THE ACROPOLIS: For thousands of years the Acropolis has been the symbol of Athens, the sacred rock, the link that connects the magnificent ancient civilization with the modern. The Acropolis and its monuments, its history and the myths that are connected with it are rightly the pride and the glory of this city, the envy of all other cities in the world. There is no Greek or foreign visitor who does not want to make the pilgrimage to the sacred rock and absorb its magnificence and beauty. If you have never been to the Acropolis I assure you it is a unique and unforgettable experience. On the hill of the Acropolis you will see the masterpieces of: Parthenon, Propylea, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion & The Cariatides, Herodion Theater.

THE PARTHENON: is the unique masterpiece of the world. You will realize it yourself the moment you stand in front of it and learn a little of its history and the secrets of its construction. The beauty, harmony and grace of this monument make a really lasting impression on everyone who sees it. Today admission to the Parthenon is prohibited due to the restoration work that has been taking place there since 1983. This will not prevent you from admiring this unique temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and built of white marble from Penteli. Under the Parthenon of the Classical times there are remains of the monumental Ur-Parthenon, an archaic temple dated in late 6th century B.C. The architects of the classical temple, which was constructed and decorated between 447 and 432 B.C. during the Golden Age of Perikles, were Iktinos and kallicrates. The Parthenon housed the golden-ivory statue of Athena, work of the famous sculptor Pheidias. This statue was the final destination of the Great Panathenaea procession, depicted on the frieze of the temple.

THE THEATER OF DIONYSUS: Pass through the entrance to the archaeological site at the southern slope of the Acropolis in Dionysiou Aeropaghitou Street and start climbing. On your left you will see the oldest of all known theatres in the world, The Theatre of Dionysus. Dedicated to the god of wine and fertility, it hosted the City Dionysia festival. Here, the four greatest ancient Greek poets - Aeschylos, Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophokles - saw their plays being performed for the first time, in the 5th century B.C. The koilon (cavea) and the proskoinion (stage) were originally of wood. They were reconstructed of marble during the 4th century B.C. Today only parts of the stone koilon have survived. Experts estimate that the theatre could accommodate 17,000 spectators. Greek authorities announced on November 24, 2009 that they will partially restore the ruined marble theater. The Culture Ministry said the $9 million program is set for completion by 2015 and will include extensive modern additions to the surviving marble seats.

THE AREOPAGUS: Is the most ancient court of law and the most respected place in ancient times. It is the 'Rock of Ares', north-west of the Acropolis. Here was the seat of the first aristocratic parliament of Ancient Athens. In time this parliament started to lose its political power and from the second half of the 5th century B.C. it had only judicial responsibility and particularly that of trying murderers. Ares was supposed to have been tried here by gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios. In Eumenides of Aeschylus, the Areopagus is the site of the trial of Orestes for killing his mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthos. The origin of its name is not clear. In Greek pagos means big piece of rock. Areios could have come from Ares or from the Erinyes, as on its foot was erected a temple dedicated to the Erinyes where murderers used to find shelter so as not to face the consequences of their actions. Later, the Romans referred to the rocky hill as "Mars Hill," after Mars, the Roman God of War. Near the Areopagus was also constructed the basilica of Dionysius Areopagites. It was from this spot, as we learn from the bronze tablet at the base of the rock, that Saint Paul delivered his first sermon to the Athenians, in AD 51: 'Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.'

THE MONUMENT OF PHILOPAPPUS: [Filopappu, 114-116 AD] has been erected as a monument to Gaius Julius Antiochus Philopappus, a benefactor of Athens. It is located on a hill opposite to the Acropolis with a splendid view over the entire basin of Attica.

THE PNYX HILL: is a hill in central Athens, situated between the Hill of The Musses, upon which stands the Monument of Philopappou, and the Hill of The Nymphs, where the tomb of Kimon was found and where the Observatory stands today. It is located less than one kilometre west of the Acropolis and 1.6 km south-west of the centre of modern Athens, Syntagma Square. This semi-circular area was the place of gathering for all the citizens of Ancient Athens. They gathered here in order to hear the famous orators who spoke from the stone-cut tribune in its middle. It is believed that it could accommodate up to 10,000 people at a time.

THE ANCIENT GREEK AGORA: was the civic, religious and commercial center of the Athenian life set with appropriate buildings. Among these was The Stoa of Attalus which has been erected by Attalus II, king of Pergamum [159-138 B.C] and the Temple of Hephaistos. Now, since its restoration, is used as a Museum and as storage and office space for the excavation team.

THE ANCIENT ROMAN AGORA: is located at the beginning of Eolou str. There you can see the clock of Andronikos Kyrrhestes which was built around 50 BC. This is an octagonal marble tower near the west gate of the Roman Market. Its sides are adorned with reliefs representing the winds [thus Tower of Winds].

HADRIAN'S LIBRARY: [2nd c. AD] was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 132 on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens. The building followed a typical Roman Forum architectural style, having only one entrance with a propylon of Corinthian order, a high surrounding wall with protruding niches (oikoi, exedrae) at its long sides, an inner courtyard surrounded by columns and a decorative oblong pool in the middle. The library was on the eastern side where rolls of papyrus "books" were kept. Adjoining halls were used as reading rooms, and the corners served as lecture halls.

HADRIAN'S ARCH: is a monumental gateway resembling – in some respects - a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the adventus (arrival) of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city, on the occasion of the dedication of the nearby temple complex in 131 or 132 AD. It is not certain who commissioned the arch, although it is probable that the citizens of Athens or another Greek group were responsible for its construction and design. There were two inscriptions on the arch, facing in opposite directions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens. While it is clear that the inscriptions honor Hadrian, it is uncertain whether they refer to the city as a whole or to the city in two parts: one old and one new. The early idea, however, that the arch marked the line of the ancient city wall, and thus the division between the old and the new regions of the city, has been shown to be false by further excavation. The arch is located 325m southeast of the Acropolis.

THE TEMPLE OF THE OLYMPIAN ZEUS (Olympieion): is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 650 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

THE PANATHENAIC STADIUM (Kallimarmaro): is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble (from Mount Penteli). And, it is the original stadium built in the 1800s for the first modern Olympic games in 1896.

ILIOY MELATHRON: Formerly the home of the celebrated archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Athens and stands at the upper end of Panepistimiou str. On the same street a little further down, are the neoclassical buildings of The Academy, The University and The National Library.

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