Athens Tourism, Greece. European Tour.

Athens is a dynamic and vibrant capital where archaeological vestiges live next to modern constructions. As such, it has countless options for adventurers, history buffs, sun worshippers, and epicureans.

But if you are visiting the city on a tight budget, there are plenty of things to do without breaking the bank. Here are ten free activities to explore when in the Greek capital.

Beyond Athens, down the Attica peninsula, are more spectacular antiquities, such as the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion and the site of Ancient Eleusis, as well as very good beaches, such as those near historic Marathon. Sure, you could zip across, west to east, in less than an hour, but it's far more fun to take a leisurely road trip to a mineral-filled lake, say, or a monastery with dazzling Byzantine mosaics.

If you'd rather not drive, though, most of these surprise sights (including great beaches) can be reached on public transport. The cultural and social life of Athens plays out amid, around and in landmarks that are centuries old, if not millennia.

The remnants of Ancient Greece get the most attention, of course, thanks to a little thing called democracy. Oh, and mythology, and drama, and philosophy.

But don't overlook the 'later' years: thousand-year-old Byzantine churches, for instance, which squat, unruffled in the middle of streets and attached to hillsides. Ottoman traces can be seen in architecture and in food.

And the neoclassical style of the 19th century adds elegance all over the centre. .