Often overlooked, Athens is a fantastic city for a European mini-break or as an add on to a holiday in the Greek Islands. This ancient city offers the visitor everything; from a huge range of historical sites, fabulous Greek restaurants, tiny authentic Greek cafes (offering the strongest coffee you’ll ever come across!), friendly bars, exciting shops and art galleries, nightclubs and discos and winding alleyways leading to peaceful little squares. Combining a few nights here, staying at one of the numerous boutique apartments in Athens before heading off to the Greek Islands or on a Mediterranean cruise, is the best way to start your holiday and learn all about the capital city of this glorious country.
Archaeological Sites
First of all – the history of Athens is just jaw dropping. You can visit the world-famous Parthenon and the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora and the Temple of Zeus as well as organize a small trip to the well-known city of Delphi (famous for the oracle). These ancient Greek and Roman sites are over 2,000 years old. To understand the importance of this city and its role in history, I recommend reading a good history book before you arrive or visiting the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Museum to soak up as much as you can of this incredible place.
Once you have visited the most important historic sites you can wander around the streets of Plaka, a famous neighborhood which lies at the foot of the Acropolis and is stretched towards Syntagma Square. This is the best place for shopping in Athens although it can be a bit busy with tourists in peak times. Syntagma Square is a must see, with its open space and its famous war memorial where every hour soldiers in their elaborate uniforms perform the changing of the guard ceremony. Moreover, if you want to visit the original venue for the Olympics, then you should visit the Panathenaic Stadium which dates back from 330 BCE.
Greek cuisine
If you are anything like me, then Greek food is one of the main attractions for a holiday in Greece and you can dine really well in Athens. There is everything from fine dining to enjoying street food, especially gyros (grilled pork with spices served in pitta breads with tzatziki, fried potatoes and vegetables). Greece, as a sea-faring nation, has a long tradition of hospitality towards strangers and this is shown particularly in the fabulous food. Greek cuisine is very healthy with plenty of grilled fish and salads of tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese. Other unmissable dishes include kleftiko (lamb shanks in tomato sauce), spanakopitta (spinach and feta in filo pastry) and the delicious baklava (filo pastry layers filled with pistachios and honey). Don’t miss out sampling the excellent local wines (there is even a wine festival in August) and always finish your meal with a Greek coffee which is small, dark and very, very strong!
It is also worth booking a table at one of the wonderful hotels which offer 360-degree views across Athens and the Acropolis. It’s pretty magical at sunset!
View from above
If you fancy some sea views during your stay in Athens then you can book a trip to Cape Sounion, where you can see the Temple of Poseidon. Lots of people do this at sunset too, although of course the best sunset and moonrise photos are of the Acropolis. The best spots for taking photos are Areopagus Hill and Philopappos Hill. Plus, another great place for spectacular views across the vast city is Mount Lycabettus, where you can go by car or by taking the cable car.
The range of accommodation in Athens is wide from international five-star hotels to funky small hotels. If you prefer a unique experience and a bit more space then you should stay at The Foundry Suites Athens.
