Must see attractions in Around Athens

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The Ancient Greeks knew how to choose a site for a temple. At Cape Sounion, 70km south of Athens, the Temple of Poseidon stands on a craggy spur that…

Lovers of mosaics will be dazzled by the glittering gold scenes in the 11th-century main church here, a listed Unesco site. The work was likely done by…

South of Marathon town, this excellent museum displays local discoveries from various periods, including Neolithic pottery from the Cave of Pan and finds…

This partially restored temple to the goddess of the hunt dates from approximately 420 BC, with some earlier remains. Most remarkable is an ancient stone…

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…

Eleusis occupies a great site on the slopes of a low hill, close to the shore of the Saronic Gulf. Although little has been restored, the scale of its…

Mt Parnitha, about 25km north of Athens, comprises a number of smaller peaks, the highest of which is Karavola (1413m), tall enough to get snow in winter…

The evocative, overgrown and secluded ruins of the ancient port of Ramnous, about 10km northeast of Marathon, stand on a picturesque plateau overlooking…

This hodgepodge of a museum is set on a rambling 32-hectare estate, once the home of Ion Vorres. Vorres migrated to Canada as a young man, but built his…

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…

This 10m-high tumulus, or burial mound, sits 4km south of the town of Marathon, just east of the Athens–Marathon road. Traditionally in Ancient Greece,…

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…

Attica Zoological Park has a collection of big cats, birds, reptiles and other animals, including a monkey forest and 'Cheetahland'. The 19-hectare site…

This cave is not particularly large, but the winding path goes past some interesting formations and the whole place is tinged rust-red from iron deposits…

If you happen to be in town during the museum's limited opening hours, peek in to see fabulous crystals and metals mined from the area, plus learn a bit…

Lavrio's small archaeological museum holds finds from the area, mostly stone carvings. Some date to 5000 BC. Entrance and parking is on the small branch…