Lots of tourist guides to Athens talk about it as ‘the world’s largest museum’, but such phrases do the city a huge disservice. While it’s true that there’s history to be found in every square metre, imagining Athens as some sort of time capsule is misleading. This city of 4 million people is just as exciting and vibrant as any other major European capital and is more forward thinking than most – you only have to climb aboard the gleaming metro system from the airport to realise that. It just happens to have been the birthplace of Western civilization as well.

While it’s tempting to head straight for the Acropolis, topped by the iconic Parthenon, as soon as you reach Athens, you might like to take a different approach. Leave a visit to the Acropolis until your last day in town and take the chance to get to know the living city first. In any case, the Acropolis will always be in view, following you around as you explore, and it’s amazing how much its appearance changes through the course of the day.

Viewed in the early morning from the top of Lykavitos Hill, the rocky outcrop looks pristine and white, surrounded by a misty veil. In the afternoon, the ancient stones turn first honey yellow, then deep orange in the rays of the setting sun. Though the hike to the top of Lykavitos looks daunting, it’s actually fairly straightforward, though you can take a funicular railway to the top if you don’t fancy the climb.

Another prime spot for Acropolis − watching is Filopappou Hill on the opposite side of town. It’s just off the broad Apostolou Pavlou walkway which forms part of an excellent pedestrian ring around the Acropolis. Filopappou is crowned by a Roman monument and nearby are the remains of the Pynx – birthplace of Athenian democracy. Buy some olives and oranges from one of the street markets nearby and this makes the perfect picnic spot with an amazing view of the Parthenon to the north and the coastline and islands to the south.

Sporting Chances

With 2008 being the year of both the Olympics and the European football championships (Greece are the current title holders), it’s worth checking out some sights of sporting interest. The most popular stop is the horseshoeshaped Panatheniac Stadium, an 1896 reconstruction of an earlier Roman arena that revived the idea of the ancient Olympic games. The main gate is clogged with coach parties (tourists aren’t admitted) but if you’re prepared to do a little more climbing there is a secret way in. Walk through the pleasant residential area of Mets to Arhimidhous street and you’ll find that the stadium has a rear entrance via the gates of a sports club. No-one will mind if you walk along the rim of the stadium while local athletes jog past you, but don’t venture onto the seating area or a caretaker will chase you away at gold medal winning speed!

Greeks are football crazy and Athens boasts three teams: AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. Ironically, Olympiakos is the only one of the three that isn’t based at the Olympic stadium built for the 2004 games, instead playing at the equally impressive and modern Karaiskaki stadium.

City of Many Parts

The suburbs and outskirts of the city turn into something of an urban sprawl, but the central area is divided into districts with very definite characters. Kolonaki is the place to head for designer shops and prices to match, while in contrast Gazi is a formerly run-down industrial area that is being reinvented as a creative quarter. Gazi’s revival was sparked by the conversion of a former gasworks into an art centre called Tekhnopolis and is now an area of trendy cafes and clubs like Soho, Hoxton and Mamacas. Restaurant Kalihoron is a local institution, celebrating 10 years in business this year.

Linking Gazi with the central Syndagma district is Monastiraki, which somehow manages to cope with crowds of tourists while retaining plenty of character. Amongst the many shops selling the usual tat are some of Athens’ best bargains, chief among them being the leatherwork shop belonging to Olgianna Melissinos on Normanou Street. It’s tiny but packed with handmade sandals, belts and bags made of Cretan leather. Olgianna represents the third generation of this family business which has sold sandals to the Beatles, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and even Rudolph Nureyev. If they are good enough for Nureyev’s feet, they are probably good enough for yours.

Nearby is another gem that is largely overlooked by the crowds outside. Kendro Ellinikis Paradosis (Centre for Hellenic Traditions) is something like a cross between a museum and a craft shop. Beautiful handmade objects including pottery, metalwork and woodwork have information about when, where and how they are made, but are all for sale. Even if you don’t buy anything it is worth stopping here for a cold drink in the upstairs café. Antique prints adorn the walls, marble tabletops keep you cool and there’s a fantastic free view across the rooftops to the Acropolis.

Ready to Rock?

Which reminds us – it’s probably time to pay a visit to the Parthenon. The golden rule is to head for the Acropolis either first thing in the morning or near the end of the day. For a start, it will be at its most photogenic as the light will be cleaner and the cranes that are in use to carry out restoration work will not be swinging into view. Second, you’ll avoid the sometimes oppressive midday heat. And most important of all, you’ll dodge the huge numbers of sightseers who arrive from mid-morning onwards making it almost impossible to move freely on the crowded rock.

One of the best things about visiting the Acropolis is that an admission ticket also lets you into a variety of other less well-known ancient sites around Athens including the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Roman Forum with the strange Tower of the Winds and the delightful complex of Kerameikos, a quiet space in this bustling city which contains numerous ancient burials, parts of the old city wall and gates, plus an interesting little museum. Other museums well worth a visit include the vast National Archaeological Museum and the more intimate Benaki Collection, housed in an elegant mansion.

Beyond the sights themselves, what makes Athens so special is the friendliness of the locals. Compared to most capital city dwellers. Athenians are remarkably laid-back. It’s easy to strike up a conversation in a bar, waiters deliver service with a smile and once the working day is done, a selection of beaches are only a few tram stops away where the locals relax. If you really want to get away from it all, the port of Piraeus is on hand too, to whisk you out to the islands and perfect tranquillity amid breathtaking beauty.

And don’t forget to send a postcard home, as doing so is more appropriate than most people realise - the proportions of the classic postcard are actually based on the architecturally ‘perfect’ proportions of the Parthenon temple.