''Reached Athens in the afternoon, a remarkably beautiful and aristocratic town, containing many classic and magnificent mansions of wealthy planters, who formerly owned large Negro-stocked plantations in the best cotton and sugar regions farther south. Unmistakable marks of culture and refinement, as well as wealth, were everywhere apparent.'' - John Muir, the legendary American botanist and naturalist, year 1867.
With over one hundred and fifty inhabitant islands, with a unique variety of landscape in the world, with thousand of years of civilization and hundreds of sites, with excellent beaches, bright blue seas, fertile valleys, gorgeous green landscapes, mountains, forested ravines, turbulent rivers, with ageless history, an incredible profusion of cultural monuments, gracious ancient ruins, Greece has interests to fill years of travel. It is an inspiring destination, blessed with natural beauty.
And in Greece you will find one of the safest and most affordable cities in the world (the least expensive capital in Europe, according to EUROSTAT, the official EU statistical publication ), as well as one of its most beautiful, hospitable and exciting - Athens.
And what is Athens nowadays? Have to admit it, at first glance it is exceedingly ugly, sprawled over the arid hills of Attica, its traffic in Gordian knots, its air the foulest in Western Europe. Such first impressions do not last long. What Athens lacks in charm and beauty, it compensates for with character, attitude, humor, and a zest for life that makes the other capitals of Europe seem dull. The mild climate enables the city's exuberant art scene and nightlife to exist outdoors; the Greeks invented theater and built their magnificent outdoor amphitheaters in Athens.
Modern Athens is a prosperous place, a metropolis that is home to four million--almost half of the country's population. It remains a collage of history. On the hill under the Acropolis you'll find the old village called the Plaka, now the tourist center of Athens, where shops and restaurants stand elbow-to-elbow with ancient ruins and Byzantine churches. To give it the dignity of a capital, the first kings of Greece laid out wide boulevards and squares and built stately neoclassical buildings that are still on view today.
Wander through the city's magnificent ruins; uncover its quirky, vivacious neighborhoods; and chat with the friendly locals. Athens will give you a stellar window into the fascinating universe of Ancient Greece and a warm welcome into the delightful world of modern Greece. Let Sasha assist you in your trip to the capital of Greece.
