Athens - The Present

Athens, with over 3000 years of history, is not a city of yesterday, it is the city where the old meets the new, where monumental temples meet modern buildings, where ancient theatres meet modern opera houses, where the past meets the future.

Athens of today is a modern metropolis, having strong links with the past and many prospects for the future.

It is among the most beautiful, hospitable and exciting cities. It is also one of the safest and most affordable cities in Europe as it is stated in the EUROSTAT, the official EU statistical publication.

It is a city filled with contrasts and surprises: modern but at the same time with its rich history alive, noisy with busy streets and commercial centres but at the same time with quiet alleys and peaceful neighbourhoods. Ancient and Byzantine, Neoclassical and modern, every second Athens becomes a different city, a city beautiful and varied.

Athens is also a cultural channel, the city of artists and a scientific centre. Its prime geographical location has made it a gateway between the east and the west, the crossroads for each major event. Artistic happenings, festivals, conventions, athletic competitions, celebrations, entertainment events, prefer Athens as their venue.

A number of major projects are completed in the greater area of Athens so that the city is ready to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Protection of the Attica’s ecosystem is a major priority and the works are being constructed with great respect for the environment.

"Eleftherios Venizelos", the new Athens Airport's 16.5 million square meters land, which was completed in 2001 and houses a state-of-the-art airport with annual capacity up to 16 million passengers, during the first stage of operation, and two parallel 4,000 m runways is able to handle up to 600 aircraft movements a day. Ultimately this capacity will reach 50 million passengers a year.

The new airport serves the nation at the crossroads of Europe, the East Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa and makes Athens a point for transportation to and from those regions. It aims to keep ahead and forge a strong position as a leading European airport by providing new opportunities to airlines and tour operators to extend their annual program span, combining the excellent climate of Greece and the diversity of the island resorts of an all-year-round unique destination.

Moreover, other major infrastructure works, such as Attiki Odos Highway, that facilitates the access to the new airport, and upgrade the transport network of Athens.

The Athens Metro is also one of the biggest projects ever in Greece. Greek, German and French companies have undertaken the project construction which consists of two new underground lines of total length 18 km, 21 new stations and 28 six Car Trains. It is fully accessible to persons with special needs and is able to serve 450.000 passengers daily, over and above the 330.000 passengers that had been served by the older line Piraeus - Kifisia.