In this article I'll let you know why you should visit Athens. Even though Greece is famous for its beautiful islands, you also shouldn't miss Athens!
1. Athens has an amazing history
If you love history, Athens is an amazing place to be. There have been living people for about 5,000 years. When you're in Athens, everywhere you go you will see pieces of history, which is very impressive. For example, there are so many points in the city from which you can see the Acropolis. However, even though the Acropolis is the most famous sight in Athens, there are many other history-related sights that you will see when you're just walking around.
Furthermore, even the name of the city is very interesting. Athens is one of the first cities in the world that got a name. There's a myth that the name of this city is Athens because there was a contest between the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon. They both wanted that the city had their name and therefore they had a contest. At the end, Athena won, so the myth says that that's the reason why the name of the city is Athens. There are so many great myths to tell and to learn about in Athens. Therefore, if you're intherested in mythology, Athens is the place to go! I could read, talk and learn hours about the mythology and the other great history of Athens, because it's so interesing!
2. There are many magnificent view points in Athens
Another reason why you should visit Athens is that there are many breathtaking viewpoints. Athens is a very beautiful city from above and therefore it's great that there are several places where you can get an overview of the city! Furthermore, besides the beauty of it, it's also very activity to go to go to the viewpoints. One of the most beautiful viewpoints is at Lycabettus Hill. You can go up with a cable car, which is definitely a great thing to do! However, you can also climb up, which is also a great experience. Another great viewpoint in Athens is at the Acropolis. From there, you will also get a panoramic view over the city!
3. You can go to the Acropolis
The Acropolis is the most famous sight in Athens and it makes the whole city magical. It's an old citadel and you can see many ancient buildings there. Furthermore, the most famous building at the Acropolis the Parthenon, which is an old temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Also, it is a bit of a climb, but it's really worth it, because once you get there everything is so impressive!
Moreover, there are many places in the city from which you will see the Acropolis and it looks really beautiful. During night the Acropolis is beautifully illuminated, so that's really wonderful.
4. The museums in Athens are great
Since the history of Athens is very interesting, there are also many amazing museums. For example, the Acropolis Museum is definitely a museum that you should visit! This museum all about the Acropolis. You can find here ancient objects from the Acropolis Hill. Moreover, the museum learns you more about the history of the place, which makes visiting the Acropolis even more special. Therefore, I'd recommend visiting the Acropolis and going to the Acropolis Museum in one day, because that makes the whole experience even better! Besides the Acropolis Museum, there are many other interesting museums in Athens! This is really one of the most important reasons why you should visit Athens!
5. You can go to the beach in Athens
Even though most people may not think about the beach when they think about Athens, you can still have a great beach day there! Therefore, for those who like history and culture, but still want to relax at the beach, Athens is the place to go! One of the beaches that's very close to the city of Athens is Edem Beach. Since it's not a long ride to get there, it's definitely a great option if you want to have a beach day!
6. Athens is very affordable
In comparison to the islands of Greece, Athens is a very affordable place! The food, the hotels and the activities aren't expensive at all. For example, you can rent a hotel room or an appartement via Airbnb for about €30,- per night. Once I stayed in an appartement with an epic view of the Acropolis and a huge rooftop terrace for that price! Furthermore, there are also many fun things to do in Athens for free.
7. You can do an amazing day trip
If you want to discover more than just one place, then Athens also has a great opportunity. From Athens, you can do a day trip to Hydra. Hydra is a very beautiful and cute island, so you will definitely have a lovely day there! Furthermore, Hydra has magnificent beaches and you can see donkeys there! Since you can go there by ferry from the port of Athens (Piraeus), even the journey to Hydra is fun! Moreover, Hydra is also one of the best islands in Greece to visit, so I'd highly recommend going there!
8. There are many wonderful flowers
This may not be a very important reason to go to a city for some people. However, if you love flowers as much as I do, it actually is! There are so many pretty flowers in the city. Especially if you're walking in Plaka, you will stumble upon the most beautiful trees with colourful flowers! In combination with the colourful houses, it really looks magnificent.
9. There are many lovely photo opportunities
Athens is a great city to take photos, because there are many photo spots in Athens. Whether you want to have some beautiful photos of yourself or you want to improve your own photography skills, it's the perfect location! You can book a photoshoot and then a photographer will take great photos of you, but you can also take awesome photos of the ancient buildings and the beautiful viewpoints. This is especially one of the most important reasons why you should visit Athens for those who want a city to be photogenic!
10. The food in Athens is very good
Who doesn't love Greek food? It's definitely one of my favourite cuisines and if you haven't had Greek dishes yet, you should really try it! In Athens, there are many lovely restaurants where you can taste the most delicious dishes. Besides great food, the whole atmosphere at those Greek restaurants is just great. Therefore, you should really go to one of these restaurant! I'd especially recommend going to a restaurant at Plaka or Monistiraki, because these are great places to have dinner.
I hope that these 10 reasons why you should visit Athens convinced you to go there, because this city is truly amazing!
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