Athens in a glance
Athens is the historical capital of Europe, with a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age. In the 5th Century BC (the “Golden Age of Pericles”) – the culmination of Athens’ long, fascinating history – the city’s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest. In 1834, it became the capital of the modern Greek state and in two centuries since it has become an attractive modern metropolis with unrivalled charm. A large part of the town’s historic centre has been converted into a 3-kilometre pedestrian zone (the largest in Europe), leading to the major archaeological sites (“archaeological park”), reconstructing – to a large degree – the ancient landscape.
Acropolis
As you would expect, the Acropolis has the final word of what to see in Athens. The temples on the sacred rock are considered the most important monuments in Western civilisation and have influenced architecture more than anything else since. From the top, its mesmerising view has been a source of inspiration for many foreign travellers, poets and writers during the 18th century. Prior to this and because of the Ottoman occupation, travelling to Greece was difficult and Athens remained somewhat of a mystery to the outside world.
The Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum is consistently rated as one of the best museums in the world. Devoted to the Parthenon and its surrounding temples, it is cleverly perched above Athens like a luminous box. The large glass panes beautifully draw in the ancient and modern parts of the city, making it a truly evocative experience. Designed by New York’s, Bernard Tschumi, with local Greek architect Michael Photiadis, it is the perfect sanctuary for the ancient artefacts that were found in and around the Acropolis and successfully deconstructs how the Parthenon sculptures once looked to the citizens of ancient Athens.
Monastiraki Flea Market
Shopping in Athens is a favorite pastime for tourists and Athenians and one of the best places to buy just about anything is the Flea Market at Monastiraki. OK. It is not really a flea market except maybe on Sunday when some of the stores close and people bring tables and carpets and sell all kinds of stuff from junk to antiques. The rest of the week it is more like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul though not so grand and not so bizarre. Most of the shops are pretty conventional and sell the same stuff you find in the tourist shops on the islands, some of it made in Greece and some made in China or other cheap labor countries. You will find the same designs on GREECE T-shirts as you saw in Aruba or Mexico, as well as some you might actually classify as art or somehow unique. There are good jewelry store with handmade gold and silver pieces and fake jewelry stores with "handmade" gold and silver pieces, and most people won't be able to tell the difference.
Thission
One of the coolest areas of Athens for young people is the neighborhood of Thission. It is within easy walking distance of the Plaka and borders Monastiraki and Koukaki. Thission is named after the ancient temple in the Agora that is actually a temple to Hephaestus but was mistakenly called the Temple to Theseus, the mythical founder-king of Athens. By the time they had realized their mistake the neighborhood around the temple had already been called Thission. So rather than change the name of the neighborhood or lie and tell people that it was a Temple of Theseus, they decided to not say anything and hope nobody would notice. The neighborhood of Thission, which used to be full of the furnaces of the metal workers, would have been more aptly named Hephaestion, for Hephaestus who was the God of fire and the patron of all craftsmen. Instead it has existed for centuries named after Theseus, the founder of Athens, who had gone to Crete to kill the minataur.
Metro station (Neos Kosmos) : 180 m // 2 min walk
Tram station (Neos Kosmos) : 240 m // 3 min walk
Taxi station : 160 m // 2 min walk
Neos Kosmos square (cafe, bakeries, restaurants, grills, bars, pharmacies, mini and super markets) : 180 m // 2 min walk
Acropolis : 1.7 km // 4 min by metro
Acropolis museum : 1.4 km // 4 min by metro
Syntagma square : 2.4 km // 6 min by metro
Monastiraki (Antique Bazaar) : 2.5 km // 10 min by metro
Thission : 2.6 km // 12 min by metro
Plaka : 1.9 km // 4 min by metro
Athens International Airport : 34 km // 42 min by metro
Piraeus port : 10 km // 20 min by metro
Beach : 7 km // 26 min by tram
Benaki museum : 2.8 km // 6 min by metro
Odeon of Herodes Theatre : 1.7 km // 4 min by metro
Zappeion : 2.5 km // 6 min by metro
Ancient Agora of Athens : 3.5 km // 10 min by metro
Lycabettus : 4.2 km // 8 min by metro
Kolonaki Luxury Shopping District : 3.2 km // 8 min by metro
Temple of Olympian Zeus : 1.8 km // 4 min by metro
| POINTS OF INTEREST | CONNECTION | GETTING OFF |
|---|---|---|
| Syntagma Square | – | Syntagma |
| Acropolis | Syntagma | Akropoli |
| Acropolis Museum | Syntagma | Akropoli |
| Odeum of Herodes Atticus | Syntagma | Akropoli |
| Monastiraki (Flea Market) | – | Monastiraki |
| Plaka | Syntagma | Akropoli |
| Kolonaki | – | Evangelismos |
| Odeum of Herodes Atticus | – | Akropoli |
| Temple of Olympian Zeus | Syntagma | Akropoli |
| National Garden | Syntagma | Syntagma |
| Panathenaic Stadium | Syntagma (Tram line) | Zapio |
| Airport of Athens | (Special line / ticket) | Airport |
| Port of Piraeus | Monastiraki | Piraeus |