Greece is a truly beautiful country filled with possibilities and opportunities for fun, relaxation and history lessons too. Thanks to its mild climate, visitors flock the country all year round, some to soak up that all important sun, sea and sand, others to see in close the wonders of classical Greece, but most of them to mix fun-filled holidays with culture. And where should you find this vast selection of things to do and see, if not in Athens. This metropolitan city is not only the capital of Greece, but also the epicentre or culture, activities and entertainment.
Take your teenage or younger treasures to a holiday in Athens and let them be amazed by the iconic ruins of ancient Greece. Children will be certainly interested in visiting all these places they have been taught at school. What you could do for a comprehensive and pleasant sightseeing is either to follow the basic routes most tourists do or book a guided day tour with KeyTours in this exciting city. Your day at the sites should definitely include a panoramic view of Athens city centre, a stop at Kallimarmaro Stadium, and last but not least a visit to the magnificent Acropolis of Athens and the minimalistic New Acropolis Museum. To avoid getting tired sooner than expected, make sure you and your children wear comfortable walking shoes, sun glasses, hats and light clothing. After your cultural walk is done, take a leisure stroll around Plaka, the oldest neighbourhood in Athens and treat your cute ones with a delicious ice-cream or cooling refreshment, or let them delight their tummies with a tasty Greek snack, such as souvlaki (slices or juicy pork, tomato, tzatziki-a dip made of yoghurt, garlic and cucumber-and onions, all of them wrapped in pita bread).
And now the fun part! Well, sure they like visiting the sights and taking pictures to show their friends at school, but most of all your children love having fun-moments! To start with, Athens features many theme and entertainment parks. So, it would be nice, if you choose a water park, such as Copa Copana in the western part of the city. Thanks to its great water-slides, large swimming pools and the selection of bars and restaurants, Copa Copana offers unforgettable fun days for the whole family. On the very other side of the city there is a place all children love, the zoo! Attica Zoological Park is situated about half an hour from the centre of Athens, however easily accessible by metro until Doukissis Plakentias station and then by bus 319, running every 35 minutes. Here, youngsters will have the chance to see a variety of 2.000 animals from 350 species. What’s more children can also feed some of them! For some more action, go to Allou Fun Park in the southern suburbs. This theme park features a great selection of facilities, such as the Shock Tower, lifting you up slowly to 40 meters and then taking you down in only 3 seconds, or the Big Apple, a roller for a crazy ride on a worm’s back!
For a chilled-out day amidst lush surroundings and colourful flowers, just head to the National Garden of Athens next to the Greek Parliament. Wander around this huge park right in the heart of the city, let your kids feed the ducks and play in the well-appointed playground. There is also a children’s library with daily activities.
Family friendly places are sometimes difficult to find; however not in Athens!
