Attica, Greece · Europe
Athens works well as a base: 5 minutes from Távros, 21km from Lake Vouliagmeni.
Athens is a city located in Attica, Greece. With a population of 664,046, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Athens sits in Greece, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Athens time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Athens to your route.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in theRead more
European Union (EU). The Municipality of Athens (also City of Athens), which constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire urban area, had a population of 643,452 in 2021, within its official limits, and a land area of 38.96 square kilometres (15.04 square miles).
Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years, and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC. According to Greek mythology, the city was named after Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, but modern scholars generally agree that the goddess took her name after the city. Classical Athens was one of the most powerful city-states in ancient Greece. It was a centre for Ancient Greek democracy, the arts, education and philosophy, and was highly influential throughout the Hellenistic world and the European continent, particularly in ancient Rome. For this reason it is often regarded as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy in its own right independently from the rest of Greece.
In modern times Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. It is a Beta (+) –
status global city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, and is one of the biggest economic centres in Southeast Europe. It also has a large financial sector, and its port Piraeus is both the second-busiest passenger port in Europe and the thirteenth-largest container port in the world. The Athens metropolitan area extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits as well as its urban agglomeration, with a population of 3,638,281 in 2021 over an area of 2,928.717 km2 (1,131 sq mi).
The heritage of the Classical Era is still evident in the city, represented by ancient monuments, and works of art, the most famous of these being the Parthenon, considered a key landmark of early Western culture. Athens retains Roman, Byzantine and a smaller number of Ottoman monuments, while its historical urban core features elements of continuity through its millennia of history. Athens contains two World Heritage Sites recognised by UNESCO: the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery. Athens is home to several museums and cultural institutions, such as the National Archeological Museum, featuring the world's largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities, the Acropolis Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Benaki Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics, making it one of five cities to have hosted the Summer Olympics on more than one occasion.
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Athens offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Athens is located in Attica, Greece, Europe. The coordinates are 37.9838 latitude, 23.7278 longitude.
Athens has a population of approximately 664,046 people, making it a city in Greece.
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Essential numbers in Greece
Tourist police (English-speaking): 171.
Full driving guide for Greece8 notable places within an hour's drive.
restaurant
A signless basement taverna below a warehouse on Sokratous Street by Athens's central market, serving since 1887. No menu, just chickpea soup, fried fish and retsina from barrels, at shared tables through two little doors.
0 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
The picturesque oldest neighborhood of Athens nestled at the foot of the Acropolis, with neoclassical buildings and winding pedestrian streets.
1 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
A vibrant Athenian square at the base of the Acropolis known for its flea market, street food, and eclectic blend of ancient and modern.
1 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Magnificent 5th-century BC temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, the pinnacle of ancient Greek architecture.
1 km · about 5 min drive
museum
Private collection of over 300 cars from 1895 to modern supercars in central Athens.
1 km · about 5 min drive
museum
A stunning modern museum at the foot of the Acropolis showcasing the surviving treasures of ancient Athens.
2 km · about 5 min drive
coastal drive
Sun-soaked coastal avenue tracing the Saronic Gulf from Athens through Vouliagmeni and Varkiza to Cape Sounion, with beach clubs, sea cliffs and a temple-at-sunset finale.
20 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
A thermal mineral lake near Athens fed by underground hot springs, set in a collapsed cave surrounded by lush vegetation.
21 km · about 25 min drive
April to October
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