Athens is also the birthplace of many other famous philosophers of the ancient times like Socrates, Pericles, Sophocles and many others that have carved their names in the milestones of history forever.

If you are interested in architecture Athens offers a great variety. The monuments are of stupendous beauty and are extraordinary to behold. The monuments reveal the architectural expertise that existed so many thousands of years ago. These monuments are the proof of the level of intelligence and skill of the people of those times. So make it a point to visit all of these historical buildings on your trip to Athens.

The most famous is the Pantheon which is located on the Acropolis. Apart from that there are various monuments of Roman and Byzantine origin as well as ones that belong to the Ottomans. In addition to this there is the Kallimarmaro stadium where the first ever Olympic games took place. There is also the National Archaeological Museum of Athens which is a seventh heaven for all fans of archaeology and otherwise. The value of the treasures stored here are beyond our comprehension and understanding. The first Olympic Games were also held here in 1896 and again in 2004 – 108 years later.

From January to the end of June last year there were six point four million visitors however for the same period in 2009 the were half a million less visitors. July has actually been a good month for tourism which means if the report had only taken into account the first six months then things would have looked worse.

Many businesses in Greek holiday destinations have cut their prices this year in a bid to attract more sales. Some companies have gotten themselves into trouble due to lower profit margins.

Crete and Halkidiki have been some of the worst hit places in Greece. High end businesses such as luxury hotels have been hit hard this year. Thassos and Kavala have fared better due to an increase in visitors from neighboring countries.

The British museum in London holds many artifacts from the Parthenon which officials in Greece are eager to retrieve. Michalis Liapis the culture minister of Greece spoke of how he hopes the example set by the Vatican will lead others in a similar situation to have a rethink.

Two and a half thousand years ago the Parthenon was built in honor of the Greek goddess Athena. In 1687 Venetian forces attacked the Parthenon with cannon fire during Ottoman occupation.

Over a century later Lord Elgin took large pieces of the temple which he later sold to the British Museum. The British Museum has been steadfast in its refusal to return the pieces to Greece saying that the pieces were acquired in a perfectly legal manner and are available to see free of charge for visitors.

A spokeswoman for the British Museum Hannah Boulton said that the return of the marble head by the Vatican has not put any further pressure on them to return anything and has not changed their position.

Almost half of the Parthenon frieze is located at the British Museum. Other pieces can be seen at the Louvre as well as a handful of other museums.

Sources at the Vatican say the loan may be renewed at the end of the year and there is a possibility that other pieces of Parthenon sculptures they have may also be loaned out.

2) Work out before you travel whether you have the right power supply for hair dryers, electric shavers etc. In Athens – Electricity – 22V 50Hz

3) Athens is a very sunny place most of the time with very little rainfall. There are often heat waves in Athens in the months of July and August. Winters can be a little cold with occasional frost.

4) Greek people are known for being friendly and open with visitors. Many of the citizens of Athens speak good English so don’t worry about asking them questions. If you have time, try learning some Greek words before you leave as they will appreciate the effort.

5) Greek time is 2 hrs ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, and 1hr in front of Central European Time and 7 hrs in front of ES Time. So for example if the time is 12AM in Athens, then in London it is 10PM

Athens is a stylish city full of wonderful shopping opportunities including many shops carrying work from top designers. There is also plenty to discover outside Athens with your car hire. Delphi and Olympia are a must see and are within easy reach using a hire car. The beautiful town of Glyfada is also a great place to spend the day with activities on offer such as Sailing and surfing.

There are plenty of festivals to be enjoyed in Athens if you visit during the summer months. Festivals of note include the aptly named “Athens Festival”.