Where to go in Athens?

Athens is one of the world's oldest cities and one of the most popular destinations for tourists. Athens is the birthplace of civilization with rich and exciting history and valuable inheritance. You can enjoy traveling in Athens by doing a plenty of activities. From seeing classic attractions, visit museums, churches, gardens, parks, galleries, Olympic stadium, exploring neighborhoods, visiting bars, and not to forget Acropolis! Although there are so many places to go in Athens, and we encourage you to not miss any of it, here is a guide for you to explore some places to go in Athens.

1. Anafiotika neighborhood
It is always nice to start the trip with exploring the neighborhoods. This way, you'll get to know how the locals live, seeing the buildings etc. Anafiotika is a 19th century neighborhood located on the northern slopes of the Acropolis hill. The neighboorhood is above Plaka, another neighboorhood you can visit. Both neighoorhoods are nice to explore since the the circulation of cars are low, but Plaka is more vivid has many taverns and shops.

2. The Ancient Agora

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Next to Anafiotika is Agora, where you find the ruins of Agora famed marketplace. This is one of the most interesting Archaeological sites in Greece. It was the focus of commercial, political, administrative, religious and cultural center, as well as  social activities and seat of justice in Ancient Greece, lasting for 1,200 years. It was a place where democracy was born and when St. Paul preached and brought Christianity to Athens.

3. The Acropolis

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Acropolis is a must-visit destination when you're in Athens. Literally mean "High city", Acropolis is where you find the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Parthenon. The Parthenon is the most famous building from ancient Greece, a beautiful white marble building you cannot miss. In Greece, restaurants or hotels that claim themselves as one of the best are the ones which offer the guests a view of the Acropolis from their buildings. Don't forget to also visit The New Acropolis Museum.

4. Panathinaikos stadium (Kallimarmaro Stadium)

Wondering where the first modern Olympic games were held? Panathinaikos stadium is the answer! The stadium is made from fine marble, makes it the only stadium in the world which entirely constructed from white marble. Other than used for sport events, the stadium is also used as a venue for musical performances.

5. National Archaeological museum
Not just a best museum in Greece, but also the largest and one of the most significant museums of Ancient Greek Art in the world. It holds about 8,500 square meters of exhibition space of galleries which shows the lasting evolution of Ancient Greek art as well as history from the prehistoric period (6800 BC) to the late Roman Era (4th century AD).

6. Thiseion Cinema
Thiseion Cinema is one of the best cinemas of the world. Located on the south side of the Acropolis, Thiseion is full with people during summer. Enjoying movies in Thiseion is different since it's an open-air cinema with a best view of Acropolis!

7. Mount Lycabettus

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Mount Lycabettus stands at 745ft. high above Athens. To go there, you can hike up the path starting from end of Aristippou street in Kolonaki and winds upwards. There is also funicular, leaving from Ploutarchou and Aristippou Streets.

8. Irodheio/Herodeon (The Roman Odeion of Herodes Atticus)
It was originally a steep-sloped amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof with capacity of 5,000 people. One of the most famous places to go in Athens, Irodheio has been used for main venues forthe Athens Festival from May to October. The festivals include musical concerts, ancient drama performances, and opera. Famous Greek and international performers have experienced on stage of Irodheio. International performers are Sting, Elton John and Andrea Bocelli.

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9. The Temple of Poseidon
The famous temple of Poseidon is most important and amazing sanctuary of Attica. It was built to worship Poseidon, the god of the sea during the Golden Age of Perikles. Here you can see a ruins of great marble shrine which was built in the 5th century BC. If you love sunset, stay until the sun sets because here you can enjoy beautiful sunset along with a stunning sea view.

10. Monastiraki Flea Market
This flea market is lively and large, opens every Sunday from 8.00-14.00. This market sells items such as cloths, jewelries, shoes, silverware, clocks, leather goods, etc.

11. Academy of Athens in Panepistimiou Street
Take a tour to this building, a Greece's national academy and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926 and operates under Ministry of Education's supervision.

Top 10 Must-Visit Places in Japan

Japan is one of the most famous destinations in the world. Although Japan is advanced in technology and architecture, tourists still can see their well-kept unique culture. Almost all their historical sites are still used for purposes, while the rest of it open to public. Japan is good to visit all year. Tourists are safer in this country as the crime rates are one of the lowest. Though there are so many places to go in Japan, here are top 10 must-visit places when you go to Japan.

10. Jigokudani Monkey Park

Do you like to see monkeys? If yes, then you should go to Jigokudani monkey park, a famous hot spring area near Nagano. In Japanese, Jigokudani means "Hell's Valley", named for its steam and boiling water bubbles out the frozen ground. Surrounding the area is steep cliffs and cold forests. The kind of monkeys you will see here is snow monkeys, which always comes to sit in the warm hot springs. When the sun sets, they are back to the forests, for their own security.

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9. Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is one of the best existing Japanese-style castle. It used to defend against enemis during feudal period, has been rebuilt many times and even survived the bombings of World War II. Himeji Castle has been seen in domestic and foreign films. One of the most famous ones is James Bond's "You Only Live Twice".

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8. Hiroshima Peace Memorial

A reminder to what happened in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, Hiroshima Peace Memorial is a place where you see Genbaku Dome, the only building left standing in the vicinity after the bombing happened.

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7. Todaiji Temple

Visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden building in the world where you can see the largest bronze Buddha statue. The place is so beautiful as it's surrounded by beautiful garden and wildlife. Not only that, there is also the Kegon school of Buddhism in the center of the area where you can see many Japanese artifacts and buddhist history.

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6. Kiyomizudera

Kiyomizudera (literally means "Pure Water Temple") is a Buddhist temple located in Eastern Kyoto, was founded in 798 in the early Heian period (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_period). The temple is best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage is where visitors can see amazing views of maple and cherry trees below that is mostly beautiful in spring and fall, as well as the city of Kyoto in the distance.The main hall and the stage were built without the use of nails.  Kiyomizudera was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994.

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5. Tokyo Tower

The Tokyo Tower is a tower inspired by the design of Eiffel tower in Paris. This tower is the second tallest in Japan, functioning as a means for communications and observation tower. The most amazing thing to visit it is that you can climb the tower to see amazing views of the city of Tokyo!

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4. Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is not only of the most popular attractions but also the highest mountain  in Japan. Numerous of climbers have already seen the beauty of this volcanic mountain  There are about 200,000 people climbing Mount Fuji every year. if you are not a climber, then you can still see this beautiful mountain from distance.

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3. Tokyo Imperial Palace

Tokyp Imperial Palace used to be a home to the Emperor of Japan. The palace is built on the ruins of older castles that were destoryed by fire of war. Now the new palace has traditional Japanese gardens and many reception rooms as well as function rooms to receive guests and welcome the public.

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2. Great Buddha of Kamakura

Great Buddha of Kamakura is a dolossal outdoor representation of Amida Buddha, famous Buddhist figure in Japan. The Great Buddha is 13 meters (40 feet) high and weights nearly 93 tons. The statue is cast in bronze, created in 1252. The statue used to be housed in a small wooden temple but because of the tsunami in the 15th century, the temple was washed away leaving the statue now put in the open air.

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1. The Temple of Golden Pavilion

The Temple of Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku-ji, is the most popular attraction in Japan, overlooking a large pond. This pavilion was built in the late 14th century, to serve Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as a retirement villa. The pavilion has burnt down numerous times, and recently in 1950 by a young monk who was so fanatic to it. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955. The pavilion is covered in gold leaf which highlights the reflection of the pavilion in the pond and the pond's reflection on the building.

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