Athens

A view of Mount Lycabettus, as seen from the roof of Filoistron.

Night view of the Museum, eastern facade

Traditional Greek mezes at Filoistron restaurant.

The garden atrium at Athens' Herakleidon Experience in Visual Arts museum.

An Angelos Frentzos dress at Bettina boutiuqe.

The owner's grandson, Meletis Koropoulis.

Photo: Wendy Ball & Dara Albanese

Photo: Nikos Daniilidis

Photo: Wendy Ball & Dara Albanese

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Until recently, tourists would dash into Athens for a quick visit to the Acropolis and the Parthenon before heading for the islands. But, with no disrespect to Pericles, Athens isn’t all about the Acropolis anymore. A major makeover prior to the 2004 Olympics added squares and pedestrian walkways, revamped hotels, even created subway stations that double as museums. Today this ancient city is a vibrant megalopolis with nonstop nightlife, creative cuisine, and sites both ancient and modern. In the thousands of sidewalk cafés, courting teenagers, young professionals, and old men shuffling their worry beads all bask in Athens’s modern-day renaissance.

Don't Miss

A stroll inside the Syntagma Square (a.k.a. Constitution Square) metro station, where artifacts uncovered during the building of the subway, from skeletons to pre-Christian plumbing, are displayed.
The changing of the guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square’s pink Parliament Building. Every Sunday at 11 a.m., the Evzone guards—soldiers chosen for their height and, it’s rumored, good looks—in ceremonial dress (yes, that means a pleated skirt and pom-pom-toed shoes) perform an elaborately choreographed ceremony.
Wandering the alleys of Anafiotika, a whitewashed, 19th-century village along the northern slope of the Acropolis that was built by refugees from the Cycladic island of Anafi. It’s a quiet, homey oasis in the heart of teeming Athens.

T+L Favorites

Where to Stay

Art Hotel, Athens

The “art” in the hotel’s name may refer to the hotel’s proximity to the famed National Archaeolog

...

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Where to Eat

17, Athens

Open since 1957, this journalist’s haunt was the first “bar” in Athens that “nice” ladies could f...

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What to Do

Aegli

One of the great pleasures of the Athenian summer is enjoying a movie (and a souvlaki and a beer)...

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Community: Tips (7) and Comments (0)

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Tips See All ATHENS Tips

Athens online tourist resources
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A homemade but wildly useful site is the Athens Survival Guide, produced by Matt Barrett, a North Carolinian trans... More
Getting to and from Athens’s airport
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Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (locals call it “Spata,” the name of the surrounding area), 20 miles east of downtown, is remarkably easy to reach by Athens Metro to get to your destination, do. It’s new, clean, cheap (less than a dollar per ticket), and ea... More
Athenian taxis—a warning
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The good news about taxis in Athens is that they’re relatively cheap. The bad news is that they’re individual fiefdoms run by often-insane despots. Here’s how it works: the driver slows down while you... More
Getting around Athens
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Much of the city center is walkable, and large areas, like the Dionysiou Areopagitou and Apostolou Pavlou walkways around the Acropolis and the shopping street Ermou, are pedestrianized. Traffic here ... More

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Athens

Neighborhoods

Don't Miss

T+L Favorites

Where to Stay

Art Hotel, Athens

Where to Eat

17, Athens

What to Do

Aegli

Community: Tips (7) and Comments (0)

Tips See All ATHENS Tips

Athens online tourist resources

Getting to and from Athens’s airport

Athenian taxis—a warning

Getting around Athens

What's your favorite thing to do during an airport layover?

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