Athens has a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age. In the 5th Century BC (the “Golden Age of Pericles”) – the culmination of Athens’ long, fascinating history – the city’s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest. In 1834, it became the capital of the modern Greek state and it has since become an attractive modern metropolis.
A large part of the town’s historical centre has been converted into a 3-kilometre pedestrian zone (the largest in Europe), leading to the major archaeological sites (“archaeological park”), reconstructing – to a large degree – the ancient landscape.
In Athens and the wider Attica area, you will find a wide range of accommodation options of high standard, modern means of transportation, a wide choice of opportunities for shopping, dining and nightlife, but above all the hospitality and warmth of the city’s inhabitants. In a nutshell, Athens is a city that fascinates everyone, during all seasons! Many universities and colleges are based in Athens. As the “City of Culture”, Athens attracts thousands of international students who are interested in combining a high- quality education with the favourable lifestyle and weather of the Greek capital.
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Below, you can find some useful tips about your everyday life in Athens:
The Athens public transportation network offers you a wide variety of routes, combining many different means, namely the metro, railway, buses, trolleybuses and trams. With a 1,40€ ticket you can move around using one or more means of transport within 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can buy tickets from all metro and train stations, as well as from the kiosks on the streets. Alternatively, you can inquire about day, weekly or monthly passes that offer public transport at a discounted rate.
During your stay in Athens you will have the opportunity to enjoy various pastimes and entertainment options. Expensive fashion label boutiques, flea markets, wellness and spa centers, cheap traditional restaurants (called “tavernas”), posh seafront cafés, cinemas and theaters, cater to all trends and desires. Greece is famous for its especially intense and multifaceted nightlife, which is not restricted to the weekends, in stark contrast to most other European countries: here the fun lasts until the early hours of the morning. Well known for its leisure industry, Athens offers you the opportunity to fill your days with relaxation and pleasure. If what you are looking for is fun, try one of the fun parks and enjoy the many activities they offer. Wildlife lovers shouldn’t fail to pay a visit to the Athens Zoo, which hosts amongst others one of the biggest varieties of birds. From Athens, you can easily have access to the small islands of the Saronic Gulf [Hydra, Poros, Aigina] which are less than an hour away by boat. Moreover, you can easily arrange a weekend in most of the popular Cyclades islands such as Syros, Andros, Myconos and Santorini [the last two can also be reached by air on a domestic 45 minutes flight].
The birthplace of the Olympic Games has a tradition of athletics. The great outdoors is what recreational sporting in Athens is all about - yachting, sailing, windsurfing, beach volleyball, trekking and skiing. Athens has a very large seafront [southern and eastern suburbs of the city], and is close to two major skiing resorts [Parnassos and Kalavryta] which can be reached even for a daily excursion.
International Students 
