Athens center : Athens today is the cultural, industrial and political center of modern Greece. Ancient Athens is considered by many to be the fountainhead of Western civilization. The heart of the city,ancient and modern, is the world-famous Acropolis. Nearby is the old and new  Agora, the ancient civic center and marketplace with its temple of Hephaistos and other important monuments. Also close to the Acropolis, and within walking distance of the Athens Centre, is the Plaka, the old quarter of the modern city. There, amidst Byzantine churches and early modern historical buildings are other monuments of the ancient city, like the Library of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian. Also is very near Athens Centre are the National Gardens and Parliament House. Nearby is the Panathenaikon stadium, built in 330 BC for the Greater Panathenaic Festival and rebuilt centuries later to accommodate the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896. Lycabettus Hill, with St. George's chapel at its summit, offers one of the best views of this wonderful city. The many museums,monuments, and scenic viewpoints in present-day Athens evoke memories of the masters of art and architecture, philosophy and drama who once walked its streets and who have made such important contributions to Western civilization. The Centre: The Athens Centre, located near the Acropolis and other major archaeological sites of the city, is headquarters for the Penn State Athens program. Founded in 1969 as the Athens Centre for Creative Arts, this Greek non-profit organization sponsors academic and cultural activities. It schedules programs for Athens residents throughout the year in the fields of Greek Studies, fine arts and performing arts, and since 1977 has offered courses in Modern Greek language to foreigners living and working in Athens. In addition to its work with Penn State, the Centre cooperates with several other U.S. colleges and universities. Its URL is
http://www.athenscentre.gr/
Athens Centre
PERSONAL PREPARATIONS
• Athens News--The online version of Athens' English-language newspaper:
http://athensnews.dolnet.gr/
• Greece on-line travel guide--http://www.helios.gr/
• Focus Magazine/Greece--http://www.focusmm.com/greece/gr_anamn.htm
• Treasures of Mount Athos--Another Ministry site:
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/218/index.html
• Hellas Home Page--Links (a lot of links) to information about Greek culture:
http://www.greece.org/hellas/root.html
• Ancient City of Athens--A collection of photographs of the major archaeological
sites in Athens: http://www.stoa.org/athens/
• Ancient Rhetoric--An online guide to rhetoric in ancient Greece & Rome:
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwrnc/oldrhetoric.htm
• Athens hotels --view 182 hotels in Athens area :
http://www.travelpage.gr/greece/ATHENS/Hotels.htm

Go to Bookings Athens hotels and find very good prices at hotels in Center of Athens