Athens Travel Guide
Athens. The city with the most glorious history in the world, a city worshipped by gods and people, a magical city. The enchanting capital of Greece has been a birthplace for civilization, where democracy was born as well as most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens and relives through some of the world' s most formidable edifices.
The Parthenon
Even if you don't care about archaeology or the fact that if it were not for the ancient Greeks you might be living in a far less civilized way, you can't come to Athens and not visit the Acropolis and see the Parthenon. Yes I know that there are actually Athenians who havenever climbed the steps to see one of the wonders of the ancient world, the reason millions of people come to their city, the structure that symbolizes some of the highest achievments of mankind. But that's no excuse. If you do nothing else on your visit to Athens, this is the one thing you should do. Since you can buy a ticket that allows you to see the other major archaeological sites that day I can free up some of my top ten space since the Theater of Herod Atticus, Theater of Dionysious and the Ancient Agoraare all included among others, in the price of admission. Oh yeah and don't forget the new Acropolis Museum.
Agora-Athens Central Market
No matter how you feel about fish, meat and vegetables you won't find a more lively place than the Central market on Athinas Street. Whether you come early in the morning to watch the trucks unload because you are jet-laggedand suffer from insomnia or you visit between 7am and 1 pm with the majority of the Athenian shoppers, a walk through the market will probably change how you feel about shopping and may make you wish you had an apartment with a kitchen so you could join in. The restaurants in the meat market can't be beat for good food at a cheap price at any time of the day or night. And if that is not enough the Market is also the beginning of Athens Chinatown and Eolou Street, the pedestrian shopping district.
Mount Lycabettus
Maybe you took one look at this green mountain rising out of the center of Athens and said to yourself "I hope there is nothing important up there because I really don't feel like climbing a mountain". There is somethingimportant up there. An amazing view. Also a great cafe, not to mention an ampitheatre where you can see such renown acts as Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel, James Brown and many other acts who visit Greece in the summer. In fact I would say that between Lycabettus and the Theatre of Herod Atticus below the Acropolis, there is no more impressive place to see your favorite band or musician. And you don't have to climb. There is a strange looking train that will take you almost to the top. Walking down is a lot offun and you never know which neighborhood you are going to end up in.
The Plaka
A walk through the oldest neighborhood in Athens is a must and one of the most plesaureable activities especially in the early evening. There are hundreds of shops from kitchy tourist to the workshops of some really great artisans. Thereare several good restaurants where you can sit outside almost year round. There are also some nice little ouzeries that are cozy when it is too cold to sit outside. The famous Brettos distillary on Kydatheneon could be in this top 10 list on its own. The out-door Cine Paris where you can watch a move on the roof of a building below the lit walls of the Acropolis could too. There are ancient Greek and Roman ruins scattered around as well as some beautiful 19th century and older buildings and several Byzantinechurches. Lets not forget Anafiotika, the neighborhood closest to the stone slope of the Acropolis where you can wander around and feel like you are on an island in the middle of the Aegean instead of an island in the middle of a modern city. Best time to be here? Apokreas.
Psiri
With the up and coming areas like Gazi getting more popular we should not overlook Psiri with its endless small streets of cafes, ouzeries, restaurants, bars, clubs, theatresand galleries, all within a minute's walk from Athinas and Ermou streets or Monastiraki square. Join the crowds on a weekend night, especially during Apokreas, Greece's Carnival. Psiri came of age as the center of Athens nightlife during the 2004 Olympics and regardess of what people say about its commercialism, you won't find a cooler place to be in any city in Europe or America. You can feel the buzz as you walk past cafes where a hundred people are talking, drinking and smoking simultaneously or you can find a tiny little cafe on a back street with two or three tables and a guy grilling soupia (cuttlefish) or octopus. Or find a nice ouzerie in Platia Iroon where some rembetis are playing un-plugged.
The Temple Of Poseidon at Sounion
On a hill overlooking the sea at the very tip of the Attiki Peninsula on a spot that could not be more perfect for an ancient site of worship is the Temple of Poseidon, God of the Sea, which boasts not only the carved grafitti of Lord Byron but the best sunsets after Santorini. There is a small beach below and a sea that looks and feels like the islands, as well as two small fish tavernas and many more on the way there and back. Go in the late afternoon, have a swim and an ouzo and some mezedes and see the temple and watch the sunset before going back to Athens for a quick shower and a nap before going out to dinner and maybe out on the town later. OK is not really in Athens but you still need to come here.
Monastiraki Flea Market
It is not really a flea market in the way most of us think of them, except for Sunday when people seem to come from the hills to lay out their blankets and sell all sorts of stuffthat may be junk to you but of real value to someone else. Its a mob scene but worth the experience even if you just sit in the cafes overlooking the ancient agora and the metro tracks on Adrianou Street watching the parade of shoppers, street musicians and African bootleg DVD sellers running from the cops. During the week it an assortment of tourist shops, clothing stores, fur and jewerly stores dotted with some pretty interesting shops, especially if you like vintage vinyl and rare CDs or really stupid T-shirts. Monastiraki Square, perhaps the ugliest in Athens after they could not decide on a design for the 2004 Olympics and lost the money appropriated for it, is still one of the most lively squares in Athens.
Athens First Cemetery
One of the most hauntingly beautiful places in all of Athens is the First cemetery. If you know Greece you will find a walk down the beautiful pine covered lanes a journey through history and culture. If you know nothing about Greek history or culture you will find it hard not to be profoundly affected by the beauty and the sadness.
Pireaus
As much as I love Athens, there is a feeling of having escaped as you sail out of the port and onto the Aegean sea and you gaze over the waves at the white sea of apartment buildings and look for those famous landmarks of the Acropolis, Lykabettus and Phillipapou or the mountains of Hymettos, Pendeli and Parnitha. Yeah I guess choosing Pireaus is sort of a cop-out but I think that once you visit all these places I have mentioned and find yourself on a ferry steaming towards the Greek Islands you might agree with me.
Philopappou
If you walk from the entrance to the Acropolis down the hill bearing to your left and across the street you can climb the hill of Philipapou and spend hours wandering around the forests. This is where you can see some of the most impressive views of the Parthenon so be sure to have your camera with you. There are paths all over and this one section of wilderness goes on for miles. There is a quarry and a couple theaters, one for the Dora Stratou Dancers and the other for the Athens Sound and Light, and someone told me there is a waterfall but I have yet to find it. By the way, one of the best ways to spend an evening in Athens is to see the show put on by the works reknown Dora Stratou Dancers. Performances take place May through September at 10:15pm, with additional performances at 8:15pm on Wednesday and Sunday. There are no performances on Monday. You can buy tickets at the box office, Odos Scholio 8 in the Plaka, from 8am to 2pm and you can also buy them at the show. If you are using a travel agent they can get them for you too.
Pnyx Hill
Pnyx Hill is considered the birthplace of Democracy because this is where the Athenians gathered to debate and govern the state of Athens. Though Athens was the first democracy there were problems that led to it's downfall which may look familiar to those of us who take an interest in current events. Athenian democracy was a great step foreword for mankind, however the rights of a citizen did not apply to all. Women were not recognized as citizens and there was a large slave population who had no rights and did all the hard work. But the key to the fall of Athenian democracy was their denial of the freedoms they enjoyed to the other city states which were under its protection from the Persian threat (which was more of a method to scare their neighbors than it was an actual threat). In the name of security, Athens built up political and military hegemony over the other Greek states, forcing them to make sacrifices that benefited only Athens. This led to thirty years of war with Sparta and in the end Athenian power and democracy was destroyed. But the decisions that led up to the war and those that were made during the war including the disasterous decision to invade Syracuse were made at the flat section carved into the rock called the Pnyx or Pnika.
Temple of Olympia Zeus
The building of the Temple of Olympian Zeus actually began in the 6th Century by Peisistratos but work was stopped either because of a lack of money or because Pisistratus's son, Hippias, was overthrown in 510 BC. The temple was not finished until the Emperor Hadrian completed in 131 AD, seven hundred years later. There were other attempts to continue the building. The Classical Greeks (487-379)left it unfinished because they believed it was too big and symbolized the arrogance of people who believed they were equal to the Gods. During the Third Century when the Macedonians ruled Athens work was begun again by Antiochus the IV of Syria who wanted to build the world's largest temple and hired the Roman architect Cossotius to complete the job, but this ended when Antiochus died. In 86 BC, during Roman rule the general Sulla took two columns from the unfinished temple to Rome for the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill which influenced the development of the Corinthian style in Rome.
The National Gardens of Athens
The National Gardens of Athens is the best place to escape the city and with the areas of the Plaka, Acropolis, Thission, Monastiraki and Psiri all connected by pedestrian streets and parks you barely have to go through Athens to get there.