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Athens — travel, stays & events guide
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Athens city overview
Athens is a city in Greece shaped by its region, population, local economy, landmarks, climate and civic history. This overview summarizes the city itself: where it sits, what defines it, which places anchor its identity and why it matters within the wider country.
City facts
Airport baseAthens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)
Known forAthens, Capital city of Greece, Athens planning base 3, Athens planning base 4
Population~643kcity context
RegionGreeceGreece
Time zoneEurope/Athenslocal time
Founded150historical origin
City history
Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years (3000 BC).
However, Athens, like many other Bronze Age settlements, went into economic decline for around 150 years afterwards.
395–410) in 396, however, dealt a heavy blow to the city's fabric and fortunes, and Athens was henceforth confined to a small fortified area that embraced a fraction of the ancient city.
By 1400 BC, the settlement had become an important centre of the Mycenaean civilisation, and the Acropolis was the site of a major Mycenaean fortress, whose remains can be recognised from sections of the.
In 1687, during the Morean War, the Acropolis was besieged by the Venetians under Francesco Morosini, and the temple of Athena Nike was dismantled by the Ottomans to fortify the Parthenon.
The Ottoman forces remained in possession until March 1833, when they withdrew. Capital of modern Greece Following the Greek War of Independence and the establishment of the Greek Kingdom, Athens was chosen to replace.
The decades that followed became known as the Golden Age of the Athenian democracy, during which time Athens became the leading city of Ancient Greece, with its cultural achievements laying the foundations for Western.
The Empire became Christianised, and the use of Latin declined in favour of exclusive use of Greek; in the Roman imperial period, both languages had been used.
As the empire became increasingly anti-pagan, Athens became a provincial town and experienced fluctuating fortunes.
In the great dispute over Byzantine Iconoclasm, Athens is commonly held to have supported the iconophile position, chiefly due to the role played by Empress Irene of Athens in the ending of the first.
The Agora (marketplace) had been deserted since late antiquity, began to be built over, and soon the town became an important centre for the production of soaps and dyes.
Almost all of the most important Middle Byzantine churches in and around Athens were built during these two centuries, and this reflects the growth of the town in general.
Along with rest of Byzantine Greece, Athens was part of the series of feudal fiefs, similar to the Crusader states established in Syria and on Cyprus after the First Crusade.
The first modern city plan consisted of a triangle defined by the Acropolis, the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos and the new palace of the Bavarian king (now housing the Greek Parliament), so as to.
Worth seeing
Athens
Athens is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Capital city of Greece
Capital city of Greece is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Athens planning base 3
Athens planning base 3 is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Athens planning base 4
Athens planning base 4 is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Athens planning base 5
Athens planning base 5 is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Athens planning base 6
Athens planning base 6 is a practical Athens planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Stay overview
Compare Athens before booking Athens hotels. Start with the places you will repeat most, then check airport timing, parking, nightly price and event demand before choosing the final base.
Hotels & areas
Compare accommodation options in and around Athens by area, not only by nightly price. A cheaper room can become expensive when airport transfers, parking, attraction routes, late arrivals or event-week demand add time and cost.
Compare stays in Athens, GreeceFlights & airports
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) arrival plan
- Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH), Athens
Compare airport access against hotel location, arrival time, rental car pickup, late flights and onward driving before choosing the first night base.
Rental cars
Athens day-trip car use
Compare rental cars when airport arrival, day trips, parking, luggage, theme parks, coastal routes or nearby regions matter more than staying fully on transit.
Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best time to visit
Check weather, school holidays, daylight, local festivals and major event calendars before locking in hotel rates or non-refundable tickets.
Transport notes
Choose a base around the trips you will repeat most: airport, station, old town, waterfront, venue district or day-trip route.
Crowds
Prices can jump around festivals, conventions, school holidays, cruise days, ski weeks, race weekends and large sports events.
Booking detail
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Upcoming events
No upcoming Athens events in the shared event index yet.