What to see in Athens in 1 day

It's worth climbing early to the Acropolis, the sacred hill on which stands the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to Athena built in the 5th century B.C. and considered the apex of classical Greek architecture, to avoid the crowds of midday hours.

On the same hill stand the Erechtheion, with its famous portico supported by six female statues, the Caryatids, and the remains of the Theatre of Dionysus, among the oldest theaters in the world.

Descending from the hill, the Acropolis Museum, built on an archaeological site visible through glass floors, houses the original sculptures removed from the temple to protect them.

For lunch, the Plaka neighborhood, at the foot of the Acropolis, with its cobbled streets and neoclassical houses, offers numerous taverns where you can taste dishes like souvlaki or moussaka.

In the afternoon the ancient Agora is the square that for centuries was the center of Athenian public life, with the Temple of Hephaestus, among the best-preserved Doric temples in Greece.

The Monastiraki neighborhood, with its open-air market, has a square of the same name from which the Acropolis is framed between the roofs of the city.

Climbing Lycabettus Hill, the highest point of the city reachable by funicular, offers a view spanning from the Acropolis to the sea, ideal for ending the day at sunset.

The Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Plaka already bring together classical grandeur and Athens' daily life, with the afternoon choice between the Ancient Agora and Monastiraki.

The alternative neighborhood of Exarchia and the port of Piraeus remain good reasons to return. Seeing the Parthenon's columns illuminate as the sun sets, viewed from Lycabettus, is perhaps the image that best captures Athens.