View of Athens from the Acropolis

Ah, we have landed in beautiful Athens en route to the islands and what an ideal opportunity to visit the best sights in the City.  Athens - capital of Greece, a cradle of democracy, birthplace of Western Civilization - is a vibrant city where old and new co-exist. It is a vast, sprawling metropolis surrounded by rocky mountains. It covers 176 square miles and has a population of four million people.  The City prides itself on being home to the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the 2,500-year-old Temple of Athena, and many superb museums.  Let's start our tour of Athens with a visit to the Acropolis, the site of the first-known settlement in Greece (some 5,000 years ago) and the showcase of Greek architect during the Golden Age of Pericles.   The ruins of sacred buildings from this era still stand at the top of the Acropolis. Let's climb to the top of the Acropolis and visit the Parthenon.