Imagine you are a citizen of Athens, enjoying a warm Mediterranean night in the Theater of Herodes Atticus. You are wearing jeans and a T-shirt, listening to a great concert. Now rewind this picture 1,839 years. You are in the same seat, only you are watching classical Greek entertainment.

The city of Athens is a fun mix of the old and the new, the classic and the modern. Often a little shop is located next to the ruins of a temple, which is only a block from a large, air-conditioned hotel. The great city of 2,500 years ago is still visible today.

Ruins are the most obvious sign of ancient Athens, and the most famous of these is theAcropolis(卫城). The Acropolis is a large hill that was the center of life in Athens. On its slopes were temples, monuments, and theaters. From the top, you can see how the urban area of Athens stretches out in every direction.

On the top of the Acropolis is the Parthenon. This was once a huge temple to Athena, the city’s patron. It was first completed in 432 B.C., but has been damaged and destroyed several times. However, visitors can still see the “tricks” used in building the Parthenon. The columns along the outside lean inward, and are slightly fatter in the middle. The temple is also higher in the middle than on the sides. All these effects make the Parthenon look perfectly straight from a distance.

Only a block away from the Acropolis is the neighborhood of Plaka. The area, with its little shops and restaurants, is very popular with both tourists and locals, and is an important part of modern Athenian culture. Many great thinkers, writers, and political leaders lived in ancient Athens. The ruins of their homes and favorite spots are scattered throughout the busy port city. The hill where St. Paul addressed early Christian Athenians is located near the Acropolis. Great thinkers such as Perikles and Demosthenes spoke to the civil assemblies held at the Pnyx Hill. Today the Pnyx is an open-air theater for light and sound shows.

Tourism is very important to people who live in modern-day Athens. Thousands of people come every year to see these ruins and to tour the many museums that house artifacts from ancient times. This provides many jobs and brings money into Athens, which helps the city pay for improvements. Athenians take pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors, and people from all around the world come to admire them. By looking around the city today, we can imagine what life was like in ancient Athens.

The best day trips from Chicago

Making big travel plans can be difficult. Luckily, you don’t need to book a plane ticket or even a hotel to have a fun change of lifestyle. A simple day trip from Chicago is cheap and easy. These quick trips from Chicago are just a few hours away by car or train.

Many people wait until fall to go to western Michigan’s fruit belt. But there’s an area where you can go a couple of months earlier, when the stone fruits like peaches and cherries are ready for picking. The town of Fennville is a great base for tasting the region’s sweet fruit.

There’s a lot to enjoy in South Bend. Check out the city’s cultural side with an afternoon visit to the History Museum, which was once home to the family of a local industrialist and inventor — James Oliver. When you are hungry, head for Cafe Navarre, a restaurant housed in a repurposed 20th-century bank.

Located between two lakes, Madison is a city filled with beautiful sights in addition to all the cheese and beer you’ve heard so much about. Begin your visit with a special tour on two wheels. You can rent a bike, which allows you to make 30-minute trips around the city.

The village of Gurnee draws 23 million visitors each year. Start your day by having brunch at the Chocolate Sanctuary, where you can taste homemade bread with chocolate strawberries. Spend some time walking around Gurnee Mills, which has more than 160 stores selling everything from sporting goods to home decorations (装饰物).