Just outside of Athens lies the Kerameikos Archaeological Site, one of Athens’s most well-preserved and well-organised archaeological sites. The site is filled broken pillars, eroded walls and several intricately carved gravestones – all that is left of what was once a cemetery and before that, an important communal area. However, these ruins and the signs expertly explaining their significance are more than enough to help you conjure up images of its past splendour.

You can almost recreate the structures that the ruins hint at: a gate here, a large square building there, all held up by shining white pillars, slim and lavishly decorated with carvings at the top. Thereafter, you can see what used to be graves, gravestones standing solemnly, rows after rows, akin to tireless sentinels guarding the spirits of the dead. The entire site has the nostalgic atmosphere of what was once revered greatness but now gone forever.

End off your visit with a trip to the small museum at the archaeological site and admire the handiwork of the ancient Greek craftsmen who were able to produce such perfect and intricate pottery. Awe-inspiring and just a little melancholic, the Kerameikos Archaeological Site is one place of interest which should not be missed.