Must-see in Athens: a first-timer's guide

A brief history Athens has been inhabited for over 5,000 years and in the 5th century BC invented much of what we call classical civilisation — democracy, drama and philosophy. Roman, Byzantine and four centuries of Ottoman rule followed, leaving a village of a few thousand people by 1830. Chosen as capital of the new Greek state, it exploded in size in the 20th century and now spreads from the Acropolis to the sea. 10 must-see attractions 1. Acropolis and the Parthenon — the marble temple of Athena crowning the sacred rock. 2. Acropolis Museum — the surviving sculptures displayed in glass halls facing the hill itself. 3. Ancient Agora — the civic centre where Socrates argued, with the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus. 4. Plaka — the old quarter of neoclassical houses, tavernas and bougainvillea beneath the Acropolis. 5. National Archaeological Museum — the greatest collection of Greek antiquities anywhere. 6. Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch — colossal columns from Athens' Roman heyday. 7. Panathenaic Stadium — all-marble stadium that hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896. 8. Mount Lycabettus — funicular to the highest point in the city for sunset over the Parthenon. 9. Monastiraki flea market — copper, records and souvlaki around a crowded square. 10. Cape Sounion — the cliff-edge Temple of Poseidon, a 90-minute drive down the coast. Tip: climb the Acropolis at opening time in summer; by midday the rock is furnace-hot.