| Travelers who expect to be greeted by lone | | | | is just northeast of Athens and the ancient |
| standing relics of ancient Greece will be | | | | Mycenaean excavation site at Velatouri is to |
| awestruck by the sprawling urban metropolis | | | | the south, boasting the unearthed Thorikos |
| of today?s Athens. The capital city is an | | | | theatre. While the Grecian period is |
| explorer?s paradise as historic gems are | | | | omnipresent, Greece has fascinating Turkish |
| embedded within the modern day melee and | | | | and Persian cultural influences as a result |
| cultural nuances of a turbulent past are | | | | of many wars and takeovers until the collapse |
| written between the lines of concrete and the | | | | of the Ottoman Empire in the 20th century. |
| sparkling blue Aegean Sea. Everywhere in | | | | |
| Athens is a testament to why this mythic | | | | Club Hopping or Island Hopping? |
| peninsula is considered the cradle of Western | | | | |
| civilization and modern democracy. | | | | In the spring and summer evenings, enjoy the |
| | | | café³ and restaurants as they begin to |
| Of particular interest, Athens received a | | | | spill into the streets and squares. Greece, |
| much needed facelift in preparation for the | | | | and particularly Athens, is notorious for its |
| 2004 Olympics. Notorious for its nefos (smog) | | | | boisterous and tireless nightlife. The Port |
| resulting from rapid growth and congestion | | | | of Piraeus comes to life as many vacationers |
| following World War II and the Cold War, | | | | head out for their island excursions from |
| Athens realized the need to clean up its act | | | | this historic cove. Athens is the perfect |
| when it became clear that historic monuments | | | | place to become immersed in Greek culture and |
| were eroding at an alarming rate due to acid | | | | life before taking a ferry ride to one of the |
| rain from air pollution. Due to this Olympic | | | | surrounding tranquil, historic or party |
| makeover, it is extremely easy to navigate | | | | islands ? the choice is yours. The port |
| around the well marked streets in English and | | | | itself is also of particular historic |
| Greek and transportation has never been more | | | | interest. One of the oldest in the world, the |
| streamlined. | | | | port was heavily used during the |
| | | | Peloponnesian Wars in the 4th century BC and |
| Mythological Mythos | | | | remnants of the long Themistoclean Walls, |
| | | | which fortified the port and Athens together |
| Ancient Greece reached its societal peak in | | | | during this time period, still survive today. |
| the 1st century BC when magnificent monuments | | | | |
| like the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena | | | | A trip to Athens is not only a journey of |
| Nike were constructed on the fortified | | | | history, but one of modernity and progress. |
| Acropolis and Socrates and Plato developed | | | | After Greece?s golden age, Athens? grandeur |
| their Western thinking schools of thought. | | | | was squandered to nearly nothing by invaders |
| While most of the major attractions from the | | | | and the sweeping tides of history. Today, the |
| time period are in the center of the city, | | | | free and booming capital city is again a |
| travel in the outskirts of Athens will bring | | | | testament to its historic commitment to |
| encounters with many significant locations | | | | forward thinking civilization. Experience the |
| from this time period. Marathon, of the | | | | rebirth of the foundations of the western |
| famous battle (and today?s 26.22 mile race), | | | | world in Athens! |