Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece which dominates the Attica region with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC.

Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus, which had been a distinct city prior to its 5th century BC incorporation with Athens. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent and the Romans. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to cultural life in Greece.

Get ready to bite into a sweet, cream filled, crunchy filo layered pie called bougatsa, fork into perfectly fried doughnut balls drenched in honey called loukoumades and savor a satisfying meld of flavors from warm pita bread filled with seasoned grilled meat, fresh veggies and traditional sauce called gyros. In between, you’ll taste Feta cheese, Greek olives, and sip Greek wines. This neighborhood walk revolves around sampling Greece’s traditional food.

Second stop on your trip will be Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, with over 1 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of Macedonia. A town with long history and rich culture, Thessaloniki is an ideal city break and intermediate destination before heading to the beach resorts of Halkidiki, Kavala and Pieria in northern Greece. The most popular spot of the town is the Beach Promenade, where locals and visitors enjoy a long and relaxing walk any time of the day. Aristotle Square also gets busy, as this is the center of Thessaloniki. Most sights and central quarters of the city are within a walking distance from this square.