Athens city breaks
holidays and city breaks in Athens
Athens is an excellent centre for excursions. The favourites are
these: Kaisariani, 01 m. out of the city, is an 11 th century Byzantine
monastery among the tree clad lower slopes of Mount Hymettos, famed for
its honey. The monastery has been ingeniously restored.
Daphni, 52 m., has a restored Byzantine church and monastery with some
beautiful mosaics. In September, the neighbouring park is the place of
an annual festival dedicated to Greek wines - more than seventy
varieties are served free from racked barrels to amateur tasters willing
to pay the nominal admission fee and rent a glass. .
Cape Sounion, with its magnificent ancient temple, has glorious views
from the excellent coastal highway and from the temple at sunset. Along
the route and at the Cape are fine bathing beaches and modern hotels.
Skala Oropos, offers a refreshing and scenic drive through the foothills
of Mount Parnis (4,632 ft). There are fine views of the island of Euboea,
which can be reached by car-ferry.
Corinth . is another scenic drive along one of the new corniche highways. It takes in, with a minor detour, the site of the Eleusis Mysteries, and the fine swimming beaches edging the Saronic Gulf. Corinth itself has the famous canal - a road-bridge crosses the deep, narrow cleft - and the site of the ancient city.
The Corinth Patras National highway is also the road to the Peloponnese, the large peninsula on which are Mycenae,Argos and Tiryns, scenes of history and legend; and the picturesque coastal city of Navplion 96 m., which served as the capital of Greece (t832-4) after the War of Independence, and which charmingly reveals its earlier Venetian influences
Beyond lies Epidaurus with its beautiful, acoustically perfect ancient theatre, where notable performances are presented during the festival season.
Leaving Athens by the north-western direction, there is the breathtakingly beautiful excurtion to Delphi, the home of the ancient world's most famous oracle. The blend of natural beauty and classic ruins makes Delphi unique. Many good hotels are available for a recommended overnight stay at the nearby town of Delphi Further to the West on the Gulf of Patras ,Mesolongi, famous for its role in the Greek War of Independence, is the place where Lord Byron died.To the South West, frequent boat services from Piraeus offer a day of island visits in the Saronic Gulf, chiefly to Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses.
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