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An agricultural region with several large population centres, the southern Attica peninsula has some fine beaches, particularly along the Apollo Coast and at Shinias, near Marathon. It's also known for its wine production.
Until the 7th century, Attica was home to a number of smaller kingdoms, such as those at Eleusis (Elefsina), Ramnous and Brauron (Vravrona). In pure visual terms, the remains of these cities pale alongside the superb Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, but any of them can be nice to visit simply because you'll probably have the place to yourself.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Around Athens.
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Tucked inside the Piraeus station, this museum is a trove of old switches, nifty models and cool machinery, including a gleaming old wooden train car. It's a passion project of a former railway employee, and he and the other staff are full of interesting facts.
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The museum's star attraction is the magnificent statue of Apollo, the Piraeus Kouros, the larger-than-life, oldest hollow bronze statue yet found. It dates from about 520 BC and was discovered buried in rubble in 1959. Other important finds from the area include fine tomb reliefs from the 4th to 2nd centuries BC.
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As nautical museums go, this isn't one of the best, despite Greece’s long maritime history. Still, it does have all the requisite models of ancient and modern ships, seascapes by leading 19th- and 20th-century Greek painters, guns, flags and maps, and even part of a submarine.