You can’t fail to be entranced by Athens. Ancient Greek mythology and reality are stamped into the scenery wherever you go, but of course there are some main sights you won’t want to miss.

The Parthenon is one of the main places to go to. It dates from the mid 400s BC, so you can see how much history it has weathered and stood through. It is also known as the Temple of Athena, and while some of it has understandably been weathered and ruined over the centuries, it still stands in remarkably good condition considering how old it is.

But don’t spend too much time there because you’ll want to see the Acropolis of Athens as well. You can see this from a fair distance away, because it stands on top of a rock – and in fact the Parthenon forms one part of the Acropolis. There is plenty more here too though, which is why the two are usually spoken of as separate places to see and go. You’ll need most of the day to explore the site, as there are several temples, the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, statues and much more besides. And you won’t want to miss anything out!

If you want to see a Greek temple that is even better preserved than the Acropolis, you need to head for the Temple of Hephaestus. This is really a stunning sight and if you view it from the eastern side you will notice that it looks pretty much intact. All that is missing is some of the right hand side of the triangular section which stands above the pillars. You could almost believe you were back in ancient Greek times, such is the impressive state of this particular ancient structure.

There is plenty more to discover in the way of ancient monuments, structures and temples in Athens as well. When you arrive make sure you grab a tourist map and mark all the places that are worth seeing. There aren’t many locations in the world that have this degree of ancient structures, and Athens definitely offers a huge insight into another world altogether.