Ultimate Guide to Athens, Greece
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Situated in a valley where the mountains and forests of the Balkan peninsula at last give way to the glittering Aegean, Athens lives under the shadow of its ancient past. The Acropolis stands high above all else in the city, while the ruins of smaller Greek and Roman temples are scattered among busy Ottoman-era bazaars and hastily constructed apartment blocks.
Besides a diverse array of neighborhoods, each representing a different side to the city’s past, Athens is known for its thriving art scene. In the past five years, two major spaces — the National Gallery and the National Museum of Contemporary Art — have been renovated and housed within new glass buildings, while the port suburb of Piraeus is seeing a spate of indie galleries set up shop — including Carwan Gallery, which showcases Middle Eastern design.
Thanks to a glut of stylish new hotels, both in the elegant neoclassical city center and on the sandy shores of the Athens Riviera, the Greek capital continues to make a name for itself as one of Europe’s hottest city-break destinations. New direct flights from the U.S. are making Athens even easier to reach, with Norse, United Airlines, Delta Airlines and American Airlines introducing routes from the East Coast this year. In a country that prides itself on its hospitality, visitors are sure of a warm, Greek welcome.
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Athens Neighborhood
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History
As Athens was at the very center of the Ancient Greek world, historic sites are hard to miss here. All roads radiate from the Acropolis and its crowning glory, the Parthenon. It’s better to swerve around the main entrance and go to the southern gate instead — the path leads directly to the 25,000-capacity ancient Theatre of Dionysus and Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which still play host to the world’s top performers. The Athena’s Combined Ticket grants access to any of the city’s seven ancient sites, which could include the Acropolis, Agora (the exceptionally well-preserved temple of Hephaestus and its tortoise guardians is a particular highlight), the Roman-era Agora and Hadrian’s Library. There’s also the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Aristotle’s Lyceum plus the Kerameikos archaeological site — which, despite having fascinating Classical cemeteries and procession routes, sees few tourists.
Athens’ Ottoman history is just as fascinating. North of the Acropolis is the Monastiraki neighborhood, home to the 18th-century Tzitsarakis Mosque-turned-art museum. The domed building is flanked by two flea markets: one selling locally sourced nuts, fruits and other produce, the other stocking vintage records, handcrafted leather sandals and home decor.
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Chicken Souvlatzidiko
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Food & Drink
The Greeks love their food, and in most towns and cities you’ll find five main types of eateries. Tavernas and psarotavernas (fresh fish restaurants) provide homestyle dining at a reasonable price, while estiatorios are more high-end establishments. Mezedopoleio — as the name suggests — are for meze, offering a selection of small plates. For street food, there’s no better place than the souvlatzidiko — where grilled skewers of meat are served with a mountain of fries or in a fluffy pita.
Athens’ specialty, however, is the koutouki. Frequented mainly by locals, there are no menus; diners simply stroll in, take a seat, and the server will explain what’s been cooked that day. Diporto, a centuries-old basement joint near the Central Market with retsina barrels on the walls, is gaining an international reputation. To Koutouki tou Thoma in residential Neos Kosmos, meanwhile, is run by a husband-and-wife team who invite guests into the kitchen to select their dinner from giant pots.
The food scene in Athens is always evolving, and fusion food is very on trend right now. Nolan, an eclectic dining room spearheaded by Greek-Japanese chef Sotiris Contizas, combines Asian and Mediterranean cooking techniques to create something special — the miso-glazed Greek aubergine is melt-in-the-mouth glorious.
You’re spoiled for choice for dessert, as almost every street in Athens has a pastry shop with ornately piped cream cakes and cookies you can buy by the pound. Caffeine fixes can be found at the omnipresent coffeehouses, where tables of older gentlemen playing backgammon spill out onto the street and Greek coffee is served in tiny cups with a glass of water and a spoon sweet. Yiasemi, in picturesque Plaka, even has tables laid out on a set of steps leading up to the Acropolis.
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Negroni
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Nightlife
After dark, Monastiraki is one of the best places to find your scene. It has a spot to suit every sort of mood — from chilled cocktails in Acropolis-facing rooftop bars to neon underground nightclubs. Lantern-lit local favorite Six Dogs is a blend of the two, combining an extensive all-day drinks menu and alfresco terrace with regular DJ sessions.
Monastiraki is also home to two award-winning cocktail bars. Baba au Rum and The Clumsies, both fixtures on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, are located within 820 feet of each other and pride themselves on truly original mixology. So, patrons can sip on a tangy basil-blended bloody baba, then sample a peppery clumsy negroni.
Although English-language music is commonplace, a recent law requires most venues to play a minimum of 40% Greek music. But for an all-Greek night out, the bouzoukia clubs have Greek artists performing live until the small hours. From mandolin players to pop princesses, a bouzoukia grants intimate access to the stars. At the end of the show, it’s traditional to throw a tray of roses at the performers.
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Lake Vouliagmeni
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Excursions
Tempting though it is to stay in Athens, venturing out of the city reaps rich rewards. Approximately 15 miles south of Syntagma Square is Lake Vouliagmeni, a thermal spring and seawater lake sandwiched between the Saronic Gulf and a limestone cliff. With a temperature that lingers around 75F all year round, it’s a comfortable place for a swim regardless of the time of year. Alternatively, visitors can sit on the wooden deck at the edge, dip their toes in and let shoals of native red garra fish nibble on their dead skin. It’s ticklish, and it’s not easy to keep still, but it results in seriously smooth feet.
At the southern tip of the Attica peninsula — a fun drive along the winding Vouliagmeni coast road — is Cape Sounion. Topped by the Temple of Poseidon (built in 440 BC and beloved of Lord Byron), the headland offers one of Greece’s most romantic views: the Aegean, bathed in an orange and blue haze. It’s a poorly kept secret, but locals and tour groups alike head here around 7 p.m. — it’s recommended you arrive earlier to get the best sunset shot.
Athens can even be combined with a Greek island adventure. Aegina — which possesses its own Doric temple perched on a hill — is just 45 minutes away by fast ferry from the port at Piraeus. Visitors can hire a set of wheels at the picturesque main town and plan a loop around the island, stopping at the Temple of Aphaia, the Agios Nektarios Monastery, the Temple of Ellanios Zeus (Europe’s oldest temple), plus countless swimming spots.
Pistachios are this island’s most famous export, so cones of green ice cream made from the nut are readily available at roadside stalls and seafront tavernas.
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The Acropolis Luxury Junior Suite at The Dolli
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Hotels
A collection of luxurious new hotels has opened in Athens over the past few years, although a host of stylish old favorites remains. Set in the opulent 1925 former home of a wealthy fabric magnate, The Dolli opened its doors to guests last year. It wears its history like a badge of honor, with 46 rooms and suites splashed with white marble and 18th-century furniture. The view from the infinity pool of the Acropolis is the real show-stopper — it reflects the scene like a mirror at golden hour.
Opened in 2022, Xenodocheio Milos is the estiatorio Milos restaurant chain’s first hotel, conveniently located next to the Old Parliament House. Its restaurant, helmed by renowned chef
Costas Spiliadis, occupies most of the ground floor. Once guests have polished off a plate of salt-crusted fish, they can head to the roof terrace to bathe in a hot tub accompanied by a chilled glass of Malagousia.
Elsewhere, New Hotel is situated in bougainvillea-draped Plaka, its unassuming modernist facade concealing a vibrant, avant-garde personality on the inside. The lobby bar gives a great first impression, complete with signature cocktails made using Greek tipples ranging from mint-like mastiha from Chios to kumquat liqueur hailing from Corfu.
Not far from here is Hotel Grande Bretagne, a grande dame located just across the road from the Hellenic Parliament. Opened in 1874, there’s an air of the Belle Époque everywhere you look, from the palm-and-fountain-filled spa to afternoon tea served in the opulent Winter Garden.
Perhaps the most wonderful thing about Athens is that it can be both a beach and city break. The Four Seasons Astir Palace, in seaside town Vouliagmeni, combines the best of 1960s Athens glamour with green-and-turquoise waters, plus jewelry boutiques and a lounge-worthy pool deck tumbling into the Aegean.
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