The city was named after a Goddess Athena who embodied the wisdom, and who won this city as the prize in a combat with Poseidon. The city is very ancient and correctly considered as the cradle of the west civilization. It is here democracy, philosophy, arts and architecture was born. Athens is the city which Greeks used to 'love to hate', as one popular singer sang. Greeks complain that this city is too expensive, too polluted and overcrowded. Believe it or not, 40% of the Greece population (or 5 million people) lives in Athens, and this makes this city to bulge at the seams. There are nearly 160 000 taxi in the city, but it’s hard to find the free one, and traffic is jammed in way you start thinking that all 5 million people have cars. Thanks to Olympic Games in 2004, the city had made efforts to improve the situation. Hotels in Athens were renovated, museums rehabilitated, new airport built and famous dome-like stadium made of steel and glass became the object of city's note. Subway had also undergone the remarkable change, as well as the public transportation as a whole. Being the political and business center of the Greece, Athens offers you a vast number (more than 250) of Athens hotels and hostels in Athens with all possible services.

 Athens always had a unique charm and lively temper attracting thousands tourists and visitors. Street markets, taverns covered with grape branches, souvenir shops, ancient monuments and statues in the vicinity of modern buildings - all this create the atmosphere which Greeks call "home".

 Most of the sights of interest can be observed by a walk, they are mainly located in the center of the city, around Acropolis. It is in the central part of the city you can find a lot of luxury Athens hotels as well as a great number of cheap hotels in Athens. You can find appropriate hotels in Athens even if you are on a budget, but do book cheap hotels in Athens well in advance as cheap accommodations in Athens are deservedly very popular. The city can be extremely hot at summer middle, so make sure beforehand, at the booking, that your hotel in Athens is equipped with air-conditioning. Sometimes, especially if you look for a budget hotel in Athens, you may face the lack of English speaking staff.