City of the ancient Gods, Athens in Greece

A very popular cruise destination that is included in most of the Mediterranean cruises as sold by our team of expert cruise consultants at Cruise.co.uk/ is Athens in Greece. If you want to visit this very interesting city, please read my posting below so you have some background information. You can also give me a call on my direct line 0800 408 6084 (in the UK only) or send me an email with your questions. I will make sure to help you select the perfect cruise to Athens.

If you haven’t been to Athens ever — or even recently — you’ll discover that this ancient seat of world culture has quite the new spring in its step; credit its fresh, bouncing vibe to its center-of-the-universe role as host of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Sure, a couple of years have gone by since then but the reverberations are still felt (and will be for a very, very long time to come).
In a decade’s worth of preparation for hosting the Olympics, city fathers (and mothers too, come to think of it) spearheaded massive upgrades, repairs and refurbishments. Buildings that were once dingy dirty gray are being painted in cheerful shades of yellow, green and orange. Public squares have been pedestrianized (you won’t recognize the now lovely Syntagma Square, with its lush trees and peaceful spots for repose; traffic used to course through this space). Sidewalks have been repaved and are now quite walkable (still narrow, though), and concrete stripping was inserted to assist the physically disabled.

There are new roads, the subways and trains are near-spotless, classic hotels like the Bretagne got major facelifts, and cafes are flourishing throughout the city. There are swank new digs for designer ateliers, ranging from Hermes to Dolce and Gabbana in what more recently were decrepit old buildings. And the arts and crafts scene flourishes with fabulous original, largely Greek-owned boutiques and galleries.
But here’s the thing that put joy in my step on a recent visit here (my first since the pre-Olympic era): In all its general zest for undergoing massive structural and cosmetic improvements, ranging from roadways to museums and beyond, and, frankly, just cleaning up the place, Athens has managed to retain the soul of its ancient heritage. It has held on to treasures classic and just … old, from antiquities to its Victorian-era food market. All are worth exploring.

Where You’re Docked
Most cruise ships dock at the Port of Piraeus, about seven miles from Athens. An important port since antiquity, it’s actually made up of three harbors: Megas Limani, where cruise ships come in; Zea Limani, where most of the ferries and hydrofoils come in from the islands; and Mikrolimano for the yachts.

Getting Around
The best way from Piraeus to the center of Athens is by taking a short walk to an electric train that takes you to Omonia Square (50 cents) where you’ll change to the Ethniki Aminas line–all told, about a 30-minute journey. Taxis are hard to come by and take a bit longer due to heavy traffic–and should run $6. Once in the city, most of the sights, cafes, and shops you’ll want to see are within a fairly small central area, making it easy to walk everywhere.
Buses and trolleys run from 5am until midnight; tickets cost 35 cents. Taxis operate unofficially on the jitney system, indicating willingness to pick up others by blinking their headlights or simply slowing down.

What to See and Do
The Parthenon. At 2,400 hundred years old, it’s the largest Doric temple ever completed in Greece, and the only one built completely (apart from its wooden roof) of Pentelic marble. Built to house the giant statue of Athena commissioned by Pericles, it also served as the treasury for the tribute money that had been moved from Delos. Hint: Arrive here when it opens at 8am, and you’ll have it to yourself. The Theatre of Dionysos is the second theater erected on the southeastern slope of the Acropolis–the first was made of timber in the 6th century BC. Reconstructed in stone and marble by Lycurgus between 342 and 326 BC, seating capacity was 17,000. Of the original 64 tiers of seats, about 20 tiers still survive. The Roman Forum (Agora) was the happening place back in the day where one could hear Socrates expounding his philosophy or St. Paul converting the market goers to Christianity. And the Temple of Hephaestus, on the western edge of the Agora, dates from 449 BC and is the best-preserved Doric temple in Greece. To the northeast of the temple are the foundations of the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, one of the places where Socrates spoke to the masses.

Other key Athens historic sites include the Agora Market (Tuesday – Sunday, 8:30am – 2:45pm), which was the centerpiece of ancient Athens’ city life; today it is a mix of ruins and museums. The National Archeological Museum (Patission 28, Monday, 12:30 – 7pm; Tuesday – Friday, 8am – 7pm; Saturday – Sunday, 8:30am – 7pm) is an Athens showplace; it is known for its premier collection of art from eras such as Minoan, Cycladic, and Mycenaean, among others.