Overview
The capital of Greece, which I had the chance to visit for the second time as part of a cruise trip.
The city center is generally unattractive. There's no concept of building aesthetics, and everything looks dated. A coat of paint would do wonders. The situation is the same as in Turkey: when you combine bad taste with no money, this is what you get.
That said, the Greeks have an incredibly dominant cultural heritage. The word "Olympics" comes from the village of Olympia, and "marathon" comes from the town of Marathon.
Ermou Street is their version of Istiklal Avenue, but aesthetically it's in the negatives. Seriously rough.
What to See
The Acropolis is truly magnificent, both in terms of its location and the structures within. An incredible place. During peak season the queues are brutal, so try to buy tickets a day in advance for your preferred time slot to avoid standing in line. It gets very crowded inside too, so morning visits are best.
Getting There
If you're arriving by cruise, there's a metro connecting Piraeus to Athens, and the ride in is very easy. Just factor in an extra 30-40 minutes for the return, because the walk from the metro back to the ship at the port is quite long.