24hrs in Athens, Greece
Athens, Greece
One of my absolute favorite places to travel to is Santorini, an island off the coast of Greece. Getting to Santorini usually requires a stop over in Athens. I can’t say that I am very familiar with Athens since my stay was less 24 hours but I can give a quick snapshot into how to maximize your time and get a taste of what the city has to offer.
The best tip I can give to travelers interested in exploring as much as possible of a city district within a short period of time is to book a tour bus that allows passengers to hop on and off at their leisure. I used the company City Sightseeing Athens, the packages allows you to pick one of multiple bus routes and hop on and off for a period of 24-72 hours. Each rider is given a coupon book with promotions to local restaurants, museums, and historical sites as well as provided access to a pre-recorded audio tour which plays as the driver passes through local areas. I tend not to listen to the audio because between patrons talking, sounds of the bus engine, and static, I have never been able to hear clearly…. but hey it is offered! The buses bright colors make them hard to miss when you able walking down the streets looking for your bus stops but make sure you are boarding the right route all of the buses make a circular loop and you do not want to get lost assuming you will end back at your intended destination.
On my tour I stopped at the Old Olympic Stadium/ Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games. As a previous track runner this visit was iconic for me. To see how the stadiums were laid out, walk the tunnels under the seating arena, run down the long straightaways and ease into the narrow turns as awe-inspiring for me.
In addition, I was able to see the Parthenon, Athens a historic ruin originally built in homage to Goddess Athena, as well as the Temple of Olympiam Zeus, Athens.
The historical sites in Athens are breathtaking when you think about the history of the artifacts and buildings. Unfortunately, during our quick visit, aside from the remains of buildings and massive concrete pillars, many of the artifacts, sculptures, and stones are no longer in Greece. They remain under preservation in the United Kingdom, British Museums. However; the glory of the city of Athens lives in the history, stories, and culture of the people.