Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the most ancient European cities. The city is located in the southern part of the Attica peninsula, in a valley surrounded by low mountains from the west, east and north. From the south it is washed by the waters of the Saronic Gulf.

Athens got its name in honor of Athena, the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology.

Now Athens is a large metropolis with a 4.5 million population. It is a huge museum of antique architecture in the open air. Finally, just amazingly beautiful and hospitable city.

The central part of Athens is divided into a number of clearly isolated areas. Behind the Acropolis, which is the core of the ancient city, stretches Plaka, the oldest residential quarter of Athens. Here you can see monuments of the ancient, Byzantine or Turkish period - such as the octagonal Tower of the Winds, the tiny Byzantine Church of the Little Metropolia or the elegant stone door of the Turkish religious school - the madrasah, whose building has not survived.

Most of the old houses of Plaka are now turned into shops for tourists, cafes, night bars and restaurants. Descending from the Acropolis in the north-west direction, you leave to the area of ​​Monastiraki, where from the medieval times there are shops of artisans