Greece

The Plaka district, at the foot of the Acropolis, offers narrow neoclassical streets filled with tavernas and shops, giving Athens’s oldest neighborhood a village-like charm. The Ancient Agora, once the heart of civic life in classical Athens, preserves the well-restored Temple of Hephaestus among its ruins. Syntagma Square, where the changing of the Evzones guard takes place, sits before the Greek Parliament building. Athens’s unmatched concentration of classical history makes it foundational to understanding Western civilization.

The Ano Poli, or upper town, preserves Ottoman-era houses and Byzantine walls with sweeping views over the Thermaic Gulf. Thessaloniki’s food scene, drawing on Greek, Sephardic Jewish, and Ottoman influences, has earned it a reputation as one of Greece’s most exciting culinary cities. The city’s vibrant student population, one of the largest in Greece, gives Thessaloniki a lively bar and cafe culture along its seafront promenade. Thessaloniki’s layered history and food culture make it a compelling alternative to Athens.

The island was formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, and the ancient ruins of Akrotiri, sometimes called the Minoan Pompeii, preserve a Bronze Age settlement buried by the eruption. Fira, the island’s main town, offers cliffside walkways connecting shops and restaurants with sweeping caldera views, along with a cable car down to the old port. Santorini’s volcanic soil produces distinctive wines, with several wineries offering tastings amid dramatic vineyard views. Red Beach and Perissa’s black sand beaches showcase the island’s volcanic geology in dramatic color. Santorini’s caldera views and volcanic history make it one of the most iconic Greek islands.