by John Fisher
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The Vafio Cup
This wonderful gold cup, one of two dating from around 1500 BC, depicts a bull being trapped, and was made by beating the gold into a hollow mould.
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Poseidon
In this graceful bronze statue from the mid-fifth century BC, Poseidon stands poised in perfect balance as he prepares to hurl his (missing) trident.
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The Little Jockey of Artemission
In another masterpiece of animated bronze sculpture, the delicate-looking rider – probably a boy – seems far too small for his galloping mount.
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Frescoes
The Archeological Museum holds an important collection of frescoes; this example from Akrotíri depicts two boys boxing, its style clearly influenced by Minoan Crete.
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Cultural museums
The city’s lesser-known museums should not be overlooked. Among the best are the Benáki and Kanellópoulos museums, each housing magnificent private collections that cover every age of Greek art and history from the prehistoric era to the nineteenth-century independence struggle. Others are more specialist: for example, the Goulandhrís Museum of Cycladic Art concentrates on artefacts predating the Classical era, superbly displayed, while the Museum of Greek Folk Art features ceramics, jewellery, weaving and other crafts.
Benáki Museum
Occupying a graceful nineteenth-century mansion, the Benáki collection is of exceptional variety and quality.
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Goulandhrís Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art
This small collection is extremely well presented, and contains fine examples of Cycladic art.
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Museum of Greek Popular Musical Instruments
Superbly displayed in a Neoclassical building, the museum traces the history of virtually every type of instrument ever played in Greece.
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Museum of Greek Folk Art
A superb collection of arts and crafts, including regional costumes and shadow puppets.
See PLÁKA
Kanellopoulou Museum
Right under the Acropolis at the top of Pláka, the Kanellopoulou Museum fills a former private home with a treasure trove of fine art.
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Modern Athens
Plans for a city of broad boulevards, drawn up in the nineteenth century when Athens became capital after Independence, didn’t survive long. After World War II, instead, rapid growth saw the city emerge as a vibrant, stimulating and exciting mix of East and West, urban and rural, where chickens roost next to Internet cafés, and eastern-style bazaars vie for space with chic outlets of Armani and Zara.
Platía Sýndagmatos
Sýndagma Square is the vital heart of the modern city, bounded on one side by the parliament building and surrounded by bustling commercial streets.
See SÝNDAGMA & AROUND
The Voulí
The vast Neoclassical Greek parliament building is guarded by evzones, goose-stepping in colourful traditional costume.
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Platía Omonías
A great central meeting point; its perimeter is lined with kiosksselling everything from papers and lottery tickets to watch-straps.
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The metro
The development of new metro lines has helped transform the city centre, cutting traffic and pollution and providing fast, efficient and easy-to-use transport.
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Hills and views
Athens is dotted with hills and surrounded by mountains, almost all of which offer great views and the opportunity to escape the clamour of the city for a while. Inevitably, the Acropolis seems to find its way into every photo, but there are fine cityscapes to be enjoyed in other directions too. The Acropolis itself offers good views of the city, while Lykavitós is the other classic viewpoint – with the added advantage of a walk through elegant Kolonáki and a funicular to get you to the top. On the fringes of the city, the mountains of Imittós and Párnitha are surprisingly rugged – making them excellent hiking territory.
Lykavitós
From the top, Athens is laid out before you in all directions – on a clear day you can see as far as the mountains of the Peloponnese.
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Lófos tou Stréfi
Stréfi hill is little visited and offers a quiet escape from the streets of surrounding Exarhía.
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Filopáppou
Filopáppou hill, romantically known in antiquity as the Hill of the Muses, is topped by a grandiose monument to the Roman senator after whom it is named.
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The Pnyx
The remains of the ancient Athenian assembly stand at the summit of the Hill of the Pnyx, looking out over Pireás to the sea.
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The Acropolis
Great views as you look northeast from the Acropolis, with Pláka below, Sýndagma and the city centre behind, and Lykavitós in the background.
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Green Athens
At first sight Athens is not a green city, but it has its moments. The citizens decorate their balconies with potted plants and shrubs, while in the older quarters bougainvillea covers many houses. In spring, flowers try to blossom everywhere – archeological sites and the steeper slopes of the hills are ideal breeding grounds. At the very heart of the city, the National Gardens offer almost tropical luxuriance, while as soon as you leave the city limits, nature reasserts itself immediately, whether in the mountains, the coast or the nearby islands.
Ruins in spring
Even in the heart of Athens, in springtime flowers burst through and adorn the many ancient remains.
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Égina
The island of Égina, less than an hour by hydrofoil from Athens, is famed for its many green orchards bearing pistachios.
See FURTHER AFIELD
Mount Párnitha
Less than an hour by bus from the city centre, Mount Párnitha is remarkably wild, with a fabulous variety of alpine flowers in spring.
See ATTICA
The National Gardens
Part formally laid out, part distinctly overgrown, the National Gardens make for a refreshing, shady escape from the summer heat.
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Lykavitós
The lower slopes of Lykavitós and many of the city’s other hills are covered in pine trees and succulents.
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Restaurants and tavernas
Athens has a huge variety of restaurants and tavernas. The atmosphere is invariably relaxed, though the city does have its share of fancy places. There’s virtually every type of cuisine too, but the vast majority of places, and the ones most frequented by locals, remain no-frills tavernas. Most menus are simple, but you can rely on good-quality, fresh ingredients: if you’re not sure about the menu, you can often go into the kitchen and see what’s on offer. A typically Greek way to eat is to order a selection of small dishes – mezédhes – to share. Locals generally eat late: 2–3.30pm for lunch, 9–11pm for dinner. Away from the touristy areas, you may find restaurants deserted if you go much earlier than this.
Taverna Damingos
A basement taverna that’s still going strong into its third century.
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Pláka
Most Athens restaurants have a terrace, courtyard or stretch of pavement on which tables are set up outside in su
mmer. The pedestrian streets of Pláka provide a particularly atmospheric setting.
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Taverna music
Evening performances of traditional Greek music are common, and while often rather touristy they are occasionally great.
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Zidhoron
In the heart of trendy Psyrrí, Zidhoron is a modern take on a traditional mezedhopolío.
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Áno Petrálona
Away from the touristy central districts, neighbourhoods such as Áno Petrálona generally offer more authentic menus and a more local atmosphere.
See THISSÍO, GÁZI & ÁNO PETRÁLONA
Koukáki
An excellent eating locale just outside the centre.
See METS, PANGRÁTI & KOUKÁKI
Cafés and bars
There seems to be a café on every corner in Athens, most of which open from mid-morning till late in the evening. They’re an essential part of the social fabric of the city, always full of groups of people chatting (on their mobiles if not to each other), smoking and drinking. Join them over a Greek coffee or the quintessential summer drink, a frappé: iced instant coffee, whipped to a froth. If you fancy a cold beer, you can have that in a café too – many effectively become bars in the evening, when they turn down the lights and turn up the music. Places that describe themselves as bars, with only a few exceptions, are much fancier and more expensive.
Skholiarhio
This traditional ouzerí in Pláka serves excellent mezédhes.
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Platía Filomoússou Eterías
Competing cafés and restaurants in the heart of Pláka.
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Brettos
Backlit bottles decorate Brettos, a perennial Pláka favourite that’s a liquor store by day and bar at night.
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Exárhia
An alternative feel prevails at the cafés and bars in this bohemian district.
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Psyrrí
By night, Psyrrí buzzes with some of the city’s trendiest bars and restaurants, while by day it’s a relaxing place for a coffee.
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Music and entertainment
To see the best live traditional Greek music, perhaps surprisingly you need to visit during the winter months, as in the summer many musicians are off touring the country. This is also when the major ballet and drama performances are staged, and the sporting calendar is at its busiest. The summer, however, is the festival season, and most important of all is the June-to-September Hellenic Festival of dance, music and ancient drama, with many of its performances staged in the ancient theatres of Herodes Atticus and Epidaurus. There are also annual rock, jazz and blues events at this time, and you may see big international tours at one of the outdoor venues.
Street music
The pedestrianization of much of the centre has allowed street performers and traders to thrive; the approach to the Acropolis is particularly good for seeing buskers.
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Rebétika
Traditional music falls broadly into two categories: rebétika, the drugs-and-outcast music brought to Athens by Greeks from Asia Minor in the early twentieth century; and dhimotiká, traditional folk music.
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Mégaro Mousikís
The city’s major concert hall, the Mégaro Mousikís, hosts prestigious performances all year-round.
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Lykavitós Theatre
The theatre perched atop Lykavitós is a spectacular venue. Many of the city’s major rock events are staged here.
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Football
There are three major football clubs in Athens: Panathinaikós, Olympiakós and AEK; the atmosphere on match days is intense.
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Nightlife
Clubs and dance bars are hugely popular in Athens, and often extremely sophisticated. Downtown, the hottest action is in the Psyrrí and Gázi areas, but in summer many close down and decamp to a string of hangar-like places on the coastal strip from Pireás to Várkiza. Expect the unexpected: most play recent hits, but don’t be surprised if the sound shifts to Greek or belly-dancing music towards the end of the night. The gay scene in Athens is mostly very discreet, but there is an increasing number of clubs and bars; Gázi is the hottest new area, while more established places are mostly in Kolonáki or off Syngroú Avenue.
Clubbing
Expect a hefty bill if you join the clubbing crowd, but at least the admission price usually includes your first drink.
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Live bands
The local rock scene is small but interesting – you can expect anything from rock to reggae to blues.
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Kolonáki
Kolonáki has a fair spread of clubs, which tend to be generally more upmarket than those in Psyrrí or Gázi.
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Beach clubs
Beachside clubs and bars open up in summer to cater to the clubbers seeking the cooler climes of the coast.
See SUBURBAN ATHENS
Bee Bar
Typically cool designer bar in Psyrrí, a great place to meet up at the beginning of the evening, or to chill out in later.
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Markets and shopping
Shopping in Athens is decidedly schizophrenic. On the one hand, the bazaar area is an extraordinary jumble of little specialist shops and stalls, while almost every neighbourhood still hosts a weekly street market. On the other, the upmarket shopping areas of the city centre, and the malls and fashion emporia of the ritzier suburbs, are as glossy and expensive as any in Europe. The food halls of the central market and the picturesque flower market nearby are particularly worthwhile, while if you’re into trawling through junk, don’t miss the Sunday morning flea markets in Monastiráki and Pireás.
The fish market
Seafood and fish play a big part in the Athenian diet, and at the bustling fish market you’ll see residents and taverna owners alike browsing the catch.
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Street markets
Street markets held across the city are great places to stock up on picnic fare and get a taste of local Athens.
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Monastiráki flea market
Experience the Sunday morning buzz in the streets around Monastiráki.
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Odhós Ermoú
Ermoú, off Sýndagma square, is one of the prime downtown shopping streets, home to department stores and high-street labels.
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Períptero kiosks
Handy for anything from newspapers to cold drinks, tobacco and any manner of essentials, kiosks are found on every corner and stay open all hours. Several in Omónia specialize in the foreign press.
See PLATÍAS OMONÍAS & AROUND
Orthodox Athens
Greece remains a deeply traditional and for the most part culturally homogeneous society, and over ninety-five percent of the population belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. For all its surface modernity, Athens is no exception. The Orthodox church plays a significant part in most people’s lives: ceremonies like baptisms, weddings and funerals are very important, and the festivals of the church calendar – Easter above all – are celebrated with gusto. Name days – celebrating the saint after whom you are named – are more significant than birthdays.
Platía Mitropóleos
The square itself is more of a draw than the cathedral here, but there has been a church on this site for centuries
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Icon shops
Icons, from cheap reproductions aimed at the tourist market to expensive and exq
uisite copies are sold everywhere: some of the best are found in the religious artefact shops around Platía Mitrópoleos.
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Historic icons
When you’ve had your fill of browsing the icon shops, check out their historic predecessors at the Byzantine and Christian museum.
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Baptism ceremonies
Events like baptisms bring out a vast, extended family – all of whom can expect lavish hospitality.
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Athens on foot
Central Athens is compact enough to be able to walk almost anywhere. One of the lasting legacies of the run up to 2004 Olympics is undoubtedly be the network of pedestrian streets that transformed the centre of town. Quite apart from the pleasure of being able to witness the ancient sites from a traffic-free environment, pedestrianization, together with the extension of the metro and other public transport initiatives have started to have an effect on Athens’ critical pollution problems.
Dhionysíou Areopayítou
A relaxed, traffic-free street on the south side of the Acropolis, passing the Herodes Atticus Theatre.
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Kolonáki
The upper reaches of Kolonáki climb steeply towards Lykavitós hill – it’s easiest to take the funicular up and walk down.
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Apóstolou Pávlou
Modern sculpture adorns the pedestrianized street that overlooks the Agora and Acropolis.
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Odhós Ermoú
Ermoú is a wonderfully traffic-free route from Sýndagma down the Monastiráki.
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Odhós Adhrianoú
From Thissío metro all the way through Pláka, Adhrianoú is lined with bustling cafés and shops.
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Seaside Athens and island escapes
Athens is surrounded by the sea, and the Greek nation has a seafaring tradition going back to Classical times. There are some great beaches in easy reach, though on summer weekends they’re packed to capacity. At many of the best you pay for entry, allowing you to use a range of facilities from loungers to watersports. More adventurously, from the port of Pireás you can get a ferry to one of a number of nearby islands, escaping in just a couple of hours (half that if you take a hydrofoil) to an entirely different world.
