Athens

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Athens is Greece’s capital and biggest city. Athens is the capital of Attica and one of the world’s oldest towns, with a known history dating back roughly 3,400 years and the first human presence dating back to the 11th–7th century BC.

Classical Athens was a great city-state that arose in tandem with the seagoing growth of Piraeus’ port. It is often regarded as the origin of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy, owing to its cultural and political effect on the European continent, particularly the Romans. It is home to Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum.

Athens is a huge cosmopolitan city that is crucial to Greece’s economic, financial, industrial, marine, political, and cultural life.

Because of its geostrategic position and prominence in shipping, finance, business, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, culture, education, and tourism, Athens is recognized as a worldwide metropolis. It is one of the most important economic centers in southeastern Europe, with a thriving financial industry, and the port of Piraeus is Europe’s largest passenger port and the world’s second largest.

The classical era’s history is still visible in the city, represented by historic structures and works of art, the most renowned of which is the Parthenon, regarded as a crucial landmark of early Western civilisation. The city also has Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a few Ottoman structures.

The Acropolis of Athens and the ancient Daphni Monastery are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Athens | Introduction

Athens – Info Card

POPULATION :	City: 664,046 / Metro: 3,753,783
FOUNDED :
TIME ZONE :	EET (UTC+2) Summer: EEST (UTC+3)
LANGUAGE :	Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
RELIGION :	Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
AREA :	412 km2 (159 sq mi)
ELEVATION :	70 m (230 ft) – 338 m (1,109 ft)
COORDINATES :	37°58′N 23°43′E
SEX RATIO :	• Male: 49.34% • Female: 50.66%
ETHNIC :	Greek 93%, Others 7%
AREA CODE :	21
POSTAL CODE :	10x xx, 11x xx, 120 xx
DIALING CODE :	+30 21

Tourism in Athens

Since antiquity, Athens has been a popular tourist destination. The city’s infrastructure and social facilities have developed over the last decade, thanks in part to its successful bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games. The Greek government, with the assistance of the EU, has supported significant infrastructure projects such as the modern Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, the development of the Athens Metro system, and the new Attiki Odos Motorway.

The Acropolis of Athens and the ancient Daphni Monastery are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Hellenic Parliament (19th century) and the Athens Trilogy, which consists of the National Library of Greece, Athens University, and the Academy of Athens, are modern-era landmarks dating back to the foundation of Athens as the capital of the independent Greek state in 1834. In 1896, Athens hosted the first modern-day Olympic Games, and 108 years later, it welcomed the 2004 Summer Olympics. The National Archeological Museum, which houses the world’s greatest collection of ancient Greek artifacts, as well as the new Acropolis Museum, are both located in Athens.

Athens has 148 theaters, more than any other city in the world, including the historic Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which hosts the Athens Festival from May to October each year. Aside from a significant number of multiplexes, Athens has open-air garden theaters. The city also promotes music venues, such as the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Moussikis), which draws world-class performers. The Athens Planetarium, on Andrea Syngrou Avenue, is one of the world’s biggest and best-equipped digital planetaria.

Climate of Athens

The finest seasons to visit Athens are in the spring and late autumn. During heatwaves, summer may be exceedingly hot and dry, although this is unusual. Winter is unquestionably low season, with the odd wet or snowy day, but it is also an excellent time to save money while experiencing the city without hordes of other visitors.

The climate in Athens is subtropical Mediterranean. Athens’ climate is characterized by alternating periods of lengthy hot and dry summers and pleasant winters with modest rainfall.

Winters are moderate and wet, with an average temperature of 8.9 °C (48.0 °F) in Nea Filadelfeia and 10.3 °C (50.5 °F) elsewhere.

Athens holds the World Meteorological Organization record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe, 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), which was measured on July 10, 1977, in the Athens suburbs of Elefsina and Tatoi.

Geography of Athens

Athens sprawls over the center plain of Attica, which is frequently referred to as the Attica Basin (Greek: A). The basin is surrounded to the west by Mount Aigaleo, to the north by Mount Parnitha, to the northeast by Mount Pentelicus, and to the east by Mount Hymettus. Beyond Mount Aegaleo is the Thriasian plain, which is a western extension of the central plain. To the southwest is the Saronic Gulf. Mount Parnitha (1,413 m (4,636 ft) is the highest of the four mountains and has been designated a national park.

Athens is situated on a series of hills.

Lycabettus is one of the city’s highest hills, offering a panoramic view of the whole Attica Basin. Athens’ geomorphology is regarded as one of the most complicated in the world because its mountains generate a temperature inversion phenomena, which, along with the Greek government’s difficulty managing industrial pollutants, has been blamed for the city’s air pollution issues. This problem is not limited to Athens; Los Angeles and Mexico City, for example, have comparable geomorphology inversion issues.

The historical rivers of Athens are the Cephissus, the Ilisos, and the Eridanos.

Internet, Comunication in Athens

There are several free wifi hotspots across the city. Internet access is provided in Syntagma Square, Kotzia Square, and Theion. Alternatively, you may go to one of the numerous internet cafés in the city center. Many clubs, restaurants, and cafés provide free wi-fi to their customers.

The city is covered by the mobile network (3G/4G/4G+/GPRS/GSM). In addition, public phones may be located around the city, and phone cards can be purchased at most kiosks.

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