top of page

What Is Athens Known For?

Athens holds the actual physical site where democracy first took shape as a system of government, a hillside just below the Acropolis where ordinary citizens once gathered to vote.

 

Athens is known first for the Pnyx, the meeting place where, starting around 507 BC under the reforms of Cleisthenes, male citizens over eighteen gathered as the Assembly to debate and vote directly on the city's laws and policies, a system that lasted nearly two centuries and gave the world its first working model of popular rule. That legacy sits within walking distance of the Acropolis itself, where the Parthenon, built between 447 and 438 BC under the statesman Pericles, still stands as the era's defining architectural achievement, designed by Ictinus and Callicrates with sculptural work overseen by Phidias.

 

The Parthenon's own history reflects nearly every empire that later controlled the city. Built as a temple to Athena, it was converted into a Christian church under Byzantine rule and later became a mosque during the Ottoman period. In 1687, Venetian forces bombarding the Acropolis ignited gunpowder the Ottomans had stored inside the building, causing severe structural damage that's still visible today. In 1801, Lord Elgin removed a significant portion of the Parthenon's sculptures and shipped them to Britain, where they remain in the British Museum, a matter that Greece has continued to raise as part of an ongoing request for their return, an issue that remains unresolved between the two countries.

 

The Acropolis earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987, and together with the Pnyx, the Ancient Agora, and the Theatre of Dionysus, where works by Sophocles and Aristophanes premiered, Athens holds one of the most concentrated collections of foundational Western sites anywhere in the world.

Discover Greece Travel

Tours and Activities.jpg

Activities & Tours

Discover Greek Islands.jpg

Guides To The Islands

Book Flights to Greece.jpg

Book

Flights

Greece Travel Packages.jpg

Travel Packages 

Tours and Activities.jpg

Private Photoshoots

Book Greece Hotels.jpg

Book

Hotels

Greece Itinerary Creator Sidebar Square.jpg

Itinerary Builder

Book Ferry Tickets Greece.jpg

Book Ferry Tickets

Greece Travel Blog.jpg

Travel

Blog

Discover Popular Tours in Greece

Self driven boat rental in Zakynthos cruising along the coastline with clear blue waters, secluded beaches, and scenic Ionian Sea views.

Book a Zakynthos Full Day Boat Rental Experience

Large cruise boat sailing the turquoise Ionian Sea with passengers enjoying the sunshine, swimming stops and dramatic coastal vistas.

Book an Ionian Sea Exploration Cruise from Lefkada on Makedonia Palace

Families exploring Athens on a food walking tour while tasting traditional Greek dishes in local markets and neighborhoods with a friendly guide

Book an Athens Kids and Families Food Tasting Walking Tour

Luxury Mercedes sedan driving through Santorini’s scenic roads with panoramic views of whitewashed villages, cliffs, and the Aegean Sea during a private island tour

Book a Santorini Private Mercedes Island Tour with Tailor-Made Itinerary

Catamaran sailing along the Rhodes coastline with guests swimming in turquoise bays, snorkeling in clear water, and relaxing on board during a beach cruise.

Book a Rhodes Catamaran Beach Cruise with Lunch Experience

Cruise passengers exploring Corfu’s coastline with stops at Paleokastritsa’s turquoise bays, optional boat cave tour, and walking through the historic Old Town’s Venetian streets and lively squares

Book a Corfu Shore Excursion with Paleokastritsa and Old Town Highlights for Cruise Travelers

From the Podcast

The Greece Chats Podcast goes beyond the guidebook. In this episode we sit down with the founder of Hoper to talk about island hopping by helicopter and how it is changing the way people experience Greece.

GetGreece mini logo
bottom of page