Athens

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece and the heart of the economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life of the country. The city is named after Athena, the ancient Greek godess of wisdom and justice, of strength, strategy and military victory.

It is one of the world's oldest cities, since its recorded history spans around 6,000 years. During the Classical Period, Athens was a powerful city-state, the leading city of Ancient Greece in the 5th century. It was the birthplace of democracy and a center of arts and philosophy. Due to the impact of its cultural and political achivements to the European continent, Athens is concidered to be the crandle of Western civilization.

A number of ancient monuments and works of art bear witness to the power of the city during this era. Overlooking Athens is the hill of the Acropolis, the house of a number of important temples and monuments, like the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. A vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, like the Roman Agora and the churches of St Apostles and Pantanassa, also testify to the importance of the city during that period. As one of the world’s main centres of archaeological research, with numerous museums and archaeological sites, the city attracts many travellers from all around the world. For further information, please visit Must see in Athens.

Athens is a wonderful city to visit throughout the year. It is one of the sunniest cities in Europe, with a semi-arid climate and low average annual rainfall. From March through May it's almost always pleasant and mild. Between June and August, the temperature rises steadily, making August the hotest month of the year. September is usually balmy, with occasional light rain. October offers beautiful weather, with rain and some high winds. Rain usually falls between November and February, when Athens can be cold and windy. Even so, there are many sunny days in winter and a heavy rain is often followed by brilliant sunshine.

In the middle of June, when the conference is held, the weather is excellent: average temperature is 28° C, allowing its inhabitants to circulate with a shirt, and encouraging them to visit the beaches nearby. If you have more time available, visiting an island nearby is a must. The organizing committee of the conference will be putting together tour packages for the conference participants, allowing them to visit nearby islands after the conference.

Public transport in Athens is excellent; it has been significantly revamped in view of the 2004 Olympic Games, and includes the following means of transportation: the Athens Metro, the Electric Railway, the Suburbial Railway, Buses, Cable Cars and Tramway, connecting all municipalities of Athens and Piraeus, as well as the centre of the town with the suburbs. Athens is also the hub of the country's National Railway Network, connecting the capital with major cities across Greece and abroad, whereas ferries departing from the major port of Piraeus connect the city to the numerous Greek islands of the Aegean Sea. Express bus services, as well as the Metro, connect Athens with Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (AIA) located near the town of Spata, 35 km east of Athens.

Athens is a modern European city brimming with year-round cultural activity which includes sporting events, children's activities, exhibitions, seasonal festivities, theatre, music, dance, festivals and other arts-related endeavours. It has a very active life, offering a vast variety of choices to young, as well as older generations.