Attica is Greece's economic heartbeat. Athens, its capital city, sits in its centre, dominated by the Acropolis. Attica's landscape witnessed the blooming of the Greek civilisation, hosting the most famous historic events of Ancient times; it is a setting increasingly threatened by urbanism. Athens is an urban sprawl ranking among the most polluted cities in Europe.
Attica has a surface of 1470 sq mi, including the peninsula (about 50% of it is mountains), the Saronic Islands, Kythira and the part of Peloponnese belonging to Poros Island.
The essential destinations in Attica are Athens and its surrounding areas (see The Cities heading), Daphni, Cape Sounion and the Amphiareion of Oropos.
The Acropolis site still consists of a large number of buildings.© Mikel Bilbao
The views across Attica from the Acropolis stretch out as far as the eye can see.© PhotosIndia / age fotostock
In architectural terms, the attic is the upper part of a monument.© PhotosIndia
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in 161.© Mikel Bilbao
There are lots of little villages dotted around the outskirts of the capital.© Mikel Bilbao / age fotostock