Athens first of top 10 Olympic Cities to Visit

1 Athens Greece

Of all former host cities, no city is as synonymous with the Olympics as Athens. Visitors to Athens can see the Panathenaic Stadium, built entirely of white marble, which housed the original 1896 Olympic Games. OAKA, the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, can be found in Maroussi, a northern suburb, and was the sight of the 2004 Olympic Games. Architect Santiago Calatrava added his signature flair to OAKA by adding a new roof structure and "Agora," the steel arch designed to shade spectators from the bright summer sun. No trip to Athens is complete without checking out some of its more traditional architectural gems - visit the Acropolis and see the ruins of the Parthenon and Erechtheion that symbolize the society which gave us the Olympic tradition.

2 Stockholm, Sweden

3 Antwerp, Belgium

4 Melbourne, Australia

Despite the fact that most people thinking of "Olympics" and "Australia" conjure up images of Sydney, the first Olympic Games in Australia were actually held in Melbourne in 1956. Today, visitors to Australia's second city will find it still has an exciting sports culture, as well as a burgeoning arts scene. The venue of the 1956 Opening Ceremony, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is both a cultural icon and one of the most important cricket grounds in the world. Across the Yarra River, travelers can walk the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance. St. Kilda, a neighborhood along the waterfront where the yachting competitions of the 1956 Olympics were held, is a great location for cycling or strolling the oceanfront. The compact nature of the central Melbourne and its hidden laneways make it ideal for exploring on foot. The street art scene means there's no shortage of visual stimulation as well. For those who want to see Australia's wild natural surroundings, Melbourne is also home to the Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most scenic drives.

5 Beijing, China

6 Innsbruck, Austria

7 Albertville, France

8 Nagano, Japan

9 Salt Lake City, Utah

10 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada