Athens: General Information about the City

2006-02-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

Athens is the capital of Greece, located in the greatest region of Attica, between two mountains. According to linguists, the name of the town is believed to be derived by the ancient Greek word “Athos”, which means flower.
Athens is a town with many hills and there are no big rivers crossing it, but only two streams: Ilissos and Kifissos. The most famous hill in Athens is Lycabettus, which offers a great view of the town. In the Greek territory are living over 10.000.000 people. Almost half of them (nearly 5.000.000 people) live and work in Athens.
Athens is a small town, but has to show great accomplishments. It has a significant history and a large cultural background. The sacred rock of Acropolis gazes the city all day and night for many years now. Acropolis is the most spectacular ancient monument in Athens today. Theater, music and arts create the cultural background of the town. For five or six months every year (from May to October) many cultural festivals take place in Athens.
The state of the town is democracy and all the choices are taken by the elected representatives of the Greek people in the Parliament, which can be found in the center of Athens. The climate in the town is created by the beautiful sun that exists above the city for the largest period of the year. So, as you can guess, there is always hot weather in Athens. Even during winter there are many sunny days, making everybody’s mood for a walk in the town.
Transport in the town is very easy and all the places are easily accessible. Athens has many buses, tram, train and the metro… making passengers’ life easier and more comfortable!
In Athens there are many places to enjoy a nice coffee or hang out with relatives and friends. These opportunities can be enjoyed at maximum underneath Acropolis; in the pedestrian’s way that connects all the archeological sites of the town.
Athens is very close to the sea and all the southern suburbs have access to it. There are many beautiful beaches and nice places where anybody can swim or walk. These beaches are the favorite place of all the Athenians during summer… or winter maybe! The port of Athens is called Piraeus. Many ships depart everyday from the port, leading the passengers to all the Greek islands or nearby countries, like Italy.
Athens is certainly a place that has everything. There are many places to choose for food, drink, coffee, sightseeing or walk, offering a great experience in the center of the Greek civilization.

by Dionisis Kokkaliaris

About Athens

Athens: General Information about the City