Without the Greeks, there would be no Western civilisation. Huge parts of the knowledge we take for granted today are thanks to the ancient civilisation founded in this small corner of the Mediterranean 3,000 years ago. It is no understatement: Athens is where the modern world was born.

While many holidaymakers treat Athens as only a stop-over en route to the islands, Greece's capital city remains a repository for its cultural treasures and the very core of its identity.

The great Greek thinkers Pythagoras, Archimedes, Socrates and Plato are still household names today, not bad for a bunch of philosophers and mathematicians that have been dead for millennia. Visit Athens, and the remnants of the Greek Empire scattered all over the city make it easy to imagine these fathers of civilisation who once occupied the Ancient Agora, the social and commercial centre of the city.

It is on the Acropolis, the ancient hill fort that rises above modern day Athens, that you'll find the most spectacular remains. The Parthenon, the Temple to Athena Nike and the Erechtheion are all located here and together they create one of the most spectacular and memorable backdrops of any city in the world.

But Athens's neighbourhoods - especially the Plaka with its relaxed cafés and excellent markets - are by no means relics of the past. Browsing the bazaars in these bustling, lively locales make a welcome break from touring the sites of the ancients.

And Athens also has its modern side. The central district is distinctly third millennium and the walk from the Acropolis to the modern buildings that surround Constitution Square takes you through 3,000 years of human civilisation - a unique experience.

The Acropolis, one of the most important groups of ancient monuments in the Western World, is the highlight of any visit to Athens.

On entering the complex through the original gateway, or propylaia, you'll see the Parthenon, Temple of Athena and Erechtheion laid out before you: an impressive sight by anyone's standards. Though the buildings are crumbling and constantly under renovation, this barely detracts from the original splendour of the site and it's hard to believe that these structures date back almost two and a half millennia.

Built between 447 and 438BC and named after Athena Parthenos, the goddess of Athens, the Parthenon has long been Greece's most beloved monument. Constructed almost entirely of fine white Pentelic marble, the structure has always held strong religious significance, having undergone incarnations as a church and mosque since its original use as a traditional Greek temple.

The Erechtheion is famed mainly for its elegant caryatids supporting the side porch, though those on display today are in fact all replicas. Five of the originals are kept in the Acropolis Museum; the sixth can be seen at London's British Museum.

The remaining treasures from the site that haven't been carted off to London are predominantly housed in the Museum of the Acropolis (located behind the Parthenon) where there are a number of beautifully renovated sculptures and a variety of other artefacts.

The Plaka district is the most atmospheric part of Athens for strolling. It contains many of the city's finest monuments, attractions and restaurants and still retains an air of the ancient city.

Dusty, hot and frenetic through the day, by night it is cool and full of character. The Plaka is also home to a permanently lively street culture of souvenir pedlars and outdoor markets that bring life to the atmospheric streets.

Athens is a lively city, and entertainment on offer varies between the historic and the modern.

Traditional Greek nights are standard tourist fare but are still worthwhile to get a flavour of Greek culture, and are undeniably good fun. Look out for dedicated evenings involving Greek dancing and cuisine.

Most of the major organised entertainment events coincide with the high-peak tourist season over the summer months. The Athens Festival takes place from June to October, and amongst the attractions on offer are open-air events centred on Athens' most famous landmarks. If you come out of season choice is more limited, although all the attractions of a modern city are on offer year round.

The Athens Guide is available free of charge from the tourist office and major hotels. It includes information in both Greek and English on entertainment and nightlife as well as containing detailed maps of Athens. For up-to-date information on what's on, contact the tourist office, Tel: +30 210-331-0392 or Tel: +30 210-870-7000.

The best place to catch Greek folk music and dancing is Filopappos Hill from May to October, when the acclaimed Dora Stratou Dance Company stage nightly performances of traditional entertaiment. Performances: Tue-Sat 21h30, Sun 20h15. Tel: +30 210-324-4395.

Tavernas on Mnissiklleos in the Plaka district also often have live Greek music shows, although many are set up specifically for bus tour groups and as a result are very touristy. For smaller rock and pop gigs head for the bars in Exarhia. Just wander around and see what takes your fancy - there's usually something on in one of the bars.

Pallas Theatre
5 Voukourestiou St, Syntagma
Tel: +30 210-810-8181

Another popular venue is the Pallas Theatre, which hosts jazz, rock and classical concerts.

Athens Concert Hall
Vas Sofias, Ilissia
Tel: +30 210-728-2333

One of the main venues for classical performances is the Athens Concert Hall with its year-round programme of music. Bookings are usually taken three weeks before each performance.

Athens is a modern city as well as an ancient one and you'll find international shopping in the major stores of the new town, around Constitution Square. Ermou is undoubtedly the main shopping street. It progresses from the square and is a completely pedestrianised thoroughfare lined with international shops selling the latest in couture, music and generally any goods you could imagine.

Eolou bisects Ermou and continues on to pass the central market, well worth a look in itself. Eolou offers slightly more bargains than Ermou and you'll find more independent shops among the mainstream offerings here. Eolou is also the favoured haunt of street vendors and hawkers (not that they're too shy anywhere in the city).

Despite this abundance of excellent shopping in the modern town many tourists prefer to seek out distinctive Greek arts and crafts in a more authentic atmosphere. The buying and selling of genuine antiquities is illegal but there are still plenty of Athenians who have kept "ancient" crafts alive and are eager to sell facsimiles of artefacts to tourists.

The Plaka is the best area to shop for craft items, as well as the few antiques that are allowed to leave the country. The area's flea market is the best hunting ground as many of the permanent shops deal mainly in tacky tourist souvenirs. The market is at its biggest on Sundays.

Another good Sunday market is the fleamarket on Monastiraki which is packed with colourful people and an eclectic range of merchandise.

The National Welfare Organisation's Hellenic Folk Art Gallery at the corner of Apollonos and Ipatias, also in the Plaka, is worth a look as well.

The best souvenirs are arts and crafts - but be warned, the authorities take a very dim view of tourists caught with even the smallest piece of rubble from ancient sites and you are advised not to purchase anything of the kind from unscrupulous locals.

You could find yourself the subject of a grilling from the police at the airport if you're carrying something that too closely resembles a genuine artefact without documentation to prove it is either i) a legal exception or ii) fake.

That said, more conventional antiques are a good buy in Athens and you should keep your eye out for bargains among the smaller shops in the city; furniture and fabrics are favourites. Athens is also a good place to pick up the famous furs from Kastoria, in Macedonia in the North of Greece. Specialist shops in Athens carry coats and accessories made by Kastoria's traditional furriers.

Gold is a particularly good buy in Athens. The two traditional names are Lilas Lalaounis and Zolotas, the former with outlets throughout the city and the latter with a shop at Stadiou 9. Fanourakis (Evangelistrias 2) specialises in women's jewellery and delicate creations with some unique designs.

Foodstuffs are always popular - particularly rural produce such as olives and retsina, the not always palatable local wine. And of course everyone brings back a bottle or two of ouzo, with the aniseed spirit being a fixture in the back of many a drinks cabinet abroad.

Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport Athens Airport, Eleftherios Venizelos, is located 30km east of the city centre and is conveniently served by train, bus and taxi. For more information, contact the Airport Call Centre, Tel: +30 210-353-0000.

You can travel to the city centre or many other destinations on the express airport buses. All buses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, departing approximately every 20-30 minutes from outside exit doors 4 and 5 of the main terminal building. When travelling to the airport, passengers will disembark at Departures level.

Line E92 travels to Kifisia; E93 to Kifisos intercity bus station; E94 to Ethniki Amyna metro station; E95 to Syntagma Square; E96 to Pireas; and E97 to Dafni Metro Station. The one-way ticket costs EUR3.20 and is also valid for an unlimited number of trips on all public transport until the end of the day the ticket has been purchased and validated. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver, at metro stations and at public transport ticket outlets. Make sure you validate your ticket at the beginning of your journey.

A new metro system from the airport has been built and is very effective. The fact that it is air-conditioned and spacious is also welcome on hot days. The metro leaves from the airport station, which is 10 minutes' walk from the Arrivals doors. When outside exit 2 or 3, take the lift to level 1 situated on the other side of the road and then walk to the station via a long platform. The metro (line 3) goes from Athens International Airport to Monastiraki and leaves every 30 minutes. A single ticket to Monastiraki costs EUR6 per person, with reductions for groups of two (EUR10) or three people (EUR15). The journey takes around 30 minutes to Monastiraki.

There are always plenty of yellow cabs waiting outside door 3 of the Arrivals hall. Be aware that during rush hours the city centre is almost completely gridlocked and waiting in a taxi can be an expensive business. Some taxi drivers would rather not enter the city centre at peak times and will offer to drop you off at a convenient point outside the centre. You should expect to pay around EUR25 to get to the city, although depending on time of day this can increase substantially.

If you're planning to travel around a lot by public transport, it might be worth investing in a one-day travelcard, which costs EUR3 and is valid on all forms of transport. All tickets must be validated at the beginning of your journey. The fine for a non-validated ticket is forty times its value.

There are three metro lines in Athens. Line M1 goes from Kifissia to Pireas, M2 from Aghios Antonios to Aghios Dimitrios, and M3 from Athens Airport to Monastiraki. Trains run from 05h30 to 00h15 every 3 to 10 minutes. A single ticket costs EUR0.80 (EUR0.50 for reduced fares) and is valid for 90 minutes. Metro station names are written in both Greek and the Roman alphabet.

An electric train system also covers the suburbs with trains running south to the port of Piraeus where ferries leave for the Greek Islands.

A tramway line runs from Syntagma Square to Sef, north of Posidonos Avenue; and to Kolimvitirio, south of Posidonos Avenue. From Mousson station where transfers can be made to change directions on the line, the tram runs by the seafront. There are automatic ticket machines at each tram stop. A single ticket costs EUR0.80. If travelling on another mode of public transport and wishing to transfer to the tram system, your existing ticket can be used as long as it has been validated within the last 90 minutes. Trams run from 06h00 to 01h00 every 8 minutes, and from 01h00 to 06h00 every 40 minutes. Tram station names are also written in both Greek and Roman alphabets.

Buses offer a fairly comprehensive 24-hour service. However, note that destinations are only written in the Greek alphabet, which can problematic for non-Greek-speakers. Single bus trips cost EUR0.80, available from metro stations, public transport offices and kiosks.