Athens

Must See’s

Syntagma Square

Syntagma Square is located directly across from the Greek Parliament Building. Here it is possible to observe the changing of the presidential guard and take pictures with its uniformed members (the Evzones). The square is surrounded by some shops and restaurants and is full of benches where people sit to enjoy the young musicians who often play there. It also marks the start of the 40-acre National Garden, south of which is the Zappeion Mansion (1874-1888). Continuing along from there is the Presidential Mansion (1897) and the Panathenaic Stadium which is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. It is also the place where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. Athens marks one of the handful of cities to have hosted the Olympic Games more than once, as the event returned to Greece 108 years later, during the summer of 2004.

Museums

If you are looking to learn more of Greece’s lore and mythology the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki Museum, and the National Archaeological Museum are only a few of the numerous places that will enchant and impress.

Plaka

The Plaka neighbourhood consists of narrow, labyrinthine streets, houses and mansions from the 19th-century Neoclassical period and the Turkish occupation. It lays across the eastern side of the Acropolis and marks the core of the historic centre of Athens, giving a feeling of journeying back in time. An abundance of ancient monuments can be found in this area, including the Lysikrates Monument, the Roman Agora with the renowned “Tower of the Winds” (1st century B.C.), Hadrian’s Library (132 A.D.) with scores of large and small churches representing both Byzantine art and architecture at their finest. Picturesque tavernas, cafes, bars and small souvenir shops with traditional Greek products add to the charming and magical ambience of the area.

Ermou Street

Ermou Street was one of the first roads designed in modern Athens and a major axis of the city’s first town plan. The street is a one-and-a-half kilometer-long road connecting the Kerameikos archaeological site with Syntagma Square through Monastiraki, Psiri and Thiseio. It consists of three sections: the eastern stretch (from Filellinon Street to Aiolou Street, around 700m long) is a pedestrian zone and the city’s best-known and busiest shopping street with fashionable boutiques and a number of international brands. One of the oldest churches in Athens, the Byzantine Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea, is in a small square on the eastern end of Ermou Street.