Athens is no doubt one of my favorite cities. And yes, Greece is up there in my top favorite countries list. How do I even begin to talk about this enchanting city? Good thing I don’t really have to use a lot of words for this. The photos will speak for themselves.
My Athens Fave Five:
1. The Acropolis
What else is there to say? The Acropolis should be on every Greek Mythology lover’s list, if not every one’s. As soon as I found myself standing in the middle of the Acropolis gawking at Athena Nike and the Parthenon, I knew that was it. The priceless moment of surrealism. To be among the gods and goddesses. And to top it off, all of these for as little as 12 euros!? Priceless, indeed. But let’s talk more about priceless… as the Greek gods had it, one of the days I was in Athens was World Environment Day. What did that mean? FREE admission to all sites. Was it luck or was it Zeus? It didn’t matter. Priceless.
2. Temples of Zeus and Poseidon
The Temple of Olympian Zeus is easily accessible. It is located in the heart of Athens. Lucky for me, it is located right in front of the hotel I stayed in (Athens Gate Hotel), which I highly recommend for its prime location and priceless views of the Zeus temple and the Akropolis .
My favorite Greek God is Poseidon. It has something to do with my love for the sea of course. Needless to say, as God of the Sea, Poseidon’s temple has the best and most breathtaking location of all. In order to see his temple, my friend and I signed up for an excursion that our hotel offered. The bus picked us up from our hotel and off we traveled for 45 miles to Cape Sounion.
This majestic temple is perfectly perched on a hilltop overlooking the blue waters of Cape Sounion. Also, Cape Sounion has its own legend which I will leave for my readers to discover.
3. The New Acropolis Museum
The beauty of Athens relies on the combination of the past and the present. Just below the Acropolis stands this new and awesome museum where you can literally find everything about the Acropolis. From relics, sculptures, and historical information, this museum is the perfect supplement after the Acropolis tour. For 5 euros, gain more Greek history knowledge. I wasn’t able to take photos inside since it was not allowed. Be careful of trying to snap some Instagram worthy pics, there are security men all over the place. The entrance to this museum is already as cool as the inside. The modern building is literally built on ancient ruins. Amazing.
4. The First Olympic Stadium
The Olympics is probably my favorite sporting event. I have this inexplicable attraction to anything that involves the world. Not to mention the appeal of sexy foreign athletes as well as ancient Greek Olympians. For only 3 euros, you MUST go to the Panathenaic Stadium and experience the real Olympics. I was such in awe. The ticket includes an audio tour and allows you to walk around the stadium and inside the “locker rooms”.
5. Monastiraki Neighborhood
Monastiraki is a flea market neighborhood in old town Athens. My favorite part of truly seeing the beauty of another country is simply learning where the locals go, what they do on a daily basis, where they eat and where there are less tourists. This neighborhood is part of the Hop-on Hop-off bus route and so my advise is to take that tour and just “hop-off” this neighborhood to do some shopping at the flea market, walk around some amazing off-the-beaten-path wonders and try some local eatery for a real immersion.
Do you want to go to Athens?
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Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.