Athens, GREECE
Airing Date: Aug 23rd, 2004
Greece was home to the original Olympic Games in ancient Olympia back in 776BC. The ancient Olympics continued every four years until it was abolished by the Romans. After that, it wasn't until 1896 when the very first modern Olympics was held in Athens.
At the time, the Greek Government wanted little to do with the Games and rejected any kind of responsibility towards it, however an Olympic Committee was established. The persistence of intellectuals, visionaries as well as wealthy Greeks inspired all sorts of people to contribute to the Olympic fund, and the modern Olympics began.
Now the games have returned to Athens. Athens is the capital of Greece with a population of approximately five million people. It is undoubtedly the heart of the country as well as its economic, industrial, political and cultural centre.
Aside from the Olympic Games, Athens has a long and rich history. It has one of the greatest sites of the ancient world, the Acropolis, which literally means 'high city'. The Acropolis itself is a rocky plateau about 165 ft high which towers over Athens and symbolises the glorious history of the ancient city.
According to Greek mythology, the goddess Athena and sea-god Poseidon had a contest to decide who was to be the rightful owner of Attica, the country around Athens. Poseidon struck his trident into the Acropolis and a salt spring rose up from the ground; Athena, in her turn, produced the first olive tree and was judged the winner by the Athenian people.
Perched on top of the Acropolis is the impressive Parthenon temple, dedicated to Athena. It's been standing for over 2500 years.
The Plaka is one of the oldest and most lively neighbourhoods in Athens. It has great restaurants offering every type of Souvlaki possible! The Plaka is one place in Athens that is pedestrian friendly - just mind the spruikers.
The best way to travel round the city is on the modernised subway; it's the cheapest and quickest way to get about. When digging started for the subway, 12,000 years of Greek history was uncovered, and now the station looks more like a museum.
There's plenty of entertainment in Athens, including the Olympic Art Festival held in the 2000 year old amphitheatre. Even if you're not visiting during the time of the Olympics, there are always other events going on like music or opera performances. Every summer the Athens Festival is held at the ancient Herodeon. Just make sure you know what you are buying a ticket for before you pay for it.
The facts
Allsun Holidays offer three day packages in Athens starting from $292 per person. Price includes the highlights of the Olympic city, two nights' accommodation and a city tour.
Allsun Holidays
Tel: 02 9241 3211
Thai Airways International can fly you to Athens with return prices starting at $2165 from the west coast and $2255 from the east coast.
Thai Airways International
Tel: 1300 651 960
Suggested reading material: Lonely Planet
Prices correct at 09/08/04
