Revealing Athens as one of the World’s Greatest Places 2021, Time Magazine has confirmed what most already know about the breathtaking city.
The heart of the powerful empire of Ancient Greece, Athens remains after centuries dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel containing the remains of ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance like the Parthenon temple.
Athens’ Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewellery and more from Ancient Greece.
Widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy, ancient Athens was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum.
In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece.
“The challenges of the past year and a half have transformed our world, and few industries have been as affected as travel, tourism and hospitality,” reads Time’s preamble explaining how the 100 unique destinations on its list were chosen.
“In many ways, our third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places is a tribute to the people and businesses at the forefront of those industries who, amid extraordinary circumstances, found ways to adapt, build and innovate. It shines a light on ingenuity, creativity, revitalization and re-openings in destinations across the world.
“To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places—including countries, regions, cities and towns—from our international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.”
Portraying the capital and largest city of Greece as experiencing “a cruising renaissance”, the article reads:
“Athens’ post-pandemic recovery will be buoyed by the waves. Its chief seaport, Piraeus, the largest in Greece, is the locus of the revival of European cruising, as resort ships resume their circuits of Greece and the Aegean Sea. Passengers can choose from two new ships: Celebrity Cruises’ luxury vessel ‘the Celebrity Apex’, and Silversea’s new flagship, ‘Silver Moon’, which will both sail to islands including Santorini and Mykonos, with some itineraries including Cyprus and Haifa, Israel. And in a nod to the country’s sporting past, the Athens Olympic Museum opened in May.”
Read the complete list of Time Magazine’s World's Greatest Places 2021 on time.com.
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