About: Pireas, Athens, Greece

Athens (Αθήνα, Athína) is the capital Greece and the country’s largest city. Athens is one of the world's oldest cities with a history that spans around 3,400 years. According to Eurostat, Athens is the 4th most populous capital city of the European Union with a population of 4,013,368 (in 2004). Modern Athens is a cosmopolitan metropolis that is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that was the centre for the arts, learning and philosophy and widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. The heritage of classical Athens is still visible in the city, represented by a number of ancient works of art and monuments. One of the most famous of all monuments being the Parthenon - widely considered a key landmark of early Western civilization. Athens’ infrastructure and social amenities have improved over the last decade due to the 2004 Olympic Games. The Greek Government, along with the EU, has funded major infrastructure projects such as the state-of-the-art Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, the expansion of the Athens Metro system, and the new Attiki Odos Motorway.