text and photos by Nina Sarmiento

Despite the hustle and bustle typical of any growing metropolis, Athens managed to retain some of its rustic charm – public parks filled with palm trees, tavernas and cafes in every corner. Then there's the vibrant streets of Monastiraki and the numerous historic ruins that best define Greek capital.
A. Museums
1. National Archeological Museum: if you can only visit one museum in Athens then go here as it houses a superb collection of sculpture, pottery and jewelry which chronicles Greek history. Some of the main exhibits include the Mask of Agamemnon, the gold funeral mask that allegedly belonged to the legendary Greek leader; the bronze statue of the Youth of Antikythera; the marble sculpture of the Goddess of Love Aphrodite and Pan the God of Shepherds; and Marathon Boy, a bronze figure with a dreamy expression and easy pose.
2. Museum of the Cycladic Art: if you are a museum buff and attracted by the simplicity of the visual art that flourished in the Early Bronze age (about 3,000 BC). then this is the place to go. Each room houses a different period of cycladic sculpture. Not to be missed is the White Lekythos or funerary vases that were used to store olive oil for anointing the dead.
3. Benaki Museum: owned by the renown art collector Antonis Benakis. His collection include a diverse array of crafts, paintings, costume and memorabilia. Some of the highlights are the ship pendant, a 17th Century silver ciborium (a container used to store the sacred host by Christian churches) from Turkey and Byzantine Icon of St. Anne.
B. Greek Ruins
1. Tower of the winds: carved from marble, it serves both as a water-based clock and weather vane. The name is derived from the external friezes in the tower which personifies the eight deities of the wind.
On the north is Boreas, Northwest is Skiron, West is fo Zephyros, Lips is on southwest, south is Notos, Euros is in southeast, Apeliotes for east and Kaikias in northeast.
2. Agora: the marketplace, once served as the political center of Ancient Greece, where open meetings were held. The philosopher Socrates was indicted and executed in the state prison here.
You just need to walk on the Stoa of Attalos, porticos built during the reign of King Attalos II of Pergamon in 159 BC to get that feel of traveling in the once mighty empire.
3. Acropolis: the place that launched a thousand postcards. To get here, you have to climb the hills of Attica. while it is not very steep, this is usually crowded as every minute there is a group of tourist arriving to admire the area.
The main points are:
Porch of Caryatids – You have seen this before, sculpted figures of women serving as an architectural instead of the usual columns. The originals have since been replaced by cat sculptures but they are as beautiful as ever.
Temple of Athena Nike – this is on the west side, welcoming the visitors visiting the Acropolis. It was built in honor of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Athen's patron Goddess.
Parthenon – the main emblem of the city of Athens. Admired for its perfection, it was designed by architects Kallikrates, and Iktinos primarily to house the icon of the Goddess of Wisdom.
Theater of Dionysus – a major open-air theater in Athens, one of the earliest theaters in the world, dedicated to the ancient Greek God of Wine.
4. Temple of Zeus: The largest temple in Athens, even exceeding the Parthenon. This was built under the reign of Emperor Hadrian and dedicated it to the King of Gods. It once housed the Statue of Zeus which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Although there are only 15 of the original columns left, the enormity of the columns is enough to give the sense of its size.
C. Shops:
Monastiraki – the area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Pantánassa church monastery that is located within the square. Monastiraki is home to numerous stalls and shops that sells everything from junk to jewelery. The area is on the border of Roman Agora. Within its premises you can easily spot the remains of the library owned by the Ancient Roman Emperor Hadrian and the Tower of the Winds. This is a place where you can just hang around in a taverna, partake of Greek yogurt (the best in the world) and honey and have a sip of ouzo.