Beautiful Athens - myths, sights and complicated history. The best photos of Athens. Museum of Folk Musical Instruments

Athens from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Athens.

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Athens is not just metropolitan city. It was here that classical Greece was born, and hence Western civilization in general. The first prehistoric settlement arose here around 3000 BC. e. For many centuries, everything happened to Athens, including periods of decline. It is hard to imagine, but in the 1830s, when the city began to revive after the Ottoman oppression as the capital of independent Greece, Athens was just a small provincial village.

Athens includes Old city, central areas, suburbs, as well as the port of Piraeus. Two hills rise in the center: the hill of the Acropolis with the Parthenon and ancient temples and the hill of Lycabettus (Lycabettus) with the picturesque church of St. George on top.

In Athens, you can spend a month exploring in detail all the ancient monuments and ruins, charming neoclassical buildings in the historic center and museums. But if you really decide to do this, keep in mind that even in the very center of the city there are places where you should not go idle. Seriously: the Omonia quarter, filled with immigrants, is better to bypass even in the bright light of day.

How to get to Athens

Transport links connect Athens with Moscow and St. Petersburg. Residents of other regions need to plan a route taking into account a transfer in one of the capitals. Muscovites have two options - plane and bus. In terms of cost, they almost do not differ, but the time spent when traveling by air is much less. Even choosing the cheapest connecting flight, you can cut them in half.

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Districts of Athens

The Greek capital is divided into 7 districts and several dozen quarters and districts. Some of them are interesting from a tourist point of view, others are not remarkable at all, and there are some where it is better not to go at all without special need. Among them is one of the central quarters of Omonia, inhabited by emigrants. It can be unsafe here even during the day.

The most popular area among the guests of the city is the Acropolis. This historical Center, and it is here that the monuments of ancient Greek architecture are located - directly the Acropolis itself, on the territory of which there are the ancient theater of Deonis and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, where concerts, performances and other cultural events are held to this day.

Another famous area of ​​Athens is Plaka. There are several interesting museums here, among which the most notable are the Children's and the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, as well as the chapel with the poetic name Tower of the Winds and the Metropoli Cathedral. In addition, most tourists stop in Plaka. There are hotels of different price categories, although budget options(20-30 EUR per night) a bit. Travelers are attracted by the proximity of the main attractions and the abundance of souvenir shops and shops.

Souvenirs and antiques as a keepsake of the trip can be bought at the market in the Monastiraki area. There is also an ancient mosque and temple. Holy Mother of God. There are several inexpensive hotels in this part of the city (from 20 EUR per night), but in most hotels prices start from 100 EUR per night.

Those who want to look at the city from a height of 200 m should go to the Kolonaki area. You can climb Mount Lycabettus on foot or by funicular. There are plenty of 24 hour shops in this area. entertainment venues, so if you want to get acquainted with the nightlife of the Greek capital, you should look for accommodation here. True, it will cost a lot, because Kolonaki is the most expensive area of ​​​​Athens.

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Transport

Athens public transport system includes metro, trams and buses. The metro operates from 5:00 to midnight and is very convenient for movement: only three lines (it is impossible to get lost), an easy fare (1.40 EUR) and extremely interesting museum stations, stuffed with antiquities found during the laying of lines. In the metro, it is strictly forbidden to litter, drink and eat, not to mention scratching something on the wall. Three tram lines link the center of Athens with southern regions cities. Trams are convenient to use for trips to the coast. Night buses are indispensable when returning from "hot spots" long after midnight.

Tickets to public transport at a cost of 1.40 EUR, valid for 90 minutes without restrictions on transfers. There are also travel cards for 24 hours (4.50 EUR) and 5 days (9 EUR). They are used on all types of transport - buses, trolleybuses, metro and trains. The exception is routes to the airport and the Express X80 line. The fare for them is 4.50 EUR.

There is a special pass for tourists. It costs 22 EUR, includes travel from the airport to the center and back, as well as unlimited travel on all modes of transport for 3 days.

Athens yellow taxis charge EUR 1.20 per landing and EUR 0.60 per km during the day (EUR 1.20 at night). The minimum fare is 3.10 EUR. When landing, be sure to make sure that the driver turns on the meter.

There are more than 70 municipal bicycle rental points near the main attractions, metro stations, parks and squares. The fee (5 EUR) is taken immediately for the whole day of rent, there is no hourly rate. To use transport, you need to buy a plastic card at a kiosk, metro ticket office or cafe and use it to unlock the rack to which the bike is fastened.

Rent a Car

Eternal Athens. A city that impresses with its age and abundance of attractions. A city to be explored on foot. But the abundance of ancient monuments that lurk beyond its borders is simply impossible to see without a car. So car rental in Athens is deservedly popular and in demand, which is not surprising, given the low cost of this service. There are local (Morphis, Imperial Car Rental) and international companies (Avis, Hertz) on the market. An economy class car in the Greek capital will cost only 25-30 EUR per day. And given the Athenian parking lots, it is precisely these “compact cars” that are worth taking.

Communication and Wi-Fi

Arriving in Athens, it is better to immediately take care of always being in touch. Of course, you can not change your SIM card and use services while roaming, but if you have to talk a lot on the phone, calls can cost a pretty penny. In this case, a SIM card from one of the local operators is the best option to save money. You can buy it right at the airport, as well as in the salons and company stores of the city. In total, there are 3 cellular companies in Greece - Vodafone, Wind and Cosmote. Each of them has special offers for tourists - prepaid tariffs with favorable prices for calls abroad. The most interesting for Russians are Frog (Costome) and Q (Wind).

When buying any SIM card in Greece, you need to have an identity document with you.

Points of free wireless access to the Internet in Athens are found everywhere. Along with the usual hotels, cafes and restaurants, Wi-Fi is available in many areas, including main square Syntagma, as well as in the metro, trams, the port of Piraeus and other points of the city.

Athens Spotlighted

The main difference between Athens City Pass Athens Spotlighted and tourist maps others popular destinations- in its cost, more precisely - in its absence. In some cities, the CityCard price can reach up to 200 EUR for 3 days. In Athens, the card is issued to everyone completely free of charge and is valid for 10 days. You can pick up Athens Spotlighted at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (baggage claim and information desk).

The benefits of using the Athens tourist card may not be as great as its paid counterparts. However, it will help you save a lot on vacation. Its owner receives a 50% discount on entrance tickets to the most interesting museums and other cultural institutions of the city. Among them are the National Art Gallery of Athens, the Benaki Museum, the Frissiras Museum, the Automobile Museum and many others. In addition, you can visit performances, concerts and other events of the National Theater of Greece and National Opera with a discount of 15 to 20%. More than 15 cafes and restaurants will reduce the bill by 20% upon presentation of the Athens Spotlighted. The same promotion is valid in several dozen grocery, souvenir shops, as well as in clothing, footwear and accessories stores. Read more about the companies participating in the program at the office. website.

Athens Hotels

The peak tourist season in Athens is July-August. At this time, it is not easy to find a hotel room, and prices skyrocket. It is better to take care of housing in advance - a chance to catch a good option for normal money will be higher. Budget housing is presented not big amount hostels and hotels 2 *. Prices are about the same - 20–50 EUR per room. No frills, just the essentials.

a little better service in three star hotels. Although they are also more suitable for those who come to the hotel only to sleep. Sometimes breakfast is included in the price, most often - Buffet. A room will cost 50–100 EUR per night, depending on the area.

Those who want to live in the center by all means should pay attention to the areas of Plaka and Monastiraki. There are several inexpensive hostels and hotels.

The elite number of rooms is represented by 4 and 5 * hotels. The level of service differs slightly, but the price range is quite large. If a room in the first one costs from 70 to 150 EUR, then in the most luxurious hotels in the city prices reach up to 400 EUR per night.

shopping

Athens - large modern metropolis. Old antique gizmos here coexist perfectly next to the products of the most fashionable designers and quite democratic brands of clothes, shoes and accessories.

For clothes and shoes of well-known, but inexpensive brands, you should go to Ermou Street - the largest shopping street in the Greek capital. From the middle to the very end, Zara, Morgan, Benneton, Marks & Spencer and others are crowded on both sides. More expensive luxury brands are presented at the beginning. The most luxurious shopping areas are Kolonaki, Kifisia and Glyfada. Going to one of them, get ready to part with a large sum.

At affordable prices, you can shop on the street. Patission (clothes, shoes and accessories), in the Plaka area (jewelry, souvenirs and antiques) and st. Monastiraki (handmade clothes and shoes, accessories, traditional tools). The latter has a flea market every Sunday. Among the heaps of useless trinkets, there are interesting and original gizmos, including inexpensive Greek souvenirs - ceramics, bedding, carpets, copies of museum exhibits and busts of ancient Greek thinkers.

For economical shopaholics, it is better to plan a vacation for the second half of summer. From mid-July to the end of August, sales are held in Athens, prices drop by 50-80%. However, even at this time, the famous Greek furs cost a lot here, it is better to go to other parts of the country for a fur coat.

Cuisine and restaurants of Athens

The national cuisine of Greece is traditionally associated with a large number of vegetables and seafood, olives, soft feta cheese and a variety of herbs and spices. In any institution in Athens, you can find dishes such as “tiropeta” (cheese cake), “moussaka” (a layered dish of eggplant, potatoes and minced meat), “dolmatesdolma” (stuffed cabbage rolls in grape leaves), “tzatziki” (thick sauce made from fresh cucumber, yogurt and garlic) and, of course, grilled squid, fish, shrimp and octopus.

For filling traditional Greek dishes olive oil and lemon juice are often used to enhance the flavor of fish and seafood.

Where do you go to try it all? It all depends on the budget. For those who are planning on spending 100 EUR per dinner per person, there are several authentic Michelin-starred restaurants in the capital. Luxurious interiors and gourmet dishes that look more like works of art, and the taste is beyond praise.

However, the city is full of establishments with much more affordable prices for the average tourist. In coastal taverns and small restaurants in the city center, you can taste traditional Greek cuisine, paying no more than 50 EUR for lunch for two, and if you go to the outskirts or to the Plaka area, this amount will decrease to 30 EUR.

For those who do not want to spend more than 5–15 EUR on lunch, Athens has inexpensive eateries and cafes “tiropitadiko”. The former serve kebabs with pita and lemon, the visiting card of the latter is puff pies with cheese, spinach and other fillings.

The best photos of Athens

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The Odeone of Herodes Atticus still hosts classical music concerts and theatrical performances.

You can get into the auditorium of the ancient theater only during events by purchasing a ticket.

Traces of an ancient civilization can be found not only on the hill of the Acropolis. At its foot, on the former market square of the capital of Hellas, rises the temple of Hephaestus, the god of fire. This building is located on Agora Square, and, despite its impressive age, it has been well preserved.

The most popular area among tourists after the Acropolis - Old city Plaka. central part Athens is limited by the triangle formed by the squares of Omonia (Concord Square), Syntagma (Constitution Square) and Monastiraki. On Constitution Square, the majestic Parliament building with a guard of honor at the tomb of the unknown Soldier attracts attention. To the right of the Parliament building is the luxurious royal park "Zappio", behind which are the ruins of the temple of Olympian Zeus and the famous Arch of Hadrian.

The Byzantine Museum - the best collection of icons and mosaics in Europe, the Benaki Museum is famous for its rich collection of ancient Greek and Byzantine art, as well as displays of Chinese porcelain, oriental jewelry and weapons. Not far from it is the National Art Gallery - a two-story building that displays the work of Greek artists from the 14th century to the present day.

No vacation is enough to see all the expositions of the Athenian museums. We advise you to study the information in advance and choose the most interesting for yourself.

The Archaeological Museum of the Athenian Agora, located in the northeastern part of the city, is interesting because most of its exhibits are associated with the oldest Athenian democracy in the world. In particular, it is here that ostraki are stored - clay shards that the Athenians used to vote. In the museum natural history Goulandris you can get acquainted with the Greek flora and fauna. The exposition presents rare endangered species of plants.

To get to know the country and its inhabitants from a different, musical side, head to the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments. The collection contains more than 1200 exhibits, the oldest of which dates back to the 18th century. Only half of them are exhibited in the halls, but there is an opportunity to hear the sound of each.

5 things to do in Athens

1. Feel like an ancient Greek, walking from one ancient temple of the Acropolis to another.
2. Feel the contrast of antiquity and modernity, going straight from the Temple of Hephaestus to a trendy restaurant.
3. Try real olives and feta cheese.
4. Climb Lycabettus on foot.
5. Go to a performance in an ancient theatre.

Athens for kids

Even in such a monumental and majestic ancient city as Athens, there is a place for childish spontaneity and curiosity. The first thing to do is to visit the Children's Museum located in the city center. Thematic classes and master classes are regularly held here - culinary, creative, theatrical, as well as games for the development of logic and attention. The exhibition presents works by young artists from 4 to 12 years old, after viewing which you can visit your grandparents (a separate room where the interior and atmosphere of an old Greek house are recreated) or the library.

For fun, head to Allou Fun Park, the best amusement park in Greece. On a solid square there are attractions for the whole family - from small carousels for kids to extreme roller coasters and big wheel reviews.

It is better to spend the second half of the day on a trip to the park - it is closed in the morning.

When everything has already been studied in the center of Athens, you can visit the suburbs. In the northwest, not far from the coast, is the water park Copa Copana (off. site in English. mouth

September

October

november

December

People go to Athens not only for a beach holiday, the tourist season here does not stop all year round. The climate of Greece is classic continental, so snow rarely falls. In winter, heavy showers are possible, but infrequently, this time is great for sightseeing tours.

In April, it is already warm here, but you can’t swim yet. There are not many people, you can safely walk and take pictures. bathing season starts in June and lasts until mid-October. The peak of tourist activity falls on three summer months. At the same time, daytime temperatures, along with housing prices, soar. For those who do not tolerate the heat, there is a velvet season that starts in mid-September. The weather is comfortable, and the beaches become much freer.

Memo to a tourist in Athens

(helpful information)

BEST TIME TO TRIP

If you're wondering when is the best time to visit Athens to see as much as possible, our answer is any time of the year. The tourist season lasts from April to October, the peak season is in August. Perhaps the best months to visit Greece are April, May, June, September, October and November. We advise you to think seriously about winter holidays in Greece. IN winter time you can enjoy both Athens and the whole country without any interference and, most importantly, outside the main tourist flow.

Greek National Tourism Organization (G.N.T.O.) in Russia
Representation in Russia and CIS countries:
115127, Moscow, Spiridonovka 14
Tel.: +7 495 539 38 70
Email: [email protected]

More information about Athens

RAILWAY STATIONS
There are two train stations in Athens: Statmos Larissa (Larissa train station - northbound trains) and Statmos Peloponnisou (Peloponnese station - southbound O.S.E trains and buses).
STATMOS LARISSIS: You can get to it by trolley bus number 1 from the street. Venizelu (Panepistimiou/Panepistimiou)
STATHMOS TO THE PELOPONNISE: You can get to it by bus number 057 from the street. Venizelu (Panepistimiou / Panepistimiou) - from 05.30 to 23.30 every 15 minutes.

DAY TOURS FROM ATHENS
For information about all travel agencies in Athens, you can contact Association of Greek Travel and Tourism Agents: st. Joseph Rogon (losif Rogon), 11.
Athens is literally in the ring of archaeological sites and beautiful islands which you can visit within one day. You have an unusually wide selection of day trips and cruises, such as the following: ().

Some details about Greece

POSTAL SERVICES IN ATHENS
The signs by which you can tell the post offices are bright yellow, as are the mailboxes. All post offices Athens are open Monday to Friday from 07.30 to 14.00, except for the following four:
1. St. Metropoleos, Syntagma

2. St. Aiolou, 100, Omonia
Opening hours: in weekdays: 07.30-20.00; Sat: 07.30-14.00; Sun: 09.00-13.00
3. Pl. Metropoleos (Metropoleos)
Opening hours: weekdays: 07.30-20.00; Sat: 07.30-14.00; on Sun. closed.
4. East. airport
Opening hours: Mon.-Sat.: 07.30-20.00; Sun. and holidays: 09.00-18.00.
You can also use vending machines, vending machines, and mailboxes located at the entrance to the central post offices. Please note that packages sent abroad must be presented to the postal clerk uncovered. Wrapping paper, special lined envelopes and cardboard boxes are available from the post office.

TELEPHONE IN GREECE
To call in Greece, use its dialing code - 30.
+7 or 8 (without plus) 10 30 (hereinafter referred to as the city code or mobile operator code and the subscriber number itself).

The history of Athens is the history of Western civilization, its origins and its very essence. Everything was invented here: democracy, theater, the foundations of law, philosophy and oratory. The city has been standing on the fertile land of Attica for 9 thousand years, no cataclysms and wars could shake its foundations.

In the ancient heart of Athens - the sacred Acropolis, there are still pagan temples dedicated to the mighty Zeus, the wise Athena and the mighty Hephaestus. Stone stages of ancient theaters still remember the first tragedies of Euripides. The marble steps of the Panathinaikos Stadium are still ready to receive dexterous athletes today.

For thousands of years, Athens flourished, fell into decay, were devastated and revived again. But the city was able to maintain its status as the progenitor and source in which our entire culture was born.

The best hotels and hostels at affordable prices.

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What to see and where to go in Athens?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

The Acropolis is the heart of Athens, the ancient city where civilization was born thousands of years ago, which gave rise to everything modern Western world. IN architectural ensemble The Acropolis includes buildings from the pre-Hellenistic, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods in the history of Athens. Of greatest interest are the partially preserved walls and columns of ancient temples and theaters. The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most valuable objects cultural heritage of mankind.

Greek temple dedicated to the patroness of the city - the goddess Athena. The majestic building was built in the 5th century BC. during the heyday of the city of Athens under the ruler Pericles. The names of the architects of the temple have survived to this day. It is believed that the masters Kallikrat and Iktin worked on the construction, and the great Phidias worked on the sculptural design. The interior of the Parthenon was opulent and pompous, and the facade was painted in different colors.

Temple of the 5th century BC, belonging to the Classical era of Greek history. It was erected at the behest of the Athenian ruler Pericles, an outstanding commander and talented politician. The roof of the building is fortified on orderly rows of Doric marble columns, the friezes are made in compliance with the canons of the Ionic style. Interestingly, from the 7th century AD. and until the beginning of the 19th century, the Orthodox Church of St. George was located in the temple of Hephaestus.

According to ancient legend, the Erechtheion was built on the site of a dispute between Athena and Poseidon, during which the gods did not share power over Attica. The temple was erected at the end of the 5th century BC. in the Ionic style, the name of the architect was lost in the thickness of the centuries. The well-preserved portico of the Caryatids, which was added to the temple later. It is a series of female sculptures-columns supporting the roof. Authorship is attributed to the sculptor Callimachus (according to another version - Alkamen).

Stone theater, located on the southern slopes of the Acropolis. The odeon was erected in the middle of the 2nd century BC. It was used to organize theatrical performances and musical performances. The Odeon is perfectly preserved and moreover, it is used for its intended purpose in our days. After reconstruction in the middle of the 20th century, the stage began to host the annual Athens Festival. Over the past time, the best voices of the world stage performed at it.

The grandiose construction of the temple began in the 6th century BC. under the tyrant Pisistratus, but after his overthrow the building stood unfinished for another six centuries. The work was completed under the Roman Emperor Hadrian. In the III century AD. during the sack of Athens, the temple was seriously damaged, and in the 5th century it was completely closed by order of Theodosius II. The final destruction of the temple of Olympian Zeus occurred with the decline of the Byzantine Empire. The remains of the building were discovered during excavations of the 19th century.

An octagonal building made of Pentelicon marble, located on the territory of the Roman Agora. According to one version, it is believed that the tower was built in the 1st century BC. astronomer Andronicus of Kirr. The structure reaches a height of 12 meters, a width of about 8 meters. In ancient times, a weather vane was installed on the top, which indicated where the wind was blowing. The walls of the tower are decorated with images of eight Greek deities who are responsible for the direction of the wind.

The theater is located in the southeastern part of the Acropolis, it was built in the 5th century BC, and is the oldest theater in Athens. The works of Euripides, Aristophanes, Sophocles and Aeschylus were staged on the stage. In the 1st century BC. under the emperor Nero, a large-scale reconstruction of the theater was carried out. The scene fell into disrepair by the 4th century AD. and was gradually abandoned. Today, a large-scale theater restoration project is being carried out.

The ancient city cemetery, where the most worthy representatives of Athens were buried until the 4th century. This place has been used as a necropolis since the Bronze Age. Famous military leaders, statesmen and philosophers are buried here, including Pericles, Cleisthenes, Solon, Chrysippus and Zeno. There are many tombstones of the Antique period, tombstone columns and sculptures in the cemetery.

Covered two-story colonnade, built in the 2nd century BC. The structure was built by order of the Pergamum king Atalla, who in his youth was trained in Athens (for young descendants royal families Mediterranean this was a common practice at the time). In ancient times, standing served as a place for the townspeople to walk. From here it was possible to observe the square and streets of Athens, as well as various festive processions.

An ancient stadium made entirely of Pentelicon marble. On its territory, the Panathenaic Games were held - a great sports and religious festival, where athletes performed, festive processions took place and ritual sacrifices were made. At the end of the 19th century, the revived Olympic Games were held at the Panathinaikos Stadium.

The modern building of the museum was created in 2009 according to a joint project of Greek and Swiss specialists. The collection is made up of artifacts belonging to different periods of the history of Athens. Funds were mainly replenished by archaeological sites on the territory of the Acropolis. The new Acropolis Museum became the heir to the old collection of antiquities, which had existed since the middle of the 19th century.

Private collection, which was founded in 1930 by A. Benakis on the territory of his family mansion. The owner collected the collection for 35 years and handed it over to the state. Antonis himself served as head of the museum until his death. The exposition consists of works of Greek art. Ceramics, textiles, engravings, sculptures, jewelry and church utensils are exhibited here. Also in the museum there are several paintings by El Greco.

The museum is the largest collection of objects of ancient Greek culture. The archaeological collection was founded at the beginning of the 19th century; in 1889, a separate neoclassical building was erected for it. The museum exposition is divided into several collections, which include collections of the prehistoric period, Cycladic art, Mycenaean art, Egyptian art and many others.

The exposition was founded in 1986 on the basis of a frequent collection of the influential Greek Goulandris family. Before the transfer of the collection to the hands of the state, it visited many world exhibitions. The museum building was designed by V. Ioannis. The collection is divided into three parts: Bronze Age, Ancient Greek Art, Art of Ancient Cyprus. It should be noted that the museum contains the most complete collection of artifacts of Cypriot culture.

The museum has a collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art spanning 15 centuries. An impressive collection of valuable icons is kept here. The museum was opened in 1914, in 1930 it moved to the former villa of the Duchess of Piacenza. In addition to icons, the museum funds contain statues, church vestments, ceramics, engravings, manuscripts, mosaics, dishes and much more.

The ship-museum, moored to the eternal parking lot in the harbor of Palio Faliro. The ship was built at the beginning of the 20th century in Livorno for the needs of the Italian army, but due to economic difficulties it was sold to Greece. The cruiser took part in the First Balkan War, during the First and Second World Wars, it was captured first by the French and then by the British. In the 50s. the ship was put into reserve. In 1984, it was decided to turn the ship into a museum.

The Academy of Sciences is the main public research institution in Greece. The main building of the building in which it is located was designed by F. von Hansen in 1887. The building is a real masterpiece of neoclassical architectural style. In front of the facade there are sculptures of the thinkers Plato and Socrates, as well as statues of the ancient Greek gods - Athena and Apollo.

The square is located in the modern center of Athens. The place has acquired importance in the 19th century, becoming the center of the commercial life of the city. On the square is the Royal Palace of the mid-19th century, built according to the project of F. von Gaertner. Now the Greek parliament sits there. Syntagma Square is constantly becoming the epicenter of public unrest. Protests, strikes and other mass actions of disobedience often take place here.

The guard of honor is on duty at the walls of the Royal Palace on Syntagma Square. This is a rather unusual and even funny spectacle, unlike similar ceremonies in other countries. It's all about the unusual uniform of the Greek soldiers, which consists of tunics, skirts, white tights and slippers with pom-poms, as well as non-standard marching during the changing of the guard. This spectacle always attracts a large number of tourists.

One of the oldest Orthodox churches Athens. The temple was erected on the ruins of a pagan sanctuary dedicated to a female deity. The first Christian churches began to appear in the city at the dawn of the Byzantine era, when the city fell into decay, and the new faith almost completely replaced the pagan cults. The Church of Panagia Kapnikarei is built in a typical Byzantine manner, characterized by round domed towers.

The monastery is located 11 km. from Athens next to the Daphne Grove. It was founded in the 6th century on the site of the ruined temple of Apollo and eventually became one of the most revered shrines in Greece. The original appearance of the monastery has practically not been preserved; a building of the 11th century, the heyday of the Byzantine Empire, has survived to this day. In the XIII century, Catholic monks settled in the monastery for a while, but in 1458 the entire complex of buildings was returned to the Orthodox Church.

A hill in the northeastern part of Athens, which is the highest point in the city. It offers panoramic views of the Acropolis and Piraeus port. The hill has two peaks, on one of them there is a church, on the other - a modern theater with an open stage. You can get to the top in three ways: climb the equipped pedestrian road, use the funicular or drive by car.

The hill on which ancient times The highest court of Athens, the Areopagus, met. The name, apparently, comes from the name of the god of war Ares. Until the 5th century BC. The Areopagus served as the city council of elders, but from 462 BC. this body was deprived of political functions and empowered to administer civil and criminal courts. The apostle Paul also preached on the hill.

City hill with a monument on top, erected in honor of the Roman Gaius Julius Philopappus, who more than once helped Athens with money. Since the 2nd century, the place has been better known as Philopappos Hill, previously it was named after the ancient Greek philosopher, poet and musician Musaios (translated as “Muses”). Located on the slopes of the hill natural Park without infrastructure.

The old district of Athens, built up mainly with houses of the XVIII century. Almost all buildings stand on antique foundations. On the territory of Plaka there is the oldest street of the city, which has retained its direction since ancient Greece. A large number of former residential buildings have been converted into museums, souvenir shops and cafes, as residents moved en masse from Plaka in the 19th century.

The city market, located in the district of the same name, is one of the most popular marketplaces in Athens. Monastiraki belongs to the category of flea markets. It sells a lot of unnecessary things, homemade shoes, antiques, coins, furniture and other collectible antiquities. In the market, you can look at the unique exposition of Greek life of the past centuries.

A unique quarter in the ancient area of ​​Plaka, which is adjacent to the Acropolis. The winding and slightly crooked streets of Anafiotika are built up with typical white Mediterranean houses. The area was formed as a result of the resettlement of builders from the island of Anafi to Athens. They arrived in the capital on the call of the Greek king Otto in order to build a palace on his special order.

A 16 hectare park located in the heart of Athens. Five hundred species of various plants grow on its territory. Every third tree is over 100 years old. Within National Garden ancient Greek ruins have been preserved - the remains of walls, columns and fragments of mosaics. The garden was created in the 19th century by the will of Queen Amalia. At first, vegetables and fruits for the royal cuisine were grown in it. Now the former garden has turned into a green oasis in the middle of a stone city.

A modern berth for yachts, designed for the simultaneous parking of 200 ships. An excellent infrastructure for tourists has been created on the marina embankment: luxury boutiques, restaurants, a picturesque promenade. On the piers you can admire the luxurious yachts under the flags of different countries, as well as, if you wish, take a refreshing boat trip along the coast.

Age of Athens - two and a half thousand years. The glorious past of the city is now clearly visible: literally from everywhere you can see the ancient Acropolis, towering over the city. Today Athens is a modern metropolis with a population of about four million people. In the twenty-first century, this great city has changed. This was partly due to the 2004 Olympic Games. Now Athens is something more than a repository of antiquities. The city has changed a lot and, contrary to ideas about it as a city with a polluted environment and unbearable traffic, leaves an amazing impression.

The building boom after the end of World War II and the increase in population from 700,000 to 4 million turned into an architectural disaster. However, the face of the city is now changing: new roads, subways are being built, and the expansion pedestrian zone in the city center has already relieved Athens of painful traffic jams and even reduced the cloud of smog that literally poisons the metropolitan atmosphere. The cleaner air is evident in the reopening of the views that Athens was once famous for, and despite the skyscrapers and fast food establishments, the city manages to retain its unique charm and charm.

Oriental bazaars rival fashion boutiques and shops stocked with Armani and Benetton merchandise. The rapid modernization is balanced by the feeling of a homely atmosphere poured into the air: any Greek will tell you that Athens is the most big village in the country. No matter how often you come to Athens, what remains of the classical ancient city will attract your attention - first of all, the Parthenon and other monuments of the Acropolis, as well as the updated one, which presents the best collection of antiquities.

Most of the several million visitors who visit Athens every year limit themselves to visiting these monuments, adding to them only an evening in a romantic setting in one of Plaka's tourist taverns. But in doing so, they miss the chance to see the Athens that the Athenians themselves know and love. Even if you looked into the city for a very short time, this does not justify the desire to see in Athens only a cluster of preserved antiquities and museum exhibits. It would also be worth spending some time getting to know the surroundings of the capital, visiting not far from Athens.

For tourists, the most accessible is probably Plaka - an area in which Turkish, neoclassical and Greek island architecture is mixed. Further along are interesting museums dedicated to traditional arts and crafts, from ceramics to music. A little further north are bazaars, almost the same as in the Middle East, and an additional reward are cafes, bars, clubs in Psirri and the booming, as well as the National Park and shady and elegant. Not so far from Plaka are the hills - Likabet and Philopappou, from which the whole city is visible at a glance, and the tram runs (in the summer it will take you to the beach). All of the above sights can be seen during.

But most of all visitors are surprised in Athens by the bustling life of the city. The cafe is always crowded, during the day and after midnight, the streets are not empty until three or even four in the morning, bars and clubs attract night owls. There is also a place to eat, so much so that it will be remembered for a long time: there are many traditional taverns, and chic restaurants await discerning gourmets. In summer, cafe tables are taken out on street pavements, club life moves to the beaches, or you can go to the cinema, attend concerts and performances based on the works of classical ancient Greek drama under open sky. Shoppers are dizzy: lively colorful bazaars and huge retail spaces in the suburbs, called malls in the American manner, and, of course, boutiques filled with the creations of the most fashionable fashion designers.

And very good - and for the price too - public transport, inexpensive taxis, so you will not have any special difficulties with movement. Describing the suburbs of Athens - they and the region as a whole will be discussed in other articles - here attention is paid, first of all, to the monuments of antiquity. The temple of Poseidon in Sounion is most eagerly visited: that wonderful architectural monument is located on a cliff overlooking a cape. The sanctuaries of Ramne (Ramnus), Eleusis (Elefsina) and Vravron, as well as the burial mound at Marathon, which was poured in honor of the great victory, are not so well known and not so often visited.

lovers hiking, perhaps, wish to make ascents - the mountains took the city in a ring, and it is best to climb Mount Parnitha. If it is in the spring, then at the same time you will pick up an armful of a variety of marvelous forest and wildflowers. The beaches of the Attic coast are good enough to attract city-weary Athenians, but if you're going to the islands, familiarity with the local beaches is optional. Getting out of Athens is easy: dozens of ferries and hydrofoils leave daily from the Athens suburban port of Piraeus, and also, less often, from two more Attic ports with ferry berths - Rafina and Lavrion.

A Brief History of Athens (Greece)

Athens is a city where life began over seven thousand years ago. A low rocky hill, which later became the Acropolis of Athens, has attracted people since ancient times as comfortable spot settlements. It rises in the middle of a valley irrigated by the rivers Kephis and Iliss and surrounded by the mountains Hymettes, Penterikon, Parnet and Egalei. The slopes of the hill, whose height is 156 meters above sea level, are impregnable, and therefore it is natural that all these advantages were duly appreciated by the ancient inhabitants of Attica. The Mycenaeans built a palace-fortress on the rock.

Unlike other Mycenaean settlements, during the Dorian invasion (about 1200 BC), Athens was neither abandoned nor sacked, so the Athenians always prided themselves on being "pure" Ionians, without the Dorian "impurity". But the Mycenaean-type state did not survive in Athens. Gradually, the village turned into a policy (ancient city-state) and a cultural center. The rulers of Athens were the kings - the basilei, who then ceded the power to the tribal nobility - the Eupatrides. People's meetings took place at the Propylae of the Acropolis. To the west rose the rocky hill of Apec, named after the god of war. Here, on a leveled peak, the Areopagus gathered - the council of the elders of the noble families of the city, the Areopagites. Athens in those days remained in the shadow of large and the most powerful policies, such as and .

Athens grew rich, and the increased prosperity contributed to the rapid growth of arts and crafts, especially pottery. But economic growth increased political tensions: the dissatisfaction of farmers and Athenians grew, who were excluded from public life, but paid taxes and filed on land that went to the landed aristocracy. Only the reorganization of society, which was aimed at the laws of Dracon (his "draconian" code was promulgated in 621 BC) and the election of Solon as ruler (594 BC), who was empowered to carry out radical political and economic reforms.

Solon's reforms provided civil rights to the general population and laid the foundations of a system that eventually developed into Athenian democracy. In the middle of the 6th century BC, Peisistratus seized power. Pisistratus is usually called a tyrant, but this only means that he took power by force: his populist policies won him the loyalty and love of many fellow citizens, he turned out to be a very successful ruler, under which Athens became much more powerful, richer and more influential. His sons Hippias and Hipparchus were not so happy: Hipparchus was killed in 514 BC, after which Hippias tried to establish a dictatorship.

He was very disliked by the people and was overthrown with the help of an army called from Sparta in 510 BC. The new leader Cleisthenes carried out more radical transformations: he introduced a government board of 10 strategists, created territorial phyla instead of tribal ones, and each of them sent fifty representatives to the State Council of Bule. Boulet made decisions on issues discussed in the Assembly. All citizens could participate in the Assembly and it performed the functions of both the legislature and the supreme court. The reforms proposed by Cleisthenes formed the basis of Athenian democracy, which lasted almost unchanged until Roman rule.

Around 500 BC, Athens sent a detachment of warriors to Asia Minor to help the Ionian Greeks who rebelled against the Persian Empire, which provoked a retaliatory Persian invasion of Greece. In 490 BC, the Athenians and their allies defeated the vastly superior Persian forces at the Battle of Marathon. In 480 BC, the Persians returned, captured and sacked Athens and left almost the entire city burned to the ground. In the same year, however, the victory in the naval battle at put an end to the struggle of the Greeks with the Persians, at the same time securing the position of the leading city-state in the Greek world for Athens, and Athens was able to unite the cities of the islands of the Aegean Sea and central Greece into the Delian Union, also called Athenian Maritime Union.

The newfound power gave rise to the so-called classical period, during which Athens reaped the fruits of its success and the triumph of democracy along with the flowering of arts, architecture, literature and philosophy, and the influence of this era on world culture palpable to this day. In the second century BC, power passed to the Romans, who revered Athens as a spiritual source, but made little effort to give the city more brilliance.

Christians and Turks in Athens (Greece)

The emergence of Christianity is, perhaps, the most significant milestone in the process of the long decline of Athens, which lost the glory that the city knew in the classical era. At the end of Roman rule, during which the appearance of the city changed little, Athens lost its role as a link in the Greco-Roman world, and the reason for this was the division of the Roman Empire into East and West and the formation of Byzantium (Constantinople) as the capital of the eastern Byzantine Empire. In this empire, the new Christian attitude very soon overshadowed the ethics developed by Athens, although Neoplatonism was still taught in the philosophical schools of the city.

In 529, these lyceums were closed, and Justinian I, who finished with them, ordered at the same time to re-consecrate the city churches, and all of them, including the Parthenon, became Christian churches. Then Athens almost ceases to be mentioned in chronicles and annals, a hint of a revival was outlined only during the reign of foreign rulers and the Middle Ages: as a result of the Fourth Crusade, Athens with the Peloponnese and a large part of the central one fell into the hands of the Franks. The ducal court was on the Acropolis, and for a whole century Athens returned to the mainstream European life. The power of the Franks, however, had almost no one to rely on, except for the provincial aristocracy.

In 1311, the Frankish troops fought the Catalan mercenaries, who had fortified themselves in Thebes, and were driven into the swamp. The Catalans, who organized their own principality, were replaced by the Florentines, and then for a very short time by the Venetians, until the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, appeared in 1456. Athens during the period of Turkish rule was a military settlement with a garrison stationed in it, every now and then (and to considerable damage to the buildings of the classical period) being at the forefront of battles with the Venetians and other Western powers.

Ties with the West were severed, only occasionally French and Italian ambassadors appeared in the Sublime Porte. Occasionally rare travelers or inquisitive painters would visit Athens. During this period, the Greeks enjoyed some degree of self-government, the monasteries of the Jesuits and Capuchins flourished. turned into the residence of the Ottoman ruler, and the Parthenon was turned into a mosque. The areas around the Acropolis returned to the distant past, switched to a partial peasant existence, and the port in Piraeus was forced to be content with servicing a dozen or two fishing boats.

Four hundred years of Ottoman rule ended in 1821, when, together with the inhabitants of dozens of cities in the country, the Athenian Greeks revolted. The rebels occupied the Turkish districts of the lower city - this is the current one - and laid siege to the Acropolis. The Turks retreated, but five years later they returned to re-occupy the Athenian fortifications, the Greek rebels had to withdraw deep into the mainland. When in 1834 the Ottoman garrison left for good, and a new, German, monarchy arose, 5,000 people lived in Athens.

Modern Athens (Greece)

Despite the ancient past and the natural advantages of its location, Athens did not immediately become the capital of modern Greece. This honor initially went to Nafplion in the Peloponnese, the city in which Ioannis Kapodistrias developed plans for the War of Independence, and from where he later led it, and where in 1828 the first meeting of the country's first parliament, the National Assembly, took place. And if I. Kapodistrias had not been killed in 1831, it is quite possible that he would have remained the capital, or maybe it would have been transferred from Nafplion to Corinth or - the cities are better equipped and quite large.

However, after the death of Kapodistrias, the intervention of the Western European "Great Powers" followed, imposing their monarch on the country - Otto, the son of Ludwig I of Bavaria, became him, and in 1834 the capital and the royal court moved to Athens. The rationale for the move was reduced to symbolic and sentimental reasons, because the new capital was of little importance. locality and was on the very edge of the territory of the new state - it had yet to include northern, Macedonia and all the islands, except for those already available and.

In the 19th century, the development of Athens had the character of a gradual and completely manageable process. While archaeologists were ridding the Acropolis of all the architectural layers that the Turks and Franks had adorned it with, the city was gradually being built: the streets intersected at right angles, neoclassical buildings in the Bavarian style appeared. Piraeus managed to turn back into a full-fledged port, because until the beginning of the 19th century it was greatly hindered by competitors - the largest ports of Greece on the islands and. In 1923, at the end of the tragic Greco-Turkish war in Asia Minor, a peace treaty was signed, according to which an “population exchange” took place: the Turks moved to Greece, the Greeks moved to Greece, and nationality was determined solely by religion.

One and a half million Greek Christians from settlements in Asia Minor that existed for many centuries and the Turkic-speaking, but Orthodox population of Anatolia arrived in Greece as refugees. And more than half of this flow settled in Athens, Piraeus and neighboring villages, in one fell swoop changing the face of the capital. The integration of the new settlers and their efforts to survive constituted one of the greatest pages in the history of the city, and this phenomenon itself left deep traces that are visible to this day. The names of the districts located on both sides of the metro line connecting Athens with Piraeus testify to the longing experienced by the new settlers for the forever lost homeland: Nea Zmirni (New Smyrna), Nea Yonia, Nea Philadelphia - similar names are common for city blocks and streets.

At first, these quarters were villages in which people from the same Anatolian town settled, building houses from whatever they had, and it happened that one well or water tap supplied drinking water two dozen families. The merging of these suburbs with Athens and Piraeus continued until World War II. But the war brought such new worries that all the old ones stepped aside for a while. Athens suffered greatly from the German occupation: in the winter of 1941-1942, according to rough estimates, two thousand people died of starvation every day in the city. And at the end of 1944, when the German occupation ended, the civil war began.

The British soldiers were ordered to fight their recent allies in the Greek Resistance Army EL AS because the army was led by communists. From 1946 to 1949, Athens was an island in the raging sea of ​​war: roads to the north and to the north could only be called passable at a very big stretch. But in the 1950s, after the civil war, the city began to expand rapidly. A program of powerful investments in industry was implemented - the money was invested mainly by Americans who wanted to convince Greece to enter the US sphere of influence, at the same time the capital survived the influx of immigrants from the impoverished villages devastated by the war.

Wastelands between blocks began to be quickly built up, and by the end of the 1960s, Athens turned into Big City. Often new buildings look dull. Old buildings were demolished, with particular force the element of destruction raged in 1967-1974, during the junta. Homeowners instead of demolished buildings built multi-apartment residential buildings up to six floors high. Central streets similar to canyons narrow streets as if cut through between concrete high-rise buildings. A thriving industry took over the outskirts, and the combined efforts of urban planners and industrialists quickly turned Athens into a polluted megalopolis, suffocating from the poisonous fog descending on it, which is called nephos here.

Since the 1990s, in the course of preparations for the Olympics, measures were finally taken to improve the situation in the city. Although Athens is still far from or in area green spaces and open spaces, but the results of these efforts are already visible. Everything that survived from the urban architectural heritage is being restored, public transport is clean, construction of houses is controlled, new buildings of interesting ultra-modern architecture have appeared (for example, some buildings erected for the Olympics and the unfinished new Acropolis Museum), and the air is not so polluted, like before. It is to be hoped that changes in this direction will continue.

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Useful information for tourists about Athens in Greece - geographical position, tourism infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.

Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the oldest European cities. The city is located in the southern part of the Attica peninsula, in a valley surrounded on the west, east and north low mountains. From the south it is washed by the waters of the Saronic Gulf.

Athens got its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology. The history of the city has several millennia. After the classical golden age of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the city experienced a decline in the Middle Ages. Athens experienced a second birth in 1834 as the capital of independent Greece. It was here in 1896 that the first Olympiad of the Modern Age took place.

Now Athens is major metropolis with a population of 4.5 million. This is a huge open-air museum of ancient architecture. Finally, simply amazingly beautiful and hospitable city.

The central part of Athens is divided into a number of distinct areas. Behind the Acropolis, which is the core of the ancient city, lies Plaka, the oldest residential area of ​​Athens. Here you can see monuments of the ancient, Byzantine or Turkish period - such as the octagonal Tower of the Winds, the tiny Byzantine church of the Small Metropolis or the elegant stone door of the Turkish religious school - a madrasah, the building of which has not been preserved.

Most of Plaka's old houses have now been converted into tourist shops, cafes, night bars and restaurants. Descending from the Acropolis in a northwestern direction, you come to the Monastiraki area, where craftsmen's shops have been located since medieval times.

Going from here along University Street in a southeast direction, you can go to the center of the modern city, passing the richly decorated buildings of the National Library, the University and the Academy and get to Syntagma (Constitution) Square - the administrative and tourist center Athens. On it stands beautiful building The old royal palace, hotels, open-air cafes, many banks and institutions are located. Further east towards the slopes of Lycabettus Hill are Kolonaki Square, a new cultural center including the Byzantine Museum, the Benaki Museum, the National Art Gallery, the Conservatory and Concert hall. To the south are the New Royal Palace, the National Park and the Great Panathenaic Stadium, reconstructed for the revived Olympic Games in 1896.

Today's Athens modern city at a dizzying pace. Modern and at the same time romantic, with busy streets and squares, with bright multi-colored shop windows, but also with secluded alleys, with quiet and secluded neighborhoods such as Plaka and Metz. In the countless stores of the capital, the buyer will find everything he wants; Athenian restaurants and taverns are able to satisfy any order.