If you want to get up close and personal with history, then a visit to Athens is the perfect choice, because this city lives and breathes history in every sense of the word. Regardless of where your tourist interests lay, this is a place where you can find it all: archeological sites, museums, incredible sea sights and beaches, great food, and last but certainly not least, the people.

There’s an overwhelming feeling of greatness which fills you up from head to toes the first time you stand at the foot of Acropolis. It is located in the very heart of Athens, rising up 150 m (490 ft) above the city, as if trying to get closer to the gods, and it is needless to say that it is a must see. The Parthenon ads up to the whole experience, as if its huge columns are set there just to show you the way to the virgin goddess Athena, the patron of the city. Join and enjoy many of the guided tours that tell the story of almost every statue and stone.

But don’t forget, besides the ancient beauty of the Acropolis, and the breathtaking view of the whole city it offers, it’s also fantastic to look at it from down bellow. So, visit the ancient Agora, the common market and gathering place of the ancient Greeks, and let loose your imagination while you’re picturing the liveliness and noises of the sellers, buyers, craftsmen and children of the distant times, while Sophocles and Plato, with their long white togas casually hanging from their shoulders, walk beside you, indulging you in the sweet talk of philosophy. Remember to look up the hill, and see the shining marble of the columns of the Athena temple.

The whole city is filled with ancient structures, buildings and temples, including the Dionysos Theatre, which is not only the oldest theater in the world; it is also the cradle of the drama art. Museums of all shapes and sizes are scattered around, giving an additional enjoyment. You can look up and admire the remnants from every period of over 5000 years of the city history.

There are over 100 places in Athens which make the experience of sightseeing in the city unforgettable. Visit as many, or as little as you want, and enjoy not only the places of history, but the streets and life of today. Try some of the traditional Greek food like gyro and souvlaki, and meet as many Athenians as you can. They are natural, warm-hearted people, passionate and expressive. They are people who live simply because life is worth living.

There is one more important thing I have to tell you. Do try to organize your trip to Athens during spring or autumn. The summer temperatures are too high to bear, especially if you like long walks through the city streets, while the winters are rainy and do not allow you to see the full sparkle of the turquoise jewel of Athens, the Mediterranean.