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About Athens
In Athens, some things never change--including tourist magnets like the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Other parts of Athens, however, would be unrecognizable to someone who'd visited a year ago. With a pre-Olympic makeover that added new metro services and miles of pedestrian-friendly streets in 2004, this once-unattractive, congested city has earned a new lease on life. Today, raves dominate after dark, and visitors spend their days exploring the National Archeological Museum or sipping ouzo at sunny cafés.
Athens. The city with the most glorious history in the world, a city worshipped by gods and people, a magical city. The enchanting capital of Greece has always been a birthplace for civilization. It is the city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens and relives through some of the world's most formidable edifices.
For most visitors the highlight of a visit to Athens (Athína in modern Greek) is the stunning vestiges of the ancient, Classical Greek city, most famously represented by the Acropolis and its surrounding archeological sites. Even on a brief visit, however, it is a shame to see Athens purely as the location of ancient sites and museums. Although the neighborhoods may lack the style and monuments of most European capitals, they are worth at least some exploration. The old nineteenth-century quarter of Pláka , in particular, is a delight, with its mix of Turkish, Neoclassical and Greek-island architecture, and an array of intriguing little museums devoted to traditional arts, ceramics and music. Just to its north, the bazaar area, around Athinás and Eólou, retains an almost Middle Eastern atmosphere in its life and trade, while the National Gardens , elegant Kolonáki and the hill of Lykavitós offer respite from the maelstrom. Further afield, but still well within the limits of Greater Athens, are the monasteries of Kessarianí and Dhafní , the latter with Byzantine mosaics the equal of any in Greece.
Whatever the season, whether you have a day, a week, or a month to explore Athens, it is time to be treasured. Athens, rich in culture and contrasts, is a city like no other in the world.
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