times, the capital of ancient Greece now stands as a remnant of a lavish and scattered ancient metropolis. The Acropolis is centered by the architectural and mythical marvel Parthenon, the Doric temple for the city’s patron goddess Athena.

2. National Archaeology Museum

The National Archaeological Museum is the flagship museum of Greece and a must-visit Athens tourist attraction. Housed within a neoclassical building in the center of the city, the Museum takes you on a journey from the earliest Neolithic period including Cycladic and Mycenaean periods up to the classical era of Athens. Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Greek – there are old artifacts from every style of art. This museum is often visited along with the Byzantine Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Numismatics Museum. Each of them is unique Athens destinations in their own way.

3. Olympieion, the Temple of Zeus

Dedicated to the King of the Greek Gods and the God of Thunder, the Olympieion is the largest ancient temple in Greece. Though it often gets eclipsed by the popularity and grandeur of the Parthenon, Olympieion is certainly among the best Athens places to visit. Out of the hundred enormous columns that Emperor Hadrian had built, befitting the stature of the God himself, only 15 stands at present. But it is still enough to get a glimpse of the original grandeur of the structure.

4. The ancient Agora

The ancient Agora is an extensive arena, meant for trade and public gathering of the bygone times. The 18-metre long seat of the Archon Basileus is a central attraction, upon which the ruler sat and sentenced. This might have been the spot for Socrates’ trial in 399 BC. The temple of Hephaistos and the Church of the Holy Apostles are illustrious structures in the neighborhood. The younger Roman Agora also lies adjacent to it – another of the best places to visit in Athens, Greece.

5. The Temple of Poseidon

Facing the brilliant blue of the Aegean Sea at the Cape Sounion, the temple of the Greek God of Sea Poseidon is a unique addition to the sightseeing tours in Athens. It is not exactly in Athens but an hour’s drive away, but the effort is worth it. The eerie ambience of the big white columns on the jagged shoreline gives a desolate sense of melancholy amidst the grandeur.