Things to Do in Greece

An archaeological wonder, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the world's most instantly recognizable landmarks, the Acropolis is the star attraction of ancient Athens. Dramatically perched on a jagged clifftop—the so-called sacred rock of Athens—the ruins overlook the modern city and date back to as early as 510 BC.

The archaeological site at Akrotiri may be closed, but fortunately you can get your fill of excavations at the site of Ancient Thira. There’s a mix of ruins to explore, including Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine remnants, excavated in the 1890s. Take a tour to identify the different structures – temples, houses, the market (agora), theater and gymnasium.
At its height, this was a thriving center, with dramatic sanctuaries hewn into rock, temples, an impressive theater and porticoed administrative buildings. The central area is the Agora, the old commercial hub, encircled by temple sanctuaries ringing the city. There are also ancient cemeteries here, unearthed since the 1960s.

Don’t miss the views over the coast while you’re here.

Until the 17th century, the Acropolis survived largely intact but since then a gunpowder accident, a Venetian bombing and tourists have taken their toll. After the creation of the Greek State, it was decided that a museum was needed to protect the heritage of Ancient Greece. The first museum was begun up on the Acropolis in 1865 but it quickly became inadequate. Finally, in 2007, the new 25,000 square meter (6.2 acre) museum near the base of the Acropolis opened.

Today the Acropolis Museum (Museo Akropoleos) houses original pieces from the temples of the Acropolis, protecting them from further deterioration, while also giving their historical context. In the Parthenon Gallery, the famous marble frieze is recreated with both original marbles and casts of those pieces held elsewhere, such as the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum.

The Archaic Gallery has statues which pre-date even the Acropolis itself, and the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis shows pots, children's toys and other things used by the early settlers in everyday life.

The political and social heart of the ancient city of Athens, the famous Agora of Athens (or the Forum of Athens) is one of the city's most important archeological sites -- the remainder of the civic center and marketplace where Greek democracy was first brought to life.

Today, the ruins are regarded as the best-preserved example of an ancient Greek agora, standing to the northwest of the Acropolis between the hills of Areopagus and Kolonus Agoraios. Dating back to the 6th century BC (before which it was used as a residential area), the vast area was originally laid out by Peisistratus and featured an elaborate drainage system, a series of fountains and a temple devoted to the Olympian Gods. Later additions included the temples of Hephaestus, Zeus and Apollo, a series of altars and a concert hall, before the agora was finally abandoned after a Slavic invasion in the 6th century AD.

Today, the fragments of the once glorious marketplace provide important clues to the former political, civic and economic center of the ancient world, most notably the beautifully preserved Hephaiston temple and the shopping center of Stoa of Attalos, which now houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora.