Destination Athens

This is Athens: Exciting and exasperating, worldly and oh so hot, a city that attacks the senses and stirs the spirit as only the cradle of Western civilization can. Homeland to gods, goddesses, and some of history’s greatest philosophers and athletes, Athens boasts glorious ancient temples such as the Acropolis and its iconic Parthenon, and beautiful beaches. Best of all, Athens has the Athenians, who welcome progress, feed on the latest trends and, true to their hedonistic roots, party with Olympian stamina.  It’s likely that you’ll arrive in Athens in the afternoon, groggy and disoriented after a long flight. The ride into town from the airport is unlikely to help your spirits. You’ll whiz along an efficient but anonymous highway that could be anywhere, before being fed into Athens’s ferocious traffic; or you’ll be underground in the Metro, itching to get to your hotel. Somewhere, you know, not far away, must be the blue Aegean and the lofty Acropolis

Things to Do
While you’ll be itching to see the Acropolis, majestically crowned by the Parthenon, take a siga, siga (slowly, slowly) approach to sightseeing. Go on an architectural dig in the Acropolis Museum, explore the ancient Agorá‘s marketplace, where democracy was born. For cool respite, head to the National Gardens and for gorgeous sunsets, perch on the peak of Lycabettus Mountain.

One small, graceful monument you might easily miss is the 4th-century-B.C. Choregic Monument of Lysikrates, on Lysikratous in the Plaka, located a few steps from the excellent Daphne’s restaurant. This circular monument with Corinthian columns and a domed roof bears an inscription stating that Lysikrates erected it when he won the award in 334 B.C. for the best musical performance with a “chorus of boys.” A frieze shows Dionysos busily trying to turn evil pirates into friendly dolphins.

Three hills near the Acropolis deserve a respectful glance: Areopagus, Pnyx, and Filopappos. Areopagus is the bald marble hill across from the entrance to the Acropolis; it is so slippery, despite its marble steps, that it is never an easy climb, and it is treacherous in the rain. This makes it hard to imagine the Athenians who served on the council and court making their way up here. Still harder to imagine is St. Paul on this slippery perch thundering out criticisms of the Athenians for their superstitions.

From the Areopagus and Acropolis, you can see two nearby wooded hills. The one with the monument visible on its summit is Filopappos (Hill of the Muses). The monument is the funeral stele of the Roman consul after whom the hill is named. You can take pleasant walks on the hill’s wooded slopes; view a Byzantine church, Ayios Demetrios; and see the Dora Stratou Theater, where you can watch folk dances being performed. If you climb to the summit (at night, don’t try this alone or wander here or on Pnyx hill) and face the Acropolis, you can imagine the moment in 1687 when the Venetian commander Morosini shouted “Fire!” — and cannon shells struck the Parthenon.  Anafiotika District on the slopes of the Acropolis, you’ll find yourself in a delightful neighborhood with many small 19th-century homes. This district is often compared to an island village, and small wonder: Most of the homes were built by stonemasons from the Cycladic island of Anafi, who came to Athens to work on the buildings of the new capital of independent Greece.  Athens’s 19th-century Greek Orthodox (Metropolis) on Mitropoleos gets almost universally bad press: too big, too new, too . . . well, ugly. It also suffers terribly in comparison with the adjacent 12th-century Little Metropolis, with the wonderful name Panayia Gorgoepikoos (Virgin Who Answers Prayers Quickly). Fragments of classical masonry (including inscriptions), built into the walls of this little church, create a delightful crazy-quilt effect.

The National Gardens off Syntagma Square have a small zoo, several duck ponds, a playground, and lots of room to run around. There’s also a Children’s Library with books in English and some toys and coloring materials. The library is usually open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30am to 3pm, and is closed in August. The National Gardens are open from sunrise to well after sunset.

Pedion Areos (Plains of Mars) is central Athens’s largest and most beautiful park. With lawns, ponds, gardens, and fountains, it’s the ideal park for the entire family to either stroll or bicycle through. Among the many small parks and gardens scattered throughout Athens, the National Gardens are the best for children. If you’re staying in Kolonaki, try Dexamini Square, which has a small playground and several cafes. (It’s below the St. George Lycabettus hotel off Kleomenous.)

Shopping
Style-conscious Athenians browse for high-street fashion along pedestrian Ermou and for couture and designer jewelry in Kolonaki before brunch on Kolonaki Square. Skip the tourist kitsch in Plaka and Monastiraki in favor of poet/shoemaker Stavros Melissonos‘ handmade leather sandals. It’s all early morning action in the 19th-century glass-and-steel Central Market, where stalls are laden with fresh fruit, nuts, and mounds of Aegean seafood.

Nightlife & Entertainment
Greeks enjoy their nightlife so much that they take an afternoon nap to rest up for it. The evening often begins with a leisurely volta (stroll); you’ll see this in most neighborhoods, including the main drags through the Plaka and Kolonaki Square. Most Greeks don’t think of dinner until at least 9pm in winter, 10pm in summer. Around midnight, the party may move on to a club for music and dancing. Athens is as hedonistic as its mythology suggests. Psirri, Karitsi Square, and Panormou street are pulsating districts; Kolonaki has fashionable bars, and born-again industrial zone Gazi is nightlife central. Summer means beach to Athenians—dress up for seafront cocktails and dancing in Glyfada and Voula.

Restaurants & Dining
picurian Athens is a foodie’s delight, from the old-fashioned tavernas to the trendiest gourmet eateries; world cuisines are nicely represented as well. The plethora of dining options is dizzying and the settings range from city sidewalks, quiet courtyards and gardens, verandas with breathtaking Acropolis and city views to dining on the beach. A meal in Athens, particularly dinner, is to be relished, never rushed and preferably enjoyed alfresco. Whether it’s creative Mediterranean cuisine in Michelin-starred Spondi or a take-out souvlaki, good food is taken for granted in Athens. Views of the Acropolis might distract you from the menu in Plaka and Monastiraki, where tavernas dish up Greek classics. Venture to the Microlimano harbor for fresh fish by the water’s edge, and Kolonaki’s trendy restaurants for a cosmopolitan feel.