Athens (Piraeus) Greece

The port of Piraeus is one of the last old-style Mediterranean ports from where you can catch ferries to all of the Greek islands and travel a short distance to Greece's capital city Athens.

In the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka district, with its honeycomb of streets, little shops - and tavernas that come alive at night. Situated on the north and east slopes of the Acropolis, it is rich with historic sites, such as ancient monuments and churches. Within Athens there are eight large hills, including the Acropolis, and on the outskirts, Mount Parnitha, Mount Pendeli and Mount Hymettos surround the city. A trip to Athens' most famous tourist attraction, the impressive Parthenon built on the Acropolis around 2,500 years ago, will be memorable to say the least.

There are an extraordinary number of historic tourist sights in Athens and many of these are known world-wide. Some of the top Athens attractions include the Agora - a grand, ruined Roman building, Hadrian's Arch - originally the city gate linking the Roman quarters with original town of Athens and the stunning Dionysos Theatre - the world's oldest theatre where many great plays have been performed over the years.

Things to See & Do

* Acropolis
* The Panathenaicon Stadium - site of the first Olympiad
* The Temple of the Olympian Zeus
* Plaka district

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - euro (€)
Language - Greek
Land Area - 428 sq km
Population - 3,271,100 approx
Electricity - 2 pin Round pins European style
Time -GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code - 0030

Port Location - Piraeus, the main harbor of Athens's main seaport, is located 11km (7 miles) southwest of central Athens.

Transport Links - Ships dock in the Port of Piraeus roughly seven miles from Athens and about 30 minutes from Athen's International airport. It is an easy walk into Piraeus from the cruise ship terminal. It is about a 20 minute walk to the train station where one can take a direct train to the foot of the Acropolis in the heart of the Plaka district of Athens.

The public transport system in Athens offers the Metro, buses, trolley buses and taxis, however most of what you'll want to see and do in Athens is in the city center, and is easily accessible on foot.