About Athens
Athens is a metropolitan and cosmopolitan city,
and the
capital of Greece. Information about Athens may be found at the City of Athens portal. 
Athens is also known as the birth place of Democracy, the city with the
worldwide
known "Acropolis and Parthenon", with the world famous Theater of
Herodes
Atticus and the "marble stadium" where the first modern time Olympic
Games took
place in 1896, home of Socrates, Plato, Pericles (Golden Age), and home
of the
very successful 2004 Olympic Games. Athens is both an "ancient" and a
"modern"
city, in which visitors can walk safely and enjoy the rich - almost
5,000 year
old - history it has to offer.
MAPS:
-
historical center map 
-
map of central Athens
- map of Athens metro (underground, subway)
- other maps of Athens (Plaka, Acropolis, Syntagma)
Excellent information on history, sightseeing, museums, shopping and nightlife may be found at the City of Athens portal.
Weather in Athens
Athens is an ideal year-round city destination with comfortable and favorable climate conditions for travel and sightseeing. Rainfall is minimal, estimated at just 40 cm (16 inches) per year, and there are over 300 sunny days a year. Before you leave for Greece, check the most recent 10-days weather forecast.
About Divani Caravel Hotel
The conference will take place at the Divani Caravel Hotel.
The hotel booking form is available as
[PDF] or [MS Word].
The deadline for hotel booking is April 20, 2007.
Visiting Greece
The best source of information on Greece is the Greek National Tourist Organization. Most of the information on this page has been extracted from that site.
If you are looking for some unofficial tips and info, have a look at Matt Barrett's Athens Survival Guide. A quote from his home page: "This is my index page for all my Athens Survival Guide. There are thousands of pages of information and it is easy to get lost. This guide will give you the tools to survive and thrive in my favorite city: Athens, Greece. (...)".
International visitors
For most visitors from abroad, the entry point will be the Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (see sidebar). Please be informed that those who plan to participate in the conference and do need an entry visa to visit Greece, must apply well in advance to avoid unexpected delays. See the list of Greek Embassies and Consulates worldwide (http://www.mfa.gr/english/the_ministry/missions/) to find the one near you.
Currency
Greece is one of the twelve European Union member states participating in the single currency known as the Euro, €, (evro in Greek).
Language
While Greek is the main language used in Athens, most Athenians speak English and those in the hospitality industry are likely to speak French and German too. Menus and transportation signs are usually written both in English and in Greek.