When in Athens make sure you do not miss these Athens highlights.

The Castle, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is one of the most considerable and most visited monoliths worldwide. It was the initial prepared ancient "high city" of Athens developed on the Castle hill, a popular rock plateau high above the city, with commanding views and an incredible variety of ancient architecture dating back to the Classical period of Ancient Greece. The main buildings of the Acropolis are the Erectheion Temple, the Temple of Athena Nike and the famous Temple of Parthenon, devoted to the Goddess Athena, protector of the ancient city of Athens. The external pillars of the Parthenon are a little curved to offer a visual fallacy as being straight when viewed from every angle. Other websites to see are the Kerameikos, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Roman Agora, Ancient Agora, and the neighboring Odeum of Herodes and Theatre of Dionysus. There is a museum behind the Parthenon how to get to hydra greece maintaining much of the artifacts from the site.

Ancient Agora is the green parkland beside the Acropolis Hill with a really stunning view of the Parthenon. An Agora was an open location of assembly in ancient Greek times where free-born male people would collect for military responsibility or to hear declarations of the ruling king or council. Later in Greek history, the agora functioned as a market where merchants kept stalls or stores to offer their products. There is the Temple of Hephaestus, the best preserved ancient Greek temple, the Attalos Stoa and the museum of the ancient Agora.

Odeum of Herodes is a Roman theatre addition to the Castle, integrated in the city around 167 ADVERTISEMENT and situated on the side of the Castle hill quickly viewed from the front of the Parthenon. Today, shows are held here and is where the popular musician Yanni taped his album 'Yanni Live at the Castle'.

Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in the city at 277 m (908 feet) above water level and is a popular traveler destination for the amazing view of Athens, the Castle, the port of Piraeus and the island of Aegina. At the peak are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant. The hill surrounds the Kolonaki district and can be risen by strolling or by a funicular railway which climbs the hill from a lower terminus at Kolonaki, Aristippou street.

Syntagma Square lies at the centre of the city and is the business district of Athens. Many hotels, banks, stores, restaurants and airline company workplaces lie in the location. The Parliament building faces the square where visitors can see the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament every hour on the hour. Many locations of interest to visitors lie reasonably close to the Syntagma Square. The districts of the Plaka to the south, Monastiraki to the west, Kolonaki to the east and Omonia to the north.

Temple of Olympian Zeus, once the biggest temple in Greece, is a Greco-Roman temple in the center of Athens, southeast of the Acropolis. Building began in the sixth century BC, but was not completed till the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the second century ADVERTISEMENT. Only ruins stay today as the temple would have been ruined by earthquakes.

3 Island Cruise is a delightful day travelling the gorgeous islands of the Saronic Gulf. The cruise stops at Aegina (the first capital of Ancient Greece), Poros and Hydra. Passengers have free time for shopping, swimming or delight in a beverage at one of the many foreshore tavernas. This cruise is incredibly popular and a highly suggested intro to the Greek Islands.

Cape Sounion is the southern most point of Attica where the white marble pillars of the 5th Century BC Temple of Poseidon stand. Visitors are handled a scenic drive along the coastal road past the popular beaches of the Athenian Riviera, set against a background of spectacular ocean views, offshore islands and rugged mountain terrain.

The Saronic Gulf, in some cases called the Argosaronic Gulf, is positioned in between Attica and the Peloponnese. In this location, just off the Greek mainland, the Saronic Gulf islands - Aegina, Angistri, Hydra, Poros, Salamina and Spetses - find their home. At a distance of an hour of so from Athens, they are hugely popular islands and make the ideal idyllic getaway when Athenian experience becomes overwhelming.

As always, the Greek islands are overflowing with misconception and history. The home of Theseus remained in the Saronic and there are numerous sanctuaries to all the gods from Zeus to Athina. There are Neolithic remains here and caves that as soon as hid Greek innovative leaders as they strategised for the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. These islands are likewise sources of fantastic creativity and there are many artists, musicians and writers that call the Saronic Gulf house.

The island of Aegina is the closest one to Athens. Named after the mythological Aegina, child of the Asopus, the river god, and Metope, a nymph, this island boasts a history dating back to the Neolithic Age and a superb temple to the goddess Athena. Aegina Greece, situated at 37 ° 45' N 23 ° 26' E, is a verdant island understood for its terrific production of colourful pistachios. The Greek Island has a beautiful capital loaded with fine neoclassical buildings and narrow alleys where one can take pleasure in fresh fish and exceptional appetizers in the pubs of the fish market, in the heart of the town. The fifth century BC temple of Aphaia can be gone to; it is located in an area filled with olive and pine trees, neglecting the deep blue sea. It is the Flying Dolphin hydrofoil that makes the journey from Athens to the island and arrival brings one to the picturesque port of Aegina.

Angistri island is small and extremely popular with discerning Athenians who get away the mayhem of the city on a weekend and arrive at this fishing island with incredible beaches.