The ancient and beautiful city in Europe named world’s ‘best’ place for culture

Greece, Athens 09-23-2024 , Athens and the famous Acropolis

Athens has scooped the title (Image: Getty)

An ancient European city has beaten major cities around the world to scoop a prestigous award.

Athens has been named the “World’s Leading Cultural City Destination” for 2024 at the World Awards.

The capital, home to around 3.7million people, saw off competition from cities including , and to claim the prize at a ceremony in Madeira, Portugal last week.

The city has been inhabited for thousands of years – with the site being continiously inhabited for at least 5,000 years.

Athens became a powerful polis, or city state, in Ancient Greece – with many famous figures from the time including philosopher Socrates, historian Herodotus and playwright Sophecles all calling the city home at some point in their lives. 

Temple of Poseidon in athens

The Temple of Poseidon (Image: Getty)

The city then fell under the rule of various empires for centuries before becoming the capital of Greece in 1834 after the country became independent from the Ottoman Empire following the Greek War of Independence.

The ruins from the city’s ancient period continue to be the main attraction for people coming to visit the city.

These include the Acropolis, which includes the famous Parthenon which dominates the city’s skyline.

Other ancient sites include the Agora, the Lyceum and more.

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Street view of Athens

The city attracts millions of visitors (Image: Getty)

More modern sites that attract visits include the stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1986 and a range of museums.

And, between its airport and the port at Piraeus, Athens also offers an excellent starting point for visiting other areas of Greece, whether elsewhere on the mainland or on one of the countries many islands.

The city is easily reached from the UK, with direct from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle and seasonal flights to other destinations including Luton and Bristol.

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