Summer in Athens
Host Country and City
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of Ancient Greece, which is considered the cradle of all Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama - including both tragedy and comedy.
The cultural and technological achievements of Greece influenced the world, with aspects of the Greek civilization being imparted to the East through Alexander the Great's campaigns, and to the West through the Roman Empire. This rich legacy is partly reflected in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in the country.
Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland, and a vast number of islands (about 5,000 but only 227 are inhabited).
Athens
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It dominates the Attica region, and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged as a center for the arts, learning and philosophy. It was the home of Plato's Academy, and Aristotle's Lyceum and it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, due to the impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC in the rest of the world.
Today a cosmopolitan metropolis, modern Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political, and cultural life in Greece. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous being the Parthenon!
