2021 EnglishGuide 2021 DhmAthin Low

Summer Guide For Visitors
YOUR FREE COPY

iLoveAthens
CityGuide
“Web & digital tools development in order to promote Athens as a Destination, within the Smart City context”
(MIS 5032728)
EDITORIAL

Dear all,
I am sure you already know the great
pleasures of Athens. We have an exceptional climate
for every season, some of the most recognizable
monuments and museums in the world, and secluded
beaches just 30 minutes from the city center.
Over the last few years, our visitors have begun to

discover that Athens has much more to offer. We have
proven that we are creative and resilient, with diverse
and vibrant neighbourhoods and the confidence to
combine fine art with street food. We are an ancient
city that looks undaunted toward the future.
As we are investing in quality of life for our residents

and visitors in all of our 129 neighbourhoods, Athens
is changing a lot little-by-little. We are improving
walking paths and connecting our historic sites to the
fabric of the city. We’re restoring our urban lungs,
repairing historic fountains, and upgrading public
spaces to keep the city clean and cool. We’ve signed
up for climate action and committed ourselves to
sustainable tourism.
This is the moment for Athens. I am proud to

welcome you.

Best wishes,
Kostas Bakoyannis
Mayor of Athens
2 SUMMER 2021 iLoveAthens

iLoveAthens
3 LiFO 00_INTRO
1. New In Athens. Three cultural
landmarks that just opened their doors.
2. Ancient Athens. A concise guide to
all the essential sites and museums to
visit and learn about Ancient Greece.
3. Art & Design. Must see museums,
gallery districts, architectural
landmarks and five unusual museums.
4. Secret Athens. Uncovering the city’s
lesser known landmarks.
5. Outdoor Athens. Parks, mountains
and the open air cinemas.
6. Coastal Athens. Beach life is just
half an hour away from the city center.
Plus: Speak Athenian/Where to skate/

Pocket parks
1st edition
Contents
www.lifo.gr
Editor
Rachel Howard
Contributors
Diane Shugart, Alex King, Chloe Karnezis
Chief Editors
Michalis Michael, Tasos Brekoulakis
Creative Director
Yiannis Karlopoulos
Design
Christos Tzovaras
Vanessa Ferle
Copy editor
Myrto Athanasopoulou
Photography
Paris Tavitian
Coordination
Thanasis Haramis
iD
Produced by Dyo Deka
Publishing SA
22 Voulis str. ATHENS 105 61
Greece
For queries or comments email us at info@lifo.gr

iLoveAthens
1. Ne
Athe
e w in The new cultural landmarks
hens
Küba (2004) by Kutluğ Ataman and Our Ideas #2 (2018)
by Adam Pendleton at the Tobacco Factory.
Photograph © Natalia Tsoukala. Courtesy NEON.
N E W I N AT H E N S 1 .0
If you want to survive as long as Athens has, you

need to learn how to reinvent yourself. That’s just as
true today as it was when the city was founded five thousand
years ago. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the start of
the Greek Revolution in 1821. Athens is eager to show the world
how far it has come in the last two centuries – and determined
to prove that this isn’t the city you may have seen before, but
a new post-crisis and post-pandemic reincarnation. After
months of lockdown, Athens has emerged if not unscathed
then revitalised. While some businesses that had survived for
generations have sadly closed, a new wave of bars, restaurants,
and hotels are being unveiled. The city government has been
working hard too – scrubbing away graffiti, renovating derelict
buildings and even whole districts, creating new pocket parks
and pedestrian zones. The “Historic Triangle”, a tangle of streets
and arcades wedged between Syntagma, Monastiraki and
Omonia squares, has been largely pedestrianised, and cycle
lanes are being introduced to make the compact city centre
more friendly to cyclists too. Neglected empty plots in Ano
Kypseli, Kolonos, Pangrati and Metaxourgeio have been turned
into miniature parks – improving air quality and encouraging a
sense of community.
This surge of energy has been catalysed by the bicentenary,

which has provided the impetus for new cultural landmarks
such as the remodelled National Gallery, the long-awaited
operation of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST),
and the €1.2 million conversion of the former Public Tobacco
Factory into an ambitious art space. Scattered around ancient
ruins, Athens is easily mistaken for a living museum. Spend
a little time in the city and you’ll soon realise that the next big
transformation is always on the horizon.

The Exodus from Missolonghi (1853)
by Theodoros Vryzakis at the National Gallery.
13 LiFO 01_NEW IN ATHENS

New in Athens
Tobacco Factory
Lighting up an old landmark
The NEON Foundation is one of the most exciting forces in
Greek contemporary art. With no fixed abode, its forward-
thinking curators transform unexpected locations around the
country into places of site-specific artistic discovery: from
growing an edible installation in the gardens of the National
Observatory to placing Anthony Gormley’s melancholy
iron figures among the ruins on the island of Delos. Now
NEON has undertaken its most ambitious project to date:
the conversion of the former Public Tobacco Factory into a
colossal cultural centre, gifted to the Greek state.
The 1930s pastel-yellow building occupies a whole city
block on Lenorman Avenue. Inside, NEON have aimed to use
every bit of the 6,500 square metre space as creatively as
possible. Fifteen site-specific installations have been created
for the former Customs Office, the roof, and even the area
surrounding the building, such as Kolonos Hill. The inaugural
exhibition, “Portals”, features 59 major artists from 27
countries, who are responding to the change and disruption
triggered by the pandemic.
218 Lenorman, Kolonos 104 43,

+30 213 018 7722,
neon.org.gr/en/exhibition/portals

The National Gallery
Art history
After a €59 million overhaul that lasted several years, the
National Gallery is back. And it’s a triumph. The brilliantly
curated presentation of two centuries of Greek art is an
opportunity to uncover Greek history and understand
the nation’s psyche. Ever since the foundation of an
independent Greek state in 1830, artists have grappled with
a national identity crisis: should Greece embrace East or
West, religion or reason, tradition or modernity?
The first floor of the National Gallery is devoted to the 19th
century, beginning with Greece’s long struggle to sever
itself from the Ottoman Empire. European philhellenes
such as Eugène Delacroix were seduced by the romance
of revolution and encouraged their Greek counterparts to
join them in painting bombastic canvasses celebrating the
heroic sacrifices of the Greeks as they fought for national
liberation. The second floor focusses on 20th century
artists’ attempts to develop a distinctive identity in the face
of profound shocks experienced by Greek society, such as
the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922, Nazi occupation during
World War Two, and the brutal Civil War that followed. On
the top floor, instantly recognisable work by well-known
artists, such as the hats and plaid jackets of Yannis Gaitis
and the billowing figures of Alekos Fassianos, are displayed
alongside artists whose mixed media work is often more
experimental.
Vasileos Konstantinou 50, Pangrati 115 28,

+30 214 408 6212,
nationalgallery.gr/en

New in Athens

The National Gallery.

New in Athens

Athens Olympic Museum
Carrying the torch
The huge Golden Hall shopping complex might seem
like an unlikely location for a museum dedicated to the
Olympic Games. But the building was originally constructed
as the International Broadcasting Centre for the 2004
Athens Olympics. This bright, futuristic museum traces
the history of the Olympic Games back to their ancient
origins: a means to broker a ceasefire among warring
Greek city states, by celebrating the ideals of peace, unity
and fair play. Interactive exhibits and artefacts faithfully
recreate the sporting and religious festival held every four
years in ancient Olympia. Modern memorabilia includes
Olympic torches and striking posters from every edition
of the modern Games since their resurrection in Athens in
1896. After your visit, step outside into the Olympic Park,
centrepiece of the Athens 2004 Olympics, and walk through
the striking white arches designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Many of the sporting venues are still in use today, such as
the velodrome, the open-air swimming pool and the main
Olympic stadium, which is where one of Greece’s most
successful football teams, AEK, play their matches.
Inside Golden Hall

Leoforos Kifisias 37a, Marousi 151 23,
+30 210 688 5560,
athensolympicmuseum.org/en

Athens Film Office
Athens is an ideal setting for international
productions.
How many times have you fallen in love shot in Greece ever, giving an important
with a city you’ve seen in a movie? What boost to the city with a crew of more
if that city was Athens? Until recently than 200 locals, hundreds of extras and
filmmakers who wanted to film in the a spend of more than 20 million euros.
Greek capital stumbled on red tape and
a lack of government incentives. This Other films which were shot this year
has now changed thanks to the City of included “The Grandson” (Homemade
Athens’ brand-new Athens Film Office Films), “Exodus” (Green Olive), “The
(AFO). Created in March 2020 through other me” (COSMOTE TV), “Dodo”
the Athens Development and Destination (by Greek acclaimed filmmaker Panos
Management Agency (ADDMA), its Koutras) and the antiterrorism thriller
main goal has been to transform Athens “Νοvembre” starring Oscar winner
into a “film-friendly city”, attracting Jean Dujardin, which focuses on the
international productions to the Greek November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks
capital and proving that the city can in France. This is only the beginning:
work as a stunning film set. Paramount (Amazon Prime) will soon
be filming season 3 of the action
The Athens Film Office (AFO) works thriller series “Jack Ryan”, and art-
as a one-stop shop, receiving and house favourite David Cronenberg will
managing all production requests, be directing “Crimes of the Future”, a
facilitating filming requirements and science fiction film with a famous cast
helping productions with everything, (Vigo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, Léa
from hospitality and location scouting Seydoux), in several, often obscure,
to overcoming bureaucratic obstacles, Athens locations including an arcade in
while also assisting producers claim Aristeidou street in downtown Athens.
a 40% cash rebate entitlement, a
brand new national incentive by These are productions in which Athens
the government, hoping to attract will play its own leading role, impressing
filmmakers to Greece. viewers and reclaiming the place it
deserves among the historic capitals of
In its first year of operation, more than the world.
40 international and Greek productions
have been filmed in the Greek capital,
including “Tehran”, an Israeli spy thriller
series for Apple TV, which will soon
begin filming its second season in
the city and Perrier’s international ad
campaign. “Greek Freak”, a Disney film
on the real-life rags to riches story of
NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo,
is one of the biggest productions to be

Athens goes global,
sustainable and accessible
Introducing the Athens Development and Destination
Management Agency (ADDMA).
In the future, visitors will come to Athens Many visitors enjoy walking through the
to join surfer tribes and to follow hip-hop “open-air museum” of Athens, one of the
artists, to take part in grassroots action most beautiful promenades in Europe
and global partnerships, and to discover linking the city’s archaeological sites and
hidden beaches only 30 minutes away looping under the Acropolis. The final
from the Acropolis. stretch of the ancient cultural pathway is
coming into place between the Temple
The journey starts with This is Athens, of Olympion Zeus and the Zappeion
the Official Visitors’ Guide online at www. gardens and leading toward the all-
thisisathens.org. The site unlocks hidden marble Panathenaic Stadium, the site of
neighbourhood gems, shopping, and the first Modern Olympics and the finish-
stylish delights, as well as profiles of line of the annual Athens Marathon.
the creative communities re-inventing
the city every day. There are more than From 2021 onwards, it will be easier to
250 articles and insights written by explore the city’s 129 neighborhoods and
local journalists in English, French, and their dense urban fabric thanks to new,
German, plus 6500 photos by local cool and green spaces offering a place
photographers, 2000 points of interest, to rest. The municipality is repairing its
and an events calendar curated with urban lungs with more trees and water
visitors in mind. fountains, nature-based solutions to
restore the slopes of Mount Lycabettus,
Athens is focused on cultural heritage and the first “green corridors” to help
found just below the city’s tough surface move air through the streets.
– a trip to the beach, evenings spent
outdoors, a neighborhood taverna Athens is working to lower summer
spilling happily into the street. That’s temperatures and maintain fresh public
what Athenians might call their “quality spaces during the whole year. The first
of life.” It’s the buzz inspiring visitors to five pocket parks have been created
make Athens part of their life story. through the Adopt Your City programme,
a framework for public-private
“The City of Athens is investing in quality partnerships that aims to speed-up the
of life and the well-being of residents transformation of neglected properties
in order to become a more sustainable to open much-needed neighbourhood
and accessible destination. Athens spaces.
is not investing in tourism to change
the city, but the opposite. Athens has The Athens Development and
begun making the changes that the Destination Management Agency is
city needed for decades to create the the city’s tourism authority that is
conditions that will attract tourism”, promoting new cultural pathways that
says Vagelis Vlachos, CEO of the go beyond the Acropolis. For example,
Athens Development and Destination the online platform “Athens is Back”
Management Agency (ADDMA). features incentives for residents and

visitors to explore shopping, culture, 2020, the AFO has leveraged economic
and food throughout the city. And the incentives as well as the city’s urban and
programme “This is Athens with a Local” architectural landscape to bring more
connects visitors to a community of local than 40 international film productions to
volunteers offering free walks around Athens during the last year. These efforts
their neighbourhoods. support local employment by booking
film crews and services, while also
More views of Athens will soon be on creating networking opportunities that
the big screen through the work of will strengthen the position of Athenian
the Athens Film Office. Beginning in filmmakers in the international market.
Thomas Gravanis

2. Anc
iLoveAthens
Athe
Visitors at the National Archaeological Museum.
hens
ncient
Discover the city's glorious history
A N T I Q U I T I E S 2 .1
Archaeological Sites
Athens in ruins
Athens is forever reinventing itself, which
can prove confusing to visitors who arrive
expecting to find a city defined by its ancient legacy.
Instead, they see a conurbation that has sprawled from
the antiquity at its core to fill the entire Attica basin,
incorporating other ancient towns within its embrace.
But this is the essence of the city’s charm: the
unforced fusion of the past and an ever-evolving
present. Metaphorically and literally, Athens is a city
in layers. Few families have roots in Athens – most
migrated to the city from mainland or island villages
in successive waves since 1834, when Athens was
declared the capital of Greece.
These connections remain strong. Equally strong are
the links to earlier settlers that stretch back millennia.
Mycenaeans, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans
added their own layers to the city’s history and their
traces are easily discernible among the Greek ruins
and the contemporary city. It’s a heady mix that gives
Athens a unique texture and depth.
iLoveAthens
The Temple of Olympian Zeus.
27 LiFO 02_ANCIENT ATHENS

The Acropolis
The Acropolis defies description: it is after all what you’ve
come to Athens to see. The very symbol of Western
civilisation, the Parthenon makes you gasp when it comes
into view, whether it's your first visit or your twenty-first.
There’s much to take in, so arrive early – an especially good
plan in summer as there’s little shade up on “the rock”.
Acropolis’ was a general term used for citadels built on
natural fortifications. But the Acropolis of Athens is unrivalled
for the monuments produced by its glittering civilization: the
Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erectheion held
aloft by its caryatids, and, of course, the Parthenon itself –
the pinnacle of human perfection whose every measurement
is based on the golden mean.
+30 210 923 8747

Ancient Agora
Visitors look to the Acropolis as the centre of ancient Athens,
but its heart was the Agora. This is where people met to
trade goods and gossip, shop, be entertained, argue politics,
or just hang out. It’s a large site, built in stages, and worth
spending the time to explore. The wide path through the site
is, in fact, ancient – a track for chariot races and processional
road known as the Panathenaic Way that led to the Acropolis.
Two buildings immediately pop: the Stoa of Attalos, marked
by a 115-metre colonnade, and the impressive Temple of
Hephaestus with sculpted marble friezes depicting the
labours of Heracles and Theseus. Note a small mound in the
middle of the temple: it’s where the British traveller John
Tweddell was buried when the grounds were briefly used as
a Protestant cemetery.
Adrianou 24, Monastiraki 10555,

+30 210 321 0185
Kerameikos
Construction of modern Athens filled in and paved over
the rivers coursing through the city since antiquity. One,
the Eridanos, flowed from Lycabettus through the Agora
into Kerameikos, where its banks provided the raw material
for the ceramicists for which the area became known. Dry
today, the Eridanos cuts a path through this sprawling
archaeological site, forming a natural divide between
the cities of the living and the dead. There’s a lot to see,
including sections of the Themistoclean Walls and two of
the ancient city’s gates. But it’s the necropolis that lures.
Class and status carry into death, and it’s fun to note how
decorations like a water jug over a burial mound signals the
grave of a single man. The charming on-site museum is a
trove of marvellous treasures excavated in both the ancient
cemetery and ceramic studios.
Ermou 148, Kerameikos 10553,

+30 210 346 3552


Panoramic view of the Temple of Hephaestos.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The largest temple in Greece stands as a monument to the
Olympian god Zeus – but also to the age-old problem of
construction delays. It took several generations and more
than 600 years to complete as it was razed, restarted,
and stalled several times. The 108m by 40m temple was
initiated in the 6th century BC by the tyrant Peisistratos as a
works project intended to suppress the population and was
reviled for its link to successive tyrants. Relatively sparse,
the expansive site makes for pleasant strolling in the city’s
crowded centre. Natural disasters, attacks, and extensive
quarrying stripped the temple through the centuries. Just 16
of its 104 columns remain – enough to imagine how it looked
in all its glory.
Vas. Olgas Avenue 10557,

+30 210 922 6330
Theatre of Dionysus
The stage has been silent for centuries and only sections of
the orchestra remain, but this site drips enough drama to
affirm its status as theatre’s birthplace. Slide into a marble
throne in the front row –reserved for the priests of Dionysus
and other dignitaries– and behold the action: a remarkably
detailed marble frieze of Greek deities beneath the stage,
which Heracles supports on his shoulders. This is where,
in the 5th century BC, the Greek dramatists –Sophocles,
Euripides, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and others– competed
in theatrical contests before some 15,000 spectators. The
tradition continued into Roman times, both at this site and at
the adjacent Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which is still used for
performances today.
Thrasyllou & Dionysiou Areopagitou, Acropolis 11742,

+30 210 322 4625

Roman Agora
Under Roman rule, the city’s centre shifted to a new agora.
It was more compact and more ordered, with public latrines
(the Vespasianae) and other facilities. Located in the heart
of Plaka, the site extends between the Gate of Athena
Archegetis, a monumental arch built by Augustus Caesar,
and the Horologion of Andronicus, a unique octagonal
sundial, water clock, and weathervane. More popularly
known as the Tower of the Winds for its frieze depicting the
eight ancient Greek wind gods, it’s the first known attempt to
build a weather station. In the Early Christian era, the tower
was used as a church and in the 18th century as a Dervish
monastery.
Polignotou 3, Plaka 10555,

+30 210 324 5220

Pnyx
A low hill facing the Acropolis, the Pnyx was where the all-
male Assembly of the Athenians was held, the bedrock of
Greek democracy. This symbolism has carried into our times,
with world leaders often choosing the site for speeches, in
the tradition of the orations by Pericles and Demosthenes.
The site may have been chosen for its sheltered plateau that
forms a natural open-air auditorium. There are only scant
remains of what was believed to be a sparse site, it’s only
purpose being to hold a crowd – the Pnyx could pack in
up to 10,000 people at a time. The speaker’s platform was
slightly elevated, and you can still see the steps leading
up to it carved into the rock. A series of small niches in its
surface were made to hold votive offerings to Zeus.
Pnyx Hill, Acropolis 11741

Panathenaic Stadium
The late-19th century stadium where the Olympic Games
were revived in 1896 was laid over an ancient stadium
whose horse-shoe shape later inspired the Emperor Hadrian
to convert it into a racetrack. Locally it’s known as the
Kallimarmaro, or “comely marble” stadium, for the Pendelic
stone with which it was refurbished for the Games by a
wealthy diaspora Greek. Today the Panathenaic Stadium
is used for special concerts and ceremonies, including
the finishing line of the Athens Classic Marathon. It can be
admired from outside but there’s admittedly a thrill to be had
from entering the stadium through the vaulted passage; if
you don’t want to just imagine the roar of the crowd, bring
along friends to cheer.
Vas. Konstantinou, Mets 11635,

+30 210 752 2984,
panathenaicstadium.gr
Aristotle’s Lyceum
Perhaps the city’s most underrated archaeological site,
Aristotle’s Lyceum is charming in its simplicity and serenity.
Despite being bordered on one side by the traffic-clogged
Vassilisis Sofias avenue, the site is truly an urban oasis
fragranced by lavender, oregano, thyme, and other wild
herbs. Uncovered by chance during construction works, it
was identified as one of the three schools of ancient Athens.
Excavation brought to light baths, complete with steam
pipes, and a training ring, or palaestra. The site recreates
the spirit of Aristotle’s peripatetic teaching method, where
he challenged students with questions of reason and
logic while strolling the gardens. This mental training was
complemented with sports, underscoring the Greeks’ belief
that a healthy mind inhabits a healthy body.
Rigillis 11, Anaktora 10675,

+30 210 7251348

Statue of a kore in the
Acropolis Museum.

ANTIQUITIES 2.2
Must-See Museums
Historical highlights
The Greek capital’s 75+

Intro
museums attest to a rich cultural

repository. These include institutions
with world-famous exhibits
(Acropolis Museum, anyone?),
museums that tell the story of the
city’s history, and niche collections
that delight specialists in fields
ranging from stamps and toys to
cinema, technology, and crime. If
you have limited time, you can pare
down the list to the top two –the
Acropolis Museum and the National
Archaeological Museum– as these will
bring context to other sights you visit.
Use this guide to build your itinerary
from there, choosing by interest or
location.

Must-See Museums
National Archaeological
Museum
You could easily feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of
this unmissable museum – it contains more than 10,000
permanent exhibits, not counting temporary shows.
Planning is essential to make the most of your visit. For a
panorama of Greek history, sweep through the galleries in
chronological order and aim to hit all the star artefacts: the
kore and kouros, Poseidon, the jockey, Agamemnon’s mask,
the frescoes from Akrotiri on Santorini. Alternately, focus
on a specific collection or period: the Prehistoric Collection
features Neolithic and Cycladic finds, breath-taking in their
simplicity and clean lines. Comparing Archaic, Classical,
and Hellenistic styles in the Sculpture Gallery is wonderfully
reflective of the differences of those civilizations. An
entertaining approach to Greek history is to unfold the
narratives on vases, which depict surprising details of
everyday life.
Patission 44, 10682,

+30 213 214 4800,
namuseum.gr

Acropolis Museum
Even empty, this museum would be stupendous for its
design; its collections elevate it to the sublime. Strolling
the Archaic Gallery is like walking through a dream. But the
pièce de resistance is the top-floor Parthenon Gallery, with
the pediments and friezes positioned as they would appear
on the monument, which is visible through the glass walls.
Smaller treasures excavated all over the Acropolis are equally
stunning in their detail, expression and facial features, such
as the Calf-Bearer or Moschophorus, or the sheer oddity
of a bronze Gorgon Medusa. Guided walks, lectures, and
interactive kids’ activities help navigate this rich depository of
ancient Greek culture.
Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Acropolis 11742,

+30 210 900 0900,
theacropolismuseum.gr

Magnificent views from the Acropolis Museum.

Must-See Museums
Museum of Cycladic Art

Visitors are often befuddled by the clean lines of Cycladic
art, which is refreshingly modern and minimalist compared
to the ornate sculptures of Classical Greece. Aptly, the
museum’s Bronze Age exhibits are housed in a sleek modern
building, with temporary (and usually contemporary) shows
held in a neoclassical annexe. The permanent collection
spans 3000 BC to the 5th century. Lesser-known than their
Minoan and Mycenaean peers, the Cycladic style is pared
down, reflecting perhaps the starkness of the island terrain.
Note the precision with which the marble is cut, in both the
straight plank figures and the more rounded figurines.
Neophytou Douka 4, Kolonaki 10674,

+30 210 722 8321,
cycladic.gr
Epigraphic Museum
Much of what is known about ancient Greece comes
from meticulous records kept of virtually everything – all
expenditures for building the Parthenon, rules for worship on
the Acropolis, or the strict legal code instituted under Draco,
the first-ever written law. This collection, housed in a smaller
offshoot of the National Archaeological Museum, is unique:
there is no other such archive. The records are literally
etched in stone (or marble), except for a few clay tablets and
stamps. There’s also a small but haunting collection of 16th
century funerary inscriptions in Hebrew and Latin from the
medieval fortified town of Mystras.
Tositsa 1, 10682,
+30 210 823 2950,
epigraphicmuseum.gr

A cycladic figurine at the Museum of Cycladic Art.

The impressive interiors of the Numismatic Museum.

Numismatic Museum
True to its name, this museum is a coin collector’s delight.
But the Numismatic Museum isn’t for currency aficionados
only. For one, there’s the building. The one-time residence of
archaeologist and Troy excavator Heinrich Schliemann, the
two-storey mansion was perhaps the most lavish residence
after the royal palace. Its splendour is very much intact:
floors with marble inlay designs, mosaics, and massive
frescoes featuring scenes from the Trojan War. This wealth is
a fitting backdrop for exhibiting money. Coins reveal history
in a singular way, highlighting who and what was important
enough to project power and status at any given moment.
Panepistimiou 12, Syntagma 10671,

+30 210 363 2057,
nummus.gr
Culture Shots Sightseeing in the summer

heat can be an endurance test. Take a break at the
museum’s in-house café. You could even skip the
exhibits and simply delight in these unique retreats
in the heart of Athens. The Museum of the City of
Athens lends its 19th-century ambience, and some
furnishings, to its bistro. A similar fin de siècle mood
permeates the grounds of the Byzantine and Christian
Museum and its outdoor café. The Numismatic
Museum courtyard exudes the elegance of a European
manor house, and the garden café seems kilometres
from the traffic outside. And if you can’t keep your eyes
off the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum café and
restaurant lets you feast on it a little longer.

3
Art&D
iLoveAthens
Ath
Still Life with Green Curtain (1982)
by Fernando Bottero at the B&E Goulandris Foundation.
3 .
h ens
D esign
Aesthetic pleasures and design treasures
ART & DESIGN 3 .1
Unmissable Museums
More than its shiny marble
Intro
surfaces and monuments, Athens

is a city brimming with layers of
history and contemporary culture.
The city’s museums are rich with
treasures that reach far beyond its
ancient past. From neoclassical
mansions housing Islamic art to
modernist buildings filled with
works by Greece’s most influential
20th-century painters, and
minimalist landmarks that have
hosted the likes of performance
artist Marina Abramovic, these
are spaces that evolve in tandem
with the city itself. Besides Greek
art and crafts, not to be missed are
the city’s growing collections of
international art.
National Museum of Contemporary Art.
49 LiFO 03_ART&DESIGN ATHENS

Unmissable Museums
National Museum of
Contemporary Art (EMST)
The beer may have stopped flowing at this former brewery,
but art connoisseurs will find plenty of refreshment. With
its almost oppressively stark interiors and immersive,
large-scale installations, EMST is the first serious attempt
to give a global platform to contemporary Greek art. The
collection has grown since EMST’s tentative beginnings
in 2000, and today comprises 1,300 works of painting,
sculpture, installation, film and mixed media by Greek (and
some international) artists. Plagued by delays and false
starts, EMST finally opened for real in 2020. The permanent
collection is complemented by temporary exhibitions such
as UBUNTU, a pan-African selection of contemporary art,
featuring titans such as South African photographer and
activist Zanele Muholi (until 22/8/21).

Kallirrois and Amvrosio Frantzi, Koukaki, 117 43,
+30 211 101 9000,
emst.gr/en

B & E Goulandris
Foundation
“To my dear Basil Goulandris, who loves all painting,” reads
modernist painter Balthus’ dedication, scrawled across
the back of the paint-splattered palette that he gifted to
his patron. Nestled in the residential neighbourhood of
Pangrati, this shiny new museum has become an art haven
for locals and visitors alike. Late Greek shipping mogul Basil
Goulandris and wife Elise’s private collection makes for
one of the most important of the 20th century. When the
museum opened its doors in 2019, it became Greece’s first
large-scale collection of heavyweights from Picasso and
Degas to Bacon and Pollock, to name a few. (Don’t miss van
Gogh’s popular “Olive Pickers”; a second original hangs in
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). After exploring the
museum’s five floors, head to the café to enjoy a glass of
homemade lemonade in the indoor oasis that spills out onto
a lush terrace. Don’t forget to check the museum’s roster of
live events and concerts.
Eratosthenous 13, Pangrati 116 35,

+30 21 0725 2895,
goulandris.gr

Unmissable Museums
Byzantine and Christian

Museum
It’s almost impossible to explore Athens without stumbling
upon relics of its Byzantine past in one form or another:
from Panagia Kapnikarea, one of the oldest churches in
the city and the crowning jewel of the Monastiraki area, to
countless other fresco-adorned chapels with their high-
riding domes poking out here and there. The Byzantine and
Christian Museum is home to an unrivalled collection of over
25,000 icons, mosaics, manuscripts, and other artefacts,
dating from the 3rd century AD. Save some time for a stroll
through the museum’s grounds: a shady oasis of flowers,
fruit trees, and fountains. There you’ll find three small
outdoor permanent exhibitions, including “Paradise”, which
beautifully unravels the Byzantine concept of the afterlife.
Leof. Vasilissis Sofias 22, Kolonaki 106 75,

+30 21 3213 9517,
byzantinemuseum.gr

Athens City Museum
This museum is for anyone keen to dip into modern Greek
history and culture. Originally set up to champion the
development of the capital and the education of its people,
the museum is housed in two historical buildings that once
served as the residences of the rich and powerful: in the
19th century, the “Old Palace” was home to Greece’s first
royal couple, King Otto and Queen Amalia, while the “New
Building” is a two-storey residence designed by military
engineer Gerasimos Metaxas. Spanning these buildings
is a permanent collection with artefacts ranging from
antiquity to the 21st century, including the first royal couple’s
authentic cooking utensils. The replica of Amalia’s parlour,
brimming with quaint personal objects and memorabilia, is
an intimate portrait of the Queen’s life.
Parnassou 2, Platia Klathmonos 105 61,

+30 21 0323 0168,
athenscitymuseum.gr

ART & DESIGN 3.2
The Benaki Museum

Intro
Taking its name from one of the most
important families of the Greek diaspora,
The Benaki Museum is a city-wide
“treasure hunt” for art lovers, with seven
separate buildings scattered throughout
Athens. Apart from the museums listed
below, there’s the Yannis Pappas Studio in
Zografou, which doubles as a workspace
for students at the Athens School of Fine
Arts. It provides an intimate view of the
atelier of one of the most important 20th
century Greek sculptors (see if you can spot
blind bard Homer among the trees in the
garden). Embroidery enthusiasts should
head to Mentis Passementerie, a once-
renowned textiles factory turned museum.
Visit the Benaki Museum’s website to
check out the many temporary exhibitions
on show across the city, and opt for the
good-value combined ticket if you plan to
museum-hop.
benaki.org

Pireos 138
In keeping with the minimalist design of its building, the
exhibitions hosted within this museum’s pink brick walls
are geared towards lovers of all things contemporary. Past
highlights have included Jean-Paul Gaultier’s “Tribute to
Greece” haute couture collection, a retrospective of the
great 20th century painter Yiannis Moralis, and “AS ONE”: an
ambitious six-week performance art project led by Marina
Abramović. Drop by the museum gift shop to stock up on
statement jewellery, handcrafted ceramics, and limited
edition prints by Greek designers and artists. The glass-
walled cafe is a great spot for soaking up sunlight after a
wander around the museum’s three floors.
Pireos 138, Gazi 118 54,

+30 210 345 3111
Leonidas Kourgiantakis

Museum of Islamic Art
“This was the first dedicated museum of Islamic culture
in both Europe and the Americas,” says Benaki Museum
Director, George Manginis. Keep your eyes peeled during
your visit – there’s artwork on every surface: the reception
room’s dazzling marble floor came straight from a 17th-
century Cairo mansion. After feasting your eyes on jewellery,
porcelain, and other finely wrought gems that span several
continents and centuries, head up to the top floor café to
marvel at the colourful floor-to-ceiling mural by Athens-
based, British artist Navine G. Khan-Dossos.
22 Ag. Asomaton & 12 Dipilou, Kerameikos 105 53,

+30 210 322 5550

Museum of Greek Culture
Situated opposite the National Garden and the Hellenic
Parliament, this neoclassical-style building is almost as much
of a local institution. The permanent collection features
everything from prehistoric plaques and ancient amulets
to Byzantine icons, traditional costumes, mementos of the
Greek War of Revolution, and everything in between. A must-
see for history buffs and folk art enthusiasts alike.
Koumpari 1, Kolonaki 106 74, +30 210 367 1000

Ghika Gallery
The former residence of 20th-century painter Nikos
Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, the Ghika Gallery also houses the
work of other prominent artists of the so-called “1930s
Generation” – the artists, writers, and intellectuals who
introduced the modernist movement to Greece. Among
them are painters Yannis Tsarouchis and Yiannis Moralis,
as well as Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas himself, whose art
is also displayed in London’s Tate Gallery and the Musée
d’art Moderne in Paris. After making a stop to take in poets
Giorgos Seferis and Odysseas Elytis’ framed Nobel Prizes
for Literature, head up to the top floor where you’ll find the
reconstructed atelier of Ghikas himself. “The permanent
exhibition spans five floors and is made up of Greece’s entire
artistic output for the majority of the 20th century,” says
Constantinos Papachristou, the gallery’s curator. Make sure
you visit when you’ve got plenty of time to spare.
Kriezotou 3, Syntagma 106 71, +30 210 361 5702

Toy Museum
From wicker and porcelain dolls to board games and
marbles, the Toy Museum is filled with antique childhood
treasures from around the globe that put modern day
children’s entertainment into historical perspective. “This
sensory experience may use simple (but artful) materials
and low-tech solutions, but is no less inventive than today’s
toys. It engages the viewers in ways that are ancient and yet
feel novel in the twenty-first century,” says George Manginis,
the director of the Benaki Museum. If you’re travelling with
children, an adventure among the playthings of centuries
gone by may be just the thing to knock a few hours off their
screen time.
14 Poseidonos & 1 Tritonos, Palaio Faliro 175 61,

+30 212 687 5280

ART & DESIGN 3.3
Cultural Powerhouses
The performing arts have
Intro
always played a central role in

the cultural –and political– life
of Athens. The marble theatre
of Dionysus, on the slopes of
the Acropolis, was as vital to
ancient Athenian society as the
surrounding temples and citizen’s
assemblies. Today, modern
cultural landmarks and historic
venues continue to inspire with an
ever-changing line-up of theatre,
dance, and live music.

Greek National Opera
Masterfully designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the
Greek National Opera’s (GNO) main stage is in some ways
an homage to operatic traditions. The signature cherry
red colour-scheme evokes the classical opera house. But
there’s no red velvet or gilded chandelier in sight – instead,
a kinetic sculpture by Japanese artist Susumu Shingu is
suspended from the ceiling. Indeed, the GNO is anything
but a conservative institution. Recent performances include
Alban Berg’s avant-garde opera “Wozzeck”, and Patari
Project’s environmentally conscious spin on Vivaldi’s “Four
Seasons” at the smaller Alternative Stage. The acoustics
are pitch-perfect, and the seating (five seat types of three
different heights and inclinations in the main hall) has been
painstakingly designed for streamlined sightlines no matter
how cheap your seats. (Even the most expensive tickets are a
steal by European and American standards).
Yiorgis Yerolympos
364 Syngrou Avenue, Kallithea, 176 74,

+30 216 809 1000,
nationalopera.gr

Onassis Stegi.
Photo by Stelios Tzetzias

Onassis Stegi
Stegi (literally “roof”) hosts a
fearless, thought-provoking and
always fascinating arts programme
that bridges disciplines and
champions the marginalised, the
experimental and the up-and-
coming. Sure, you might catch the
Stelios Tzetzias
world premiere of the latest work by

Dimitris Papaioannou or Akram Khan
(their dance game is especially
strong). But you’re just as likely
to stumble on a queer film festival, an exhibition exploring
digital technology, or a symposium on migration. Stegi is
part of the Onassis Foundation, which also offers workshops
and scholarships for young Greek creatives to develop their
craft. Check out their online radio station, Movement Radio
(movement.radio) for equally eclectic podcasts, DJ sets, and
boundary-bending music.
107-109 Syngrou Avenue, Neos Kosmos 117 45,

+30 210 900 5800,
onassis.org
Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Better known as the “Herodion”, this ancient amphitheatre,
hollowed out of the southern slopes of the Acropolis, is
anything but antiquated; it remains active as ever, still
fulfilling its purpose millenia after its construction. As
the main venue of the annual Athens Epidaurus Festival
(aefestival.gr), which takes place from June through August,
this marble monument has staged modern takes on Greek
tragedy and Shakespeare (including Oscar-winning director
Sam Mendes’ “Richard III”), as well as concerts by the likes
of Florence and The Machine and Foo Fighters. During the
summer, the Greek National Opera occasionally takes over
the Herodion, too – a theatrical experience like no other. Be
sure to book tickets in advance, as they sell out fast.
Dionysiou Areopagitou, Acropolis 105 55,

+30 210 92 82 900,
aefestival.gr

National Library of Greece
In 2018, the National Library relocated from its neoclassical
home in downtown Athens to the shiny new Stavros Niarchos
Foundation Cultural Centre. “There’s something incredibly
positive about such an important institution being housed
under a modern roof,” says filmmaker Elias Giannakakis who,
over the course of four years, documented the complex
relocation process in his film, “Transfer”. The Library contains
over one million books, magazines and manuscripts,
including Greece’s oldest-ever printed books. Renzo Piano’s
spectacular glass-walled, green-roofed space includes a
lending library for the first time. It’s also an excellent place to
bring your laptop if you need a quiet –and inspiring– place to
work for a few hours.
364 Syngrou Avenue, Kallithea, 176 74,

+30 216 809 1000,
snfcc.org/en/national-library-greece
Yiorgis Yerolympos

Technopolis
The industrial complex of Technopolis used to be the Athens
gasworks (which is why the area is called Gazi). The giant
machines that once generated light and power for the city
are intact in the Industrial Gas Museum, which is great fun
for families. Most locals come to Technopolis for the festivals
(from jazz to science), temporary exhibitions (from Banksy to
Greek industrial design) and regular craft markets. Vibrant
and offbeat, it’s one of the capital’s largest and liveliest
cultural centres.
Technopolis, 100 Pireos, Gazi 118 54,

+30 210 346 1589,
athens-technopolis.gr

Athens Conservatoire
Housed in one of Athens’ most distinctive Bauhaus buildings,
the Conservatoire was designed by modernist architect
Ioannis Despotopoulos – the only Greek to have studied
under Walter Gropius. This institution takes credit for
the musical education of legendary alumni like soprano
Maria Callas, pianist Gina Bachauer, and composer Mikis
Theodorakis. Constantly expanding into new areas, the
Conservatoire recently joined forces with Goldsmiths,
University of London, to launch a Bachelor of Music
programme in 2021. It’s also an occasional venue for
contemporary art exhibitions (the prestigious “documenta
14” was hosted here in 2017) and concerts, featuring
international personalities like two-time Oscar-winning
composer Alexandre Desplat.
Rigillis & 17-19 Vasileos Georgiou B, Pangrati 106 75,

+30 210 724 0673,
athensconservatoire.gr
Megaron
Widely regarded as one of the most impressive venues of
its kind, the Athens Concert Hall’s imposing premises on
Vassilissis Sofias Avenue are impossible to miss. Christmas at
the Megaron sees festive classics like “The Magic Flute” take
the stage. During the summer, the lush garden at the rear
is a moonlit stage for concerts (think gypsy jazz, Caribbean
soul, Greek folk and everything in between). The Megaron’s
garden is open to visitors year-round; it’s particularly pretty
in spring, when the ornamental plum tree, Japanese quince
and forsythia come into bloom. The tunnel-shaped gift shop
stocks cool souvenirs made from recycled materials.
115 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, Ambelokipi 115 21,

+30 210 722 82714,
megaron.gr

ART & DESIGN 3.4
Gallery Districts
Beyond Athens’ blockbuster
Intro
museums and mainstream

galleries lies a world of smaller,
artist-run spaces that have
converged around affordable
neighbourhoods like Kypseli,
Metaxourgeio and Piraeus.
Whether you’re a curator
scouting for talent, a visiting
artist, or simply looking to
tap into the city’s zeitgeist, a
wander around these gallery
districts will give you a sense of
the current Athenian art scene.

Rodeo Gallery.

Gallery Districts
Kypseli
Inclusive community spirit
“There’s a raw, unrefined quality to Kypseli,” says sculptor
Augustus Veinoglou, the founder and director of Snehta,
a non-profit art organisation that supports local and
international artists through its gallery and residency
programme. “Traces of the past still hang in the air, but
there’s also a sense that something brand new can emerge at
any moment.”
Kypseli is a melting pot of ethnicities and a mosaic of

architectural styles that appeals to curious creatives. The
area’s Bauhaus and Art Deco buildings are testament to its
status as a focal point of urban development in the 1930s. As
its affluent residents moved to the suburbs, Kypseli evolved
into an inner-city enclave for immigrants from Africa and
the Balkans. Now young artists from all over the world are
moving in and local galleries are multiplying. On pedestrian
Fokionos Negri, Kypseli’s 24-hour meeting point, Blank Wall
Gallery focuses on contemporary photography. At number
16 Fokionos Negri, the Sotiris Felios Collection focuses
on Greek figurative art, but the space hosts regular talks,
screenings and live performances. Bhive is an experimental
space run by an artist collective.
snehtaresidency.org
blankwallgallery.com
felioscollection.gr
mumsocialclub.com
Local artists and their muses congregate at the cafes and

tavernas on circular St George Square, or at Mum Social
Club, a monthly pottery, book and food club hosted by
Stamatia Dimitrakopoulos, artistic director of the city’s
biggest contemporary art fair, Art Athina.

Piraeus
Port-side post-industrial vibes
The port of Piraeus is one of the busiest (and grubbiest) in
Europe. Incongruously situated among the thrum and thrust
of tradesmen and dock workers are three contemporary art
spaces with international clout. All three are clustered on
Polidefkous street, which is still populated predominantly
by industrial workshops. The high-ceilings, timber roofs and
stone walls of these former warehouses and workshops are
as much of an attraction as the cutting-edge exhibits.
Rodeo, the first gallery to open on Polydefkous in 2018, was

previously located in London and Istanbul. A penchant for
mixed media and diverse backgrounds characterise Rodeo’s
roll call of artists, who often create site-specific works.
“Through Rodeo I got to see a different side of Piraeus, which
eventually led to me opening The Intermission,” says Artemis
Baltoyannis, an art advisor and now a gallerist. “You can’t get
these types of industrial buildings in the centre of Athens.”
rodeo-gallery.com
theintermission.art
carwangallery.com
Carwan Gallery, dedicated to championing the work of

international designers, from Italian Roberto Sironi to Korean
Jeonghwa Seo, recently touched down in Piraeus from
Lebanon. “Our former space in Beirut was also by the port,
bearing a strong resemblance to the DNA of Piraeus,” says
co-founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte. “We feel at home
here.” On opening nights, all the galleries stay open late and
patrons mingle at the outdoor tables of the wine bar next
door.

Gallery Districts
Metaxourgeio
Sex and the city
Metaxourgeio takes its name (meaning “silk mill”), from a
19th century scarf factory. Located on Avdi Square, the area’s
de facto meeting place, today it’s the Athens Municipal Art
Gallery and hosts exhibitions by local artists. A working
class area through and through, Metaxourgeio attracts
young artists in pursuit of affordable studio and living space.
Concrete lofts, turn of the 20th century townhouses, and
crumbling cottages are jumbled alongside “studios” of a
different nature – the brothels clustered on and around
Iasonos Street.
thebreedersystem.com
rebeccacamhi.com

Housed in a masterfully renovated ice-cream factory from
the 1970s, The Breeder is arguably the neighbourhood’s
most notable gallery. Sealed behind massive metal doors,
the stark white spaces offer a dramatic canvas for highly
conceptual and often challenging work. Located in a
neoclassical townhouse that doubles as the gallerist’s
home, the Rebecca Camhi Gallery is equally influential;
photographers Nan Goldin and Nobuyoshi Araki and artist
Konstantin Kakanias are long-time collaborators. “At the
moment a lot of artists from all over the world are moving
their studios or opening project spaces here,” say Breeder
co-founders Stathis Panagoulis and George Vamvakidis.
“Metaxourgeio’s extensive empty spaces and numerous red
light establishments make the area feel like it’s forgotten in
another era.”

Kolonaki
Hey big spender
Cementing Athens’ arrival as an international art destination,

the Gagosian gallery opened an extravagant outpost in
Kolonaki in 2020. American multimedia artist Sterling Ruby’s
current paintings and ceramics exhibition (on show until
July 31, 2021) is one example of the global heavyweights
gracing the neoclassical space. This ritzy neighbourhood in
the foothills of Mount Lycabettus has long been a magnet
gagosian.com
zoumboulakis.gr
nitragallery.com
kalfayangalleries.com
tseliougallery.com
for serious collectors with deep pockets. Kolonaki is home to

over 20 galleries, all within walking distance of each other.
The Zoumboulakis Gallery on Kolonaki Square is a local
institution; it represents some of Greece’s most renowned
artists, such as the late Takis and Chryssa. Nitra and
Kalfayan’s Athens outposts (they both have counterparts
in Thessaloniki) have introduced both established and
emerging artists like Maria Loizidou and Antonis Donef to
the neighbourhood. For an edgier experience, check out
Eleftheria Tseliou’s under-the-radar gallery, located in an
unmarked apartment at 3 Iraklitou street.

ART & DESIGN 3.5
Architecture
Intro
From classical temples
to closely-packed concrete
apartment blocks, the
architecture of Athens is as
unpredictable and untidy
as the city itself. Byzantine
chapels, neoclassical mansions,
repurposed industrial buildings
and boxy Bauhaus flats co-exist
in a kind of discordant harmony.
Like a trail of breadcrumbs,
Athens leaves traces of its
evolution in its patchwork of
architectural forms.

Anafiotika.

Architecture
Anafiotika
Island anachronism
Big city buzz melts away as you enter the narrow alleys of
Anafiotika, a Cycladic village clinging to the rocky north
slope of the Acropolis. Built by workmen from the island
of Anafi, who settled in Athens in the 19th century to
help build the modern capital, these white-washed stone
dwellings were designed as a little piece of home. This tiny
neighbourhood is also home to several notable Byzantine
churches. Agios Symeon (on Theorias street) is a single-
naved, barrel-vaulted structure that was built as a replica of
its namesake church in Anafi.
Fethiye Mosque
Ottoman influencer
This mosque was built from the ruins of a Byzantine basilica

soon after Athens was occupied by the Ottoman Empire.
Its location opposite the Roman Agora is far from random:
this was to be the “Mosque of the Conquest”, designed to
project the new rulers’ power and influence. One of the few
surviving remnants of the Ottoman occupation, it features
a characteristic red tiled dome and a porch supported by
five arches crowned with smaller domes. During the brief
Venetian occupation of the city in the 17th century, it was
converted into a Catholic church. Eventually restored and
reopened to the public as an exhibition space, the building
is a testament to the religious tides and power struggles that
have marked Athens through the ages.
Panos and Pelopida, Monastiraki 105 55

The Athens Hilton
Modern love
Completed in 1963, during Greece’s post-war economic
boom and the country’s “golden age” of tourism, this
curved landmark stands for far more than a hotel chain.
The 15-storey building combines both Classical elements,
like white Pentelic marble, and traces of modernism. A bold
combination at the time of its construction, the building
and its four architects (the prolific quartet of Vourekas,
Vasileiadis, Georgiades and Staikos) were initially met with
controversy. Today, it stands as a timeless emblem of the
mid-century modernist movement in Athens. You can’t miss
the monumental reliefs gracing the hotel’s façade, designed
and executed by Greek artist Yiannis Moralis, featuring
symbols from Ancient Greece.
Vasilissis Sofias 46, Ilissia 115 28,

+30 2107281000,
hilton.com

Architecture
Stavros Niarchos
Foundation Cultural Centre
(SNFCC)
Twenty-first century landmark
Its name may be cumbersome, but the SNFCC’s streamlined
design is anything but. Dreamt up by starchitect Renzo Piano
(the mastermind behind the Pompidou in Paris and the Shard
in London), this vast cultural and recreational complex is
not only beautiful and user-friendly. It’s also a pioneer of
sustainable design. The massive Canopy suspended over
the Lighthouse –a lookout on the roof of the National Opera
house– is covered in 5,700 solar panels that contribute to the
building’s energy needs. Despite giving the impression of a
sail or ship floating into the sea, the Canopy actually weighs
around 4,500 tons.
Leoforos Andrea Siggrou 364, Kallithea 176 74,

+30 2168091000,
snfcc.org

National Gallery
State-of-the-art glasshouse
Originally built in the rationalist International Style in the
‘60s and ‘70s by a team of Greek architects, the National
Gallery’s long overdue refurb took eight years to complete.
Its latest glossy, glass-clad incarnation (the external
ramps and see-through facade vaguely reminiscent of the
Pompidou Centre) reopened in spring 2021, joining the ranks
of other recently opened cultural powerhouses, like the B&E
Goulandris Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Cultural Center.
Vasileos Konstantinou 50, Pangrati 115 28,

+30 214 408 6212,
nationalgallery.gr/en
Tobacco Factory
Art portal
Funded by non-profit NEON Arts Foundation, the disused
Public Tobacco Factory in Kolonos has been transformed
into 6,500 square metres of white-washed exhibition space.
The building, which once housed 25 different tobacco
companies, is defined by a vast glass and metal covered
atrium – a bold feature at the time of its construction in the
early 20th century. The skylit hall shines a spotlight on large-
scale contemporary art by the likes of El Anatsui, Danh Võ,
and Cornelia Parker.
218 Lenorman, Kolonos 104 43,

neon.org.gr/en/exhibition/portals

ART & DESIGN 3.6
Five Unusual
Museums In Athens
From puppet theatre to
Intro
pinball machines, Athens has

museums dedicated to all kinds
of niche interests. These are
five of our current favourites.

Five Unusual Museums
Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery

Museum
Just off popular promenade Dionysiou Areopagitou, this
Athenian townhouse is the former residence of Greek
jewellery designer Ilias Lalaounis. Worn by the likes of
Elizabeth Taylor and Charlize Theron, here you’ll learn not
just the history but the craft behind Lalaounis’ creations too.
On display are some of the brand’s most celebrated pieces –
50 collections in total, inspired by historical treasure ranging
from Priam to Byzantium. The museum occasionally hosts
temporary exhibitions, such as a showcase of sustainable
jewellery designer Debra Rapoport’s eccentric creations.
Don’t miss the ground floor workshop; if you’re lucky you
might catch a glimpse of the resident goldsmith at work.
Kallisperi 12 & Karyatidon, Acropolis 117 42,

+30 210-9221044,
lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr
Kotsanas Museum of
Ancient Greek Technology
Lesser known than the undeniable contributions of
ancient Greeks to the fields of philosophy, science, and
art, are their contributions to technology. The Kotsanas
Museum’s permanent collection brings together over 300
reconstructed inventions, devised as far back as 2000 BC.
From the first robot invented by humans (it served wine!),
to the Antikythera mechanism (the world’s first computer),
the models at the museum are sure to get you thinking
about the parallels between ancient technology and
today’s developments in automation, telecommunications,
cryptography, and cartography. An entertaining pitstop for
kids tired of traipsing around ancient ruins.
Pindarou 6, Kolonaki 106 71,

+30 21 1411 0044,
kotsanas.com

Katakouzenos House
Entering this historic house is like stepping into the lives
of its previous occupants, the 20th century psychiatrist
Angelos Katakouzenos and his wife, writer Leto
Katakouzenou. The space is reminiscent of the Freud
Museum in London; after Angelos’ death in 1982, Leto
did for her husband what Anna Freud did for her father:
“They dedicated their lives to their memory by retaining
in their houses the same atmosphere as when they were
alive,” says the museum’s curator Sophia Peloponnissiou-
Vassilacos. “Our visitors often say it’s like a home, not an
institution.” The Katakouzenos house is full of tokens of
appreciation gifted by the couple’s circle of prominent
friends (these included George Seferis, William Faulkner,
Henri Cartier-Bresson and Albert Camus). Mahogany
doors are custom-painted by their close friend, Nikos
Hatzikyriakos-Ghikas, and family photographs are
displayed alongside sixty paintings by the likes of Marc
Chagall. The bookshelves sag under a hefty collection of
books on psychiatry, art and archaeology. The typewriter
Leto used to author her own books seems poised for
action.
Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias 4, Syntagma 105 57,

+30 21 0322 2144,
katakouzenos.gr


The Katakouzenos House.

Ai Stratis Political Exiles
Museum
This museum lays bare two of
the darkest chapters in Greek
history: the 1940s Civil War and
the military Junta of the 1960s
and ‘70s. Named after Ai Stratis,
an island that housed left-leaning
political prisoners in exile, the
museum contains dozens of
artefacts that are both unmissable
and yet not for the faint-hearted:
a bridal gown belonging to a young woman who was
executed before she got the chance to wear it makes for
an especially harrowing sight. Also exhibited are stones
and paper boxes engraved and illustrated by poet Yiannis
Ritsos during his time as a political prisoner on Ai Stratis. A
somber exploration of what happens when we lose sight of
democracy.
31 Agion Asomaton, Psyri, 105 53,

+30 210-3213488,
exile-museum.gr
Bathhouse of the Winds,

Plaka
As the capital’s only public bath building still standing, this
well-preserved 17th century Turkish bath (or hammam) is a
reminder of Greece’s Ottoman past. Although it no longer
fulfills its original purpose, the Bathhouse of the Winds
(which falls under the umbrella of the newly renovated
Museum of Modern Greek Culture) is now a museum and
exhibition space dedicated to the art of bodily cleanliness.
With its striking marble interior and characteristically
Ottoman design, the architecture alone makes it worth the
detour.
Kirristou 8, Plaka 105 56,

+30 21 0324 5957,
mnep.gr

Speak Athenian
Most Athenians speak excellent English (and plenty
of other languages too). But these handy phrases
will help you feel more like a local.
Ένα φρέντο εσπρέσο σκέτο, παρακαλώ.
Ena freddo espresso sketo, parakalo
An iced espresso, no sugar, please.
Πάμε για μπάνιο;

Pame gia banio?
Should we go for a swim?
Έχει φοβερή κίνηση.

Exei foveri kinisi.
The traffic is terrible.
Θα αργήσω λιγάκι.
Tha argiso ligaki.
I’m going to be a little late.
Ένα κιλό παϊδάκια και μισό κιλό κρασί, παρακαλώ.

Ena kilo paidakia kai miso kilo krasi, parakalo.
A kilo of lamb chops and half a litre of house wine, please.
Άσπρο πάτο!
Aspro pato!
Bottoms up!
Εγώ κερνάω.
Ego kernao.
It’s on me, my treat.
Έχει περίπτερο εδώ κοντά;

Exei periptero edo konda?
Is there a kiosk anywhere round here?
Τα λέμε.
Ta leme.
Speak soon.
Γεια χαρά.
Geia hara.
See you, be well.

The Art Galleries
of the City of Athens
Iconic spaces hosting artistic creations.
The Art Galleries of the City of Athens The building of the Old Gallery in
tell their own story, as their iconic Koumoundourou Square, is the work
buildings are connected with the of architect Panagiotis Kalkos, which
city’s past. The Municipal Gallery in was completed in 1875 and operated
Metaxourgeio is housed in one of as an orphanage until 1977. It is a typi-
the oldest neoclassical buildings in cal example of an entire architectural
Athens, the work of Danish architect concept that governs neoclassical
Christian Hansen. Until 1875 it operat- buildings in the public and urban
ed as a silk factory, giving the neigh- space from the founding of the Greek
bourhood its name (Metaxourgeio state to the first decades of our cen-
literally means silk mill in Greek). Res- tury. In 1923 the City of Athens began
toration works on the building began to organize the collection with the
in 2007, so that it could host cultural first purchase of the sculpture of D.
events. Its operation as a gallery be- Filippotis “The Fisherman”. Today the
gan in 2010, hosting the permanent Old Municipal Gallery houses more
collection in one room and temporary than 3,000 paintings, engravings and
exhibitions in the other. sculptures. Most of them were ac-
quired between 1930 and 1940, while
most important Greek artists of the
20th century are represented in its
collection. The collection also in-
cludes remarkable works of the great
masters of engraving but also of the
artists who were inspired by them and
continue their creation until today.
Municipal Gallery of Metaxourgeio Koumoundourou Sq. Gallery

Leonidou and Myllerou Str., 51 Piraeus Str., Koumoundourou Sq.,
Metaxourgeio, 210 3243022. 210 5202420, 210 3243023.

4. Se
iLoveAthens
Ath
Sleeping Female Figure (1877),
by Yannoulis Chalepas, at the Tomb of Sofia
Afentaki, First Cemetery of Athens.
ens
cret
Uncover lesser known landmarks
S E C R E T AT H E N S 4 .0
Intro
Athens invites exploration. Visitors who think it’s enough to
hit the highlights before hopping a ferry to the islands are missing the
essence of the experience: discovery and serendipity. In Athens, myths
and mysteries lurk around almost every corner: a network of arcades
that recall the covered galleries of Paris, but are actually a modern
adaptation of the ancient stoa; catacombs beneath a Byzantine church’s
belltower; ancient city walls in an underground car park.
“Historically, socially, and architecturally, it’s a city with multiple
layers”, says Tina Kyriakis, founder of tours and experiences company
Alternative Athens. “In order to understand it, you need to put the
pieces together. That’s no easy task: you need historical knowledge, of
course, but also a special eye.” One of her favourite “secret” spots is
in the basement of Zara on Stadiou street, where you can see Roman
tombs behind a glass wall in the children’s clothing section.
The steel and concrete of modern Athens rises above “a mishmash
of ancient Greek and Roman ruins, Byzantine churches, stately
neoclassical edifices, Ottoman-era meandering alleys, makeshift
settlements and grey apartment buildings”, notes Yannis Zaras, founder
of hospitality and events company Big Olive. The Greek capital today
has evolved into a very different city than the one envisioned by its 19th-
century planners. “Athens is built on the dreams, hopes, and aspirations
of its newcomers. It is exactly this character of the Greek capital –always
a work-in-progress, never really finished and hard to decipher– that
makes it a place full of stories and secrets.”
The pastiche of architectural styles reflects the social and cultural
influences that shaped the city you see today. Some are clustered in
neighbourhoods that emerged as the city grew; most are interspersed.
Nikos Vatopoulos, culture editor of the Athens daily “Kathimerini” and
author of “Walking in Athens”, cites an area a short distance from the
National Archaeological Museum. “If you walk along Patission street
you might notice two cross streets that are different. Around 1950-53,
Efpalinou and Karamanlaki streets experimented with a new kind of
apartment building with small gardens in front. Some 70 years later,
these streets echo a vintage mid-century modernism with lush Athenian
vegetation.”
But you don’t have to venture far off the beaten tourist track to
uncover the city’s secrets. Even touristy Plaka and Monastiraki have
hidden delights to reveal. Just look around.

Interiors at the Queen's Tower.
95 LiFO 04_SECRET ATHENS

Secret Athens
Agia Dynami
The city’s layered history is stacked in this architectural
oddity: a tiny 16th-century church sheltered under the
support columns of a hotel. The church (located on the
corner of Mitropoleos and Pendelis streets, near Syntagma)
pre-dates the hotel (the building formerly housed the
Ministry of Education), but it too is built over another
structure: an ancient altar dedicated to Heracles. The
church also links to the tunnel network under the city, which
was used to smuggle weapons during the Greek War of
Independence, 200 years ago.
The Queen’s Tower

A suburban park is hardly a secret, but this one’s status as
an urban wildlife refuge isn’t widely known. The extensive
grounds of the Antonis Tritsis Park in Ilion also enclose a
fairytale castle – a small retreat built in 1848 for Queen
Amalia, wife of Greece’s first post-independence monarch
Othon, who rode here from the palace every day. Arched
windows, ramparts, and polygonal towers conjure the
style of the palaces in the young monarch’s native Bavaria.
Amalia’s fondness for horticulture is her legacy to Athens:
in addition to the National Garden, she also created a small
farm here. Today, visitors can book tours to the organic
vineyard, the stables with Arabian horses as in Amalia’s day,
and the meticulously restored tower with the eye-catching
geometric parquet flooring, antique furniture, and trompe
l’oeil-style ceilings.

Vorres Museum
Paiania, a suburban municipality 11 km from
downtown Athens, is (little) known as the birthplace
of Demosthenes, as well as for its vineyard and olive
cultivation, and its proximity to Athens airport. Few
Athenians know it as home of one of the most exquisite
collections of contemporary Greek art, the private
collection of late philanthropist and biographer Ian
Vorres (vorresmuseum.gr). The museum compound
comprises a restored 19th-century mansion and stables
on an 80-acre estate. Its 6,000 holdings are an eclectic
mix of contemporary and modern art, folk artefacts, farm
tools, icons, and even an anchorage stone used by Greek
warships in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. In a hat tip
to the rural setting, the grounds include a Mediterranean
garden with endemic plants matched to the local
environment – a lovely setting for the museum café.
First Cemetery of Athens

The city’s past is literally buried here. This serene enclave
in Mets is a burial ground for prominent Athenian
families. But many graves are also markers of history, the
resting place of eminent Greeks from politics, business,
and the arts like Melina Mercouri and George Seferis –
even Heinrich Schleimann. Often described as an open-
air sculpture park, the cemetery is testament to the skills
of Greek marble craftsmen – from mausolea that mimic
miniature temples to bas relief scenes and monumental
stele reminiscent of those in the ancient cemetery
of Kerameikos. Although Greeks are overwhelmingly
Orthodox, the First Cemetery also has Protestant,
Catholic, and Jewish quarters. Don’t be misled by
sphinxes and other Egyptian symbols: these mark the
graves of the wealthy diaspora Greeks from Alexandria.

Secret Athens
Stoa Emporon
The “stoa” or covered arcade of ancient Greek architecture is
also a feature of the modern city, although today’s passages
are completely covered and run beneath office buildings.
Incorporated in the design for modern Athens by Bavarian
and other Northern planners accustomed to their own
cold, rainy climates, there’s a maze of these arcades in the
city centre. They offer pedestrians shortcuts to the next
block and house an astonishing range of small businesses,
from printers and rubber-stamp makers to milliners, stamp
traders, and cobblers. Situated between Voulis and Lekka
streets, the aptly-named Stoa Emporon, or Merchants’
Arcade, is illuminated by a Technicolour neon glow from
vintage signs collected from around Athens, restored, and
hung from the arcade ceiling. Nearby, Stoa Tositsa is one of
the smaller arcades, but with greater architectural interest:
a glass dome, interior windows and balcony-style corridors.
The building originally housed a hive of dressmakers’ studios
and the seamstresses passed time chatting through the
windows. Keep an eye out for these covered streets and
don’t hesitate to pop down one: who knows what you’ll
discover. Most arcades, of course, have a kafeneion tucked
inside – a stark contrast with today’s pavement-café culture
and a taste of the traditional coffeehouse.

Catacombs of Athens
Hidden beneath the city is an extensive network of tunnels
dating back millennia, which proved very useful to Nazi
resistance fighters during the second world war. “It’s
exciting to think that there’s a parallel universe just a few
metres underground”, says Yiannis Zaras of Big Olive. “The
catacombs of Athens are a web of ancient galleries and
labyrinthine passages connecting the Acropolis, Parliament,
and even, reportedly, go as far as Piraeus port.” The only
section accessible to the public is under the Agia Triada
Russian Orthodox church (Souri & Filellinon 21, +30 210 323
1090). Built in the 11th century, it is the largest preserved
Byzantine church in Athens, with unique exterior brickwork,
frescoes by 19th-century German painter Ludwig Thiersch,
and icons brought by refugees fleeing the 1917 Russian
Revolution. Entry to the catacombs is by prior arrangement
with the priest (usually after Sunday services).
The Durenne bronze

Exarchia is an Athens neighbourhood that’s often the focus
of attention, usually for all the wrong reasons (anarchists,
petty crime, drug dealers). Yet a remarkable local landmark
goes unnoticed: a bronze mid-19th-century lamp post
featuring three life-size cherubs stands in the middle of its
main square. Made in Paris at a small foundry owned by
French sculptor Antoine Durenne, the lamp is similar, but
less ornate, than those commissioned for the French capital’s
Pont Alexandre III. Another bronze from the same foundry
(but with four cherubs) adorns Agios Georgios square in
nearby Kypseli. Both are by Albert-Ernest Carrier de Belleuse.
Their backstory is unclear, but by one account they originally
flanked the Municipal Theatre which was razed in 1940.

iLoveAthens
Ath
5. Ou
ens
u tdoor
When you need to catch a breath, there’s a simple solution: climb
O U T D O O R AT H E N S 5 .1
Peak Performance
The hills of Athens

Intro
Densely populated and tightly packed,
Athens is not a city of lush parks, wide
boulevards, and open spaces. Navigating
potholed pavements and rule-defying motorists
can be challenging. When you need to catch a
breath, there’s a simple solution: climb. High
above street level, the forested hills offer a
clearer perspective of this chaotic metropolis.
They say Athens is the city of seven hills.
But there are at least a dozen hills within the
city limits, if you count the smaller outcrops
poking above the urban fray. “The geological
transformation of the Athenian plane over
thousands of years has left these little hills,
like islands sticking out of the sea,” explains
Thomas Doxiadis, head of the landscape
architecture practice doxiadis+. “These
‘islands’ have the same relationship to the city
as the Aegean islands have to the sea: they
rise abruptly and create brilliant platforms to
overlook what lies below.”

103 LiFO 05_OUTDOOR ATHENS
Peak Performance
The Rock: Areopagus

The first hill of note is, of course, the magnificent Acropolis.
For a similar vantage point without the entry fee, climb
the steps carved into the Areopagus, just below the main
entrance to the Parthenon. The short scramble up this
massive rock rewards with a vista as spectacular as its
surface is dull. The “Hill of Ares”, an outcrop of the Acropolis
shelf, is the perfect standpoint for surveying the city, which
in antiquity expanded at its feet and today stretches from the
sea to the mountains cupping the Attic basin.
The view is especially
lovely at dawn and dusk.
Paul stood here to deliver
his address to the Athenians,
and in mythology the site
was the court where the
gods tried murderers. Some
of that tradition survives to
this day: the Areios Pagus,
from the ancient Greek, is
the name of the Supreme
Court.
The Muse: Filopappou

At the summit of Filopappou Hill (also poetically known as
the Hill of the Muses) is the well-preserved shard of a tomb:
the 2nd century BC Monument of Filopappos, who was a
respected benefactor from what is now Syria. Filopappou is
a pilgrimage site for Athenians at sunset, with the Acropolis
centre stage and widescreen vistas stretching all the way
across the Saronic Gulf.
One of the biggest and most tranquil green spaces in
Athens, Filopappou’s meandering footpaths were laid out
by architect Dimitris Pikionis in the 1950s, using stones and
marble salvaged from local buildings. The stern rock walls of
the Pnyx stare down over the place where democracy was
born, while the National Observatory’s silver dome contains

an antique telescope where you can go star-gazing on
winter nights. “I walk around Filopappou almost every
day,” says Thomas Doxiadis. “You’ll stumble across things
that people walked on two or three thousand years ago.
It’s crazy to have an ancient piece of rock peppered with
antiquities in the middle of your everyday city walk.”
The Landmark:
Lycabettus
The highest point in Athens, Mount Lycabettus would
have made an even more strategic location for the
Parthenon. However, the ancient Athenians realised
that the springs on the Acropolis hill could sustain
them through sieges – and the rest, as they say, is
history. There may be no temple atop Lycabettus, but
the Orthodox church of Agios Georgios (and the lesser
known chapel of Agios Isidoros, half-way up the hill)
makes for a pretty great vantage point.
Take the funicular railway from Aristippou Street
to the top (kids love it) or wander up through the pine,
carob, and cypress woods, much loved by local runners
and dog-walkers. An old stone quarry is now occupied by
an open-air theatre – a modernist landmark whose red,
yellow and white seats fan out in a cheerful radius. The
theatre is being restored after a long hiatus and should
reopen in 2022.
Christos Tolis

Peak Performance

Exrcising on Ardittos Hill

Peak Performance
The Outlier: Strefi

Strefi is Lycabettus’ grittier little sister. Every evening,
a diverse young crowd climbs up to the rocky outcrop
crowning Strefi to drink and smoke as they watch the sun
set over the city. Cultural and community events, from live
rembetiko nights to neighbourhood assemblies, occasionally
take place on this scruffy little hill in Exarchia. (Another
popular gathering place is the stairway that leads up to
Strefi from Kallidromiou Street, emblazoned with the logo of
Asteras Exarchion, Athens’ anti-fascist football team.)
“Strefi Hill is one of the smallest in Athens but has
this really interesting character,” explains Thomas Doxiadis,
whose studio has been entrusted with the redevelopment
of Strefi. “People used it as a quarry to build their houses
in the 18th and early 19th centuries and created a caldera
as they cut into the hill. The thing I love about Strefi –and
Athens in general– is that it’s not perfectly designed. There’s
no imposition of an overall plan, which makes it more
interesting and alive. That character is what we have aimed
to preserve through the regeneration scheme.”

The Runner-Up: Ardittos
Cupping the Panathenaic Stadium, this low hill offers a
panoramic view over the marble stadium to the Acropolis;
on clear days, you can even see Aegina island across the
bay. Enter from Archimidous street to access the stadium’s
upper ring – a popular training track for runners. Ardittos is
believed to be the famed Helicon of antiquity where jurors
were sworn in. Scant ruins atop the wooded peak mark a
temple Herod Atticus dedicated to Tyche. In the second
world war, resistance fighters fled Athens via a tunnel on
the hill. The Acropolis view from the top, with the colossal
Corinthian columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the
foreground, is sensational.
The Lookout: Kastella

The pinnacle of Piraeus offers a totally different outlook on
the city. Above the yacht-lined harbours of Mikrolimano and
Marina Zea, Kastella is crowned by an obligatory church –
plus the Veakio amphitheatre, a scenic venue for summer
concerts. Stroll up from the waterfront through winding
streets of colourful cottages and crumbling mansions. The
summit affords spectacular views over Faliro Bay and back
across the glaring concrete skyline. Take it all in from one of
the great fish tavernas with sea views. Don’t miss the Piraeus
Bowling Centre, which has a limousine full of Minions out
front, a kitsch-tactic restaurant inside and a bowling alley
that plays Trap in the basement. There’s only one word to
describe this place: bizarre.

O U T D O O R AT H E N S 5.2
Park Patrol
Shady business
Athens may not have a
Intro
Hyde Park, a Central Park, or

a Jardin du Luxembourg, but
the city’s precious green spaces
offer a serene respite from
the summer heat. Throw in
an occasional alfresco tai chi
session, free movie screening,
and botanical museum, and
Athenian park life doesn’t look
so bad.

National Garden
Queen Amalia’s backyard
This 40-acre park in the city centre was originally designed
by Queen Amalia as her private garden. (The royal palace,
since converted into the Hellenic Parliament, backs onto the
park.) It’s a botanist’s delight, with more than 500 species of
plants, many of them rare. Their foliage is an ornithological
oasis, sheltering tawny owls, peacocks, and a large colony
of feral parrots. Trellis-covered gazebos, busts of literary
figures, two duck ponds, a playground, a tiny botanical
museum, and an ivy-covered walk are some of the surprises
that make a stroll more than a welcome escape from the
urban bustle.

Park Patrol
Zappeion Park
Ground zero
In recent years, this walking park adjacent to the National
Garden has regained its place at the centre of Athenian life.
Like the grand conference hall at its centre, it too is named
after the benefactors who funded its construction as a venue
for trade fairs. Their busts flank its columned entrance.
Zappeion Hall hosts ceremonial and state events, such as the
signing of Greece’s accession to the EC. Its basement served
as the first studio for Greek state radio in the 1930s. The
city’s annual book fair and other open-air events are held on
the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Stavros Niarchos Park
Designer recreation
This purpose-built park has transformed the densely
populated neighbourhood of Kallithea – living proof
of the positive impact of Renzo Piano’s sustainably
minded structure. Gravel walkways fringed by evergreen
Mediterranean plants are dotted with wooden playgrounds,
water jets, and metal chairs strategically placed under
olive trees. Start from the bottom and walk up the fragrant
slope to the Faros (Lighthouse), a viewing platform with
commanding views of city and sea. The floating canopy
overhead is covered in solar panels that power the National
Opera and National Library slotted underneath the artificial
hill. The park is one of the liveliest spots in the capital, with
an impressive programme of free outdoor concerts, film
screenings and festivals all year round.
Leoforos Andrea Siggrou 364, Kallithea 176 74,

+30 216 809 1000,
snfcc.org/en/snfcc/stavros-niarchos-park
Pedion tou Areos

Field day
Pedion tou Areos, or the “Field of Ares”, is one of the largest
and oldest parks in Athens. It is dedicated to the heroes
of Greece’s uprising against the Ottoman empire in 1821,
who are commemorated in a series of stern-faced statues.
The park’s designers may have had their eye on history, but
it’s the everyday life that spills over from the surrounding
neighbourhoods of Kypseli, Exarchia, Victoria and Gyzi that
gives this recently revamped park such a vibrant energy.
From old geezers playing chess on the benches to black-
clad anarchists walking their dogs, Syrian families enjoying
a picnic and Pakistanis playing cricket, this is one of the few
public spaces that embodies Athens’ nascent multicultural
spirit.

Park Patrol
Diomedes Botanical
Garden
Suburban exotica
Theophrastos, a student of Aristotle, created the world’s
first botanical garden in Athens in the 4th century BC. Its
modern descendant, the Diomedes Botanical Garden, was
founded in 1950. Gifted to the Agricultural University of
Athens by a wealthy donor, at 460 acres it’s the largest
garden of its kind in the eastern Mediterranean. The unlikely
location, buttressed by a roaring highway in the nondescript
suburb of Haidari, means this green haven tends to be
overlooked by visitors and locals alike. But it’s worth the
trek. The herbarium alone contains over 19,000 different
dried plants. Get your tongue in a twist trying to pronounce
the Latin names of plants such as Cupressus sempervirens
(Mediterranean Cypress) and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine).
Or just run through the park shouting and screaming as local
kids do every weekend.
Iera Odos 403, Haidari 124 61,

+30 210 581 1557

Antonis Tritsis
Metropolitan Park
City limits
This park in the outlying suburb of Ilion is big enough that
you can almost trick yourself that you’re in the countryside,
with Mount Parnitha looming in the distance. A number of
waterways coalesce into a large lake at the park’s centre.
You can follow the miniature railway line that winds its way
through the park – although it never ran, so you’ll have to
rely on your own steam. At the Centre of the Earth eco-park,
you can learn about biodiversity and kids can take pony
rides, while Disney would be proud of The Queen’s Tower,
hidden at the centre of the park and impossible to find
unless you know it’s there.
Leoforos Dimokratias 67, Ilion 131 22,

+30 210 232 5380,
centeroftheearth.gr

Rise & Shine

Mount pleasant

Intro
During lockdown, the mountains
surrounding the capital were a lifeline for
adventurous Athenians. With activities
for all fitness levels, Attica’s mountains
offer a deep breath of fresh air. Escape the
inner city smog, heat, and hubbub, and
rediscover that rare commodity: silence.
Whether you’re into swimming, hiking,
or running, the warm, dry Athenian
climate makes it easy to stay active all
year round. But three reasons tower
above all others: Parnitha, Penteli and
Hymettus – the three wooded mountains
that surround Athens. Each of these
stone titans offer opportunities for road
cycling, mountain biking, trekking, and
rock climbing. Staring back at the city
from any of these majestic peaks is an
exhilarating experience within easy reach
of the centre.

Hymmetus
Summit in the city
Hymettus is the easiest mountain to reach from central
Athens, just above the lively suburb of Kaisariani. Start at
Kaisariani Monastery, a Byzantine masterpiece probably built
on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Aphrodite,
the goddess of love, pleasure and passion. It’s a fitting
launchpad for pursuing outdoor passions: well-marked trails
vary from a stroll through a botanical garden to a scramble
up gravelly slopes to the summit. From the transmitter
towers, you can see over the other side of the mountain and
watch planes landing and taking off at Athens airport. As you
climb, the atmosphere and foliage change, from the humid,
pine-scented air and thick forest of the foothills to the harsh,
rocky terrain above the tree-line. The Kalopoula canteen
is a charming, shady spot to refuel (order the bean soup,
if it’s winter), while small chapels and abandoned huts are
scattered across the slopes, just waiting to be discovered.

Rise & Shine
Parnitha
High times
Mount Parnitha is the closest national park to a capital city
anywhere in Europe. At 1,500 metres, it’s also the tallest
mountain in Attica. If you’re on foot, the 726 bus takes you
to the teleferik (cable car), which will whizz you up to the
casino at the summit. Hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails
stretch in all directions. A popular route is to the mountain
refuge of Bafi (mpafi.gr), a scenic spot for a mountain tea or
a rakomelo (warm grappa laced with honey). You can even
stay overnight. Alternatively, start from the village of Fyli and
follow any of the waymarked trails in Parnitha’s foothills. An
easy route with spectacular views skirts a lush valley, ending
at a series of ice-cold waterfalls and the sacred cave of
Faneromeni.
Saddle up Parnitha is paradise for mountain

bikers. From downtown Athens, it’s an hour’s cycle
ride to the base of Parnitha, followed by a stiff climb
up a seemingly endless series of switchbacks until you
emerge at a plateau near an abandoned sanatorium.
From here, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure scenario,
depending on your fitness levels and whether you have
an off-road bike. Sadly, forest fires decimated the area
several years ago; the windswept highlands feel almost
lunar, while the lower slopes are a lush habitat for birds
of prey, wolves, and deer. The northern end of Parnitha
is an easier proposition: aim for the ghostly former royal
palace of Tatoi for a picnic with post-apocalyptic vibes
or Beletsi Lake for a serene soak. Continue to Avlona or
Afidnes, where you can catch the suburban railway back
to Athens.
GR Cycling
Tzaferi 16, Gazi 118 54,
+30 210 867 5623,
grcycling.com

Penteli
Marble run
Mount Penteli is where the marble to build the Parthenon
was mined, then dragged all the way to Athens in enormous
chunks. Today, it’s nowhere near as torturous to reach: take
the metro to Kifissia, then bus 526 to Platonos or bus 536 to
Dionysos. Alternatively, take the suburban railway to Agios
Stefanos, then hike or cycle up into the mountain. The views
are a knockout – beyond the shores of Marathon to the island
of Evia. Explore the austere marble quarries of Dionysos,
whose sheer rock-face is popular with daredevil climbers.
Daveli’s Cave, named after a 19th century bandit, was once
dedicated to Pan, the goat-footed god of shepherds and
mountains. Today, the grotto shelters a rare double-sided
Byzantine chapel.
Action plan Although a car is useful, the

mountains are accessible (with a little effort) on public
transport or a bicycle. GR Cycling has a range of road,
mountain and e-bikes for rent, and organises cycling
tours in and around Athens. For guided hikes try
Trekking Hellas, who also run caving and rock climbing
expeditions on Parnitha. Going it alone? First pick up
detailed maps from Anavasi, a specialist shop for maps
and guidebooks near Syntagma Square. (The Anavasi
mapp also has offline trekking maps.)
Trekking Hellas Anavasi

Dim. Gounari 96, Marousi 151 25, Voulis 32, Syntagma 105 57,
+30 210 33 10 323, +30 210 321 8104,
trekking.gr/en anavasi.gr

Stars Under the Stars

Intro
Athens is home to dozens of
Art Deco, Bauhaus, and modernist
cinemas that evoke the golden
era of the silver screen. They’re
not just a treat for movie lovers
but architecture buffs and time
travellers, too.
Athens is a city of cinephiles.
While most other capitals
bulldozed their picture palaces
long ago and replaced them with
soulless multiplexes, almost every
Athenian neighbourhood still has
a much-loved open-air cinema.
Around 65 outdoor movie theatres
are scattered across Athens –
wedged between apartment
blocks, in flower-filled empty lots,
and even on rooftops.
From late May until late September (or even October,

depending on the weather), Athenians can enjoy an
eclectic selection of films from around the world – from
the latest blockbusters to silent films, obscure cult classics
or new releases by Greek auteurs. Programming is usually
at the whim of each cinema owner, so expect some off-
beat selections. The late owner of Cine Palas, an Art
Deco institution in Pangrati, once screened nothing but
“Hairspray” for weeks because he loved watching it so much.
But when you go to a summer screening in Athens, the
film isn’t really the headline act: the cinemas themselves
are the stars. Where else could you watch a movie with the
Acropolis as a backdrop, or cooled by the Aegean sea breeze
instead of air conditioning? One cinema –Cine Dexameni
in well-heeled Kolonaki– sits above
an aqueduct commissioned by the
Roman Emperor Hadrian. At Riviera,
in neighbouring Exarchia, you’ll be
confronted with the concrete reality
of modern-day Athens: the screen
is framed by a patchwork of life that
spills out from the apartment blocks
that box it in.

Pangrati is the arthouse capital of Athens; there were once 23
cinemas squeezed into this downtown neighbourhood. Many
have since closed, but those that survive are some of the
most spectacular in the city. The unmissable Cine Palas has
barely changed since it opened in 1925. The neon-rimmed
screen is a museum piece, and the Sinatra soundtrack adds
to the retro atmosphere. Charming Cine Oasis is a more
idiosyncratic affair: the auditorium is surrounded by kitsch
statues, vintage cinema memorabilia and plants donated by
neighbours.
On pedestrianised Apostolou Pavlou street, in the foothills

of the Acropolis, Cine Thisio dates from 1935. Besides
astonishing Parthenon views, movie-goers are treated to

gourmet snacks, such as home-made cheese pies, sour
cherry cordial, and organic wines. Just over pine-clad
Filopappou Hill, Zefyros was originally a stage for shadow
puppet theatre and cabaret acts; now it exclusively screens
arthouse classics for its bohemian clientele (and a loyal
audience of stray cats).
For Greek independent movies and world cinema, Lais

Open Air Cinema is perched on the roof of The Greek Film
Archive, a digital library, laboratory and museum dedicated
to the history of Greek cinema. Down in the seaside suburb
of Faliro, Cine Flisvos is hidden in a waterfront park. Movie
screenings are mostly mainstream blockbusters, but the
snack bar fare is as local as it gets: souvlaki skewers and
loukoumades (puffy honey-drenched doughnuts).
Athens Open Air Film Festival

The Athens Open Air Film Festival (aoaff.gr) treats the
whole city as an outdoor theatre. Locations range from
iconic landmarks like Lycabettus hill and the Temple of
Olympian Zeus to neighbourhood parks, mansions, and
museum gardens. The 2021 festival, which runs June
14 to August 23, takes inspiration from Wong Kar-Wai’s
moody masterpiece, “In the Mood for Love”. Spike Lee’s
“Do The Right Thing” and the Cohen brothers’ “Fargo”
will be screened in venues as varied as Plato’s Academy
park and the Duchess of Plaisance’s palace on the
slopes of Mount Pendeli – an opportunity to venture to
under-the-radar venues that are not always open to the
public. And the plot twist? Entrance is free.
Cine Palas Cine Riviera

Imittou 109, Pangrati 116 33, Valtetsiou 46, Exarchia, 106 81,
+30 210 751 1868, +30 210 384 4827,
cinepallas.gr facebook.com/riviera.athens
Cine Dexameni Cine Oasis

7 Plateia Dexamenis, Pratinou 7, Pangrati 116 34,
Kolonaki 116 33, +30 210 724 4015
+30 210 362 3942,
cinedexameni.gr

Box Office All films are screened
in their original language with Greek
subtitles (only kids’ movies are dubbed).
Most cinemas have two screenings each
evening, starting around 8:30-9 p.m.
followed by a late show at 10:30 or 11 p.m.
Zefyros Lais Open Air Cinema

Troon 36, Petralona 118 51, Iera Odos 48 & Megalou
+30 21 0346 2677, Alexandrou 134-136, Keramikos,
facebook.com/Cine- 104 35,
Ζέφυρος-348089106061349 +30 210 361 2046,
tainiothiki.gr/en/programme/lais-
Cine Flisvos open-air-cinema
Flisvos Park (next to Flisvos Marina),
Paleo Faliro 175 61,
+30 21 0982 1256,
cineflisvos.gr

Sidewalk Surfers
Where to skate in Athens.
Athens might have a

similar climate to southern
California, the spiritual home
of skate culture, but it lacks
the smooth concrete and
extensive infrastructure.
Athenian traffic is chaotic and
public skateparks are scarce,
but there’s a vibrant street
skating scene.
“Skaters differentiate
themselves through the
creative ways they overcome
these difficulties and
constraints,” explains Zachos
Varfis, a skater and architect.
Frustrated by the lack of
options for vert skating,
Zachos found an empty lot
in the grubby Kerameikos
district and crowdfunded
the construction of Latraac
(latraac.com), a state-of-the
art bowl with an attached
bar and garden. With DJ sets
from some of Athens’ biggest
underground stars, Latraac
has become a late-night
hangout for artists and skaters alike, even pulling in American
pros such as Tony Hawk and Curren Caples.
For street skaters, Zachos recommends the marble forecourt
of the Athens Conservatoire and the Galatsi DIY skatepark
in Veikou Park. “Galatsi is in a really scenic spot, surrounded

by trees,” says Varfis. “It was built by the community so
there’s almost a family atmosphere.” There’s a well-equipped
skatepark inside Santiago Calatrava’s Olympic Park in
Marousi, and smaller but lively skate parks in the suburbs of
Vyronas, Illioupoli, Glyfada, and Halandri.

Pocket parks
A breath of fresh air in Athens’ neighbourhoods.
Among the green recovery initiatives The pocket parks are part of the “Adopt
that the City of Athens has launched – your city” programme, aiming to make
upgrading the city’s water fountains and the city greener, cooler and to improve
creating accessible walking and bike the residents’ quality of life. “It’s about
routes– the city’s new pocket parks hold creating green spaces, lowering the
a special place. Abandoned plots of land temperatures, improving quality of
in downtown Athens are being turned life and creating new reference points
into vital green spaces, an international inside the city,” Athens Mayor Kostas
best practice that works exceptionally Bakoyannis has said. Tackling pollution
well in a city that needs more open and high temperatures and providing
spaces. quality of life for its residents are on
top of the City’s agenda for the years to
The first pocket park was created in July come as Athens is branding itself as an
2020 in Ano Kypseli, one of the most accessible, resilient destination.
densely populated areas of Athens.
Parks in key city neighbourhoods such
as Pangrati, Kolonos and Metaxourgeio
followed, while the new park in the
residential neighbourhood of Sepolia
was particularly successful, as an
abandoned space was transformed into
a lavender garden, giving the area a
much needed breath of fresh air.

Legrena beach.
6. Co
iLoveAthens
Ath
ens
astal
Great beaches just half an hour away from downtown
C OA S TA L AT H E N S 6 .1
Shore Thing
Urban beach culture
The Αthens Riviera becomes

less gritty and more ritzy as it
extends from Piraeus port to
the temple of Poseidon at Cape
Sounion. The sandy shores are
awash with beach bars, marinas,
and bronzed Athenians. The rest
of Attica’s coastline is a sleepier
affair – from isolated coves for
skinny dipping to rolling waves
for surfing. Most of the beaches
listed below are less than an hour
from downtown Athens and
many are accessible on public
transport.

Vouliagmeni
Never knowingly underdressed
“The most beautiful part of the Αthens Riviera is around
Vouliagmeni”, according to Petros Parthenis, founder
of WeSwim, an open water swimming club. “There are
spectacular beaches and bays, but also great restaurants, an
abundance of water-sports, and even an open-air cinema,
Akti.”
Vouliagmeni is certainly the most exclusive stretch
of Athenian coastline. The wide, sandy beach of Akti
Vouliagmenis is very popular with winter swimmers and
pensioners engaged in furious racquetball tournaments.
There’s excellent swimming and surfing on the pine-clad
peninsulas of Mikro and Megalo Kavouri (Little and Big Crab)
too. The three rocky coves of Limanakia are a not-so-secret
hideout for nudists and the LGBT+ crowd, who bake on the
sun-bleached rocks.
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Shore Thing
Lake Vouliagmeni
Bathing beauty
Thermal springs maintain a constant temperature of 22-29
degrees Celsius at Lake Vouliagmeni (limnivouliagmenis.
gr/en), making this a very doable destination for an off-
season swim. Once a traditional municipal spa frequented
by arthritic old codgers, this sunken cave sheltered by cliffs
has significantly upped its glam factor. Wooden decking
surrounds the lake, with sun loungers along the water’s edge.
The murky, mineral-rich waters have therapeutic benefits,
and the tiny fish eat away at your dead skin. Locals say there
are monsters lurking in the underwater caverns, but that
doesn’t stop experienced divers from taking the plunge.
Althea, KAPE and Legrena

Bay watch
Ten kilometres south of Vouliagmeni is Althea, a sliver of
sand beneath rocky cliffs, Althea is another of Parthenis’
favourite beaches. “A wild-feeling beach with a small island
off the coast, I’d recommend it as an alternative to the
organised beaches because it really looks like you’re on
an island. You don’t see any evidence of urban life – just
the rocks, the shoreline and the open sea.”
Further along the coast towards Sounion, KAPE and Legrena
have the same wild beauty and turquoise water. Legrena
is loveliest at twilight, as sunset gilds the Doric columns of
Poseidon’s temple, which has guarded the entrance to the
Saronic Gulf since the 5th century BC.
Kape beach.
Photo by Updrones

Schinias
Fringe benefits
On Attica’s eastern coast, Schinias faces the island of
Evia. The long crescent of golden sand is fringed by
windswept pine trees that provide shade if beach bars
aren’t your thing. Equally popular with families, twenty-
somethings, and water-sports enthusiasts, the beach and
Olympic Rowing Centre both lie within Schinias National
Park, a popular training ground for triathletes thanks to
its proximity to Marathon (yes, that Marathon). Run by
Greek triathlete Danae Moraitis’ family, Moraitis Beach
bar is a great spot to survey the action on the shoreline.
But its primary focus is watersports: offering windsurfing,
wakeboarding, SUP, sea kayaks, subwing and snorkelling.
The Gulf of Corinth

Way out west
Around an hour and a half from Athens, the beaches
of western Attica are considerably quieter than those
closer to the capital. “For me, north of Porto Germeno
is the best area for swimming in the whole region,” says
Parthenis. “The water in the Gulf of Corinth is fresher
and the scenery around the slopes of Mount Kithairon is
amazingly green.” Parthenis prefers to venture beyond
the lively beach resort of Porto Germeno. Further north,
Agios Vasilios is much more remote and unspoilt, with a
pebble beach and traditional tavernas. Aghios Nikolaos
is barely developed, like a small village with just one old
taverna and deep, crystal clear waters that sometimes
attract harmless sharks.
Swim Meet If you fancy open water swimming Wednesdays at 6:45-7pm.

with a non-competitive, welcoming group of locals, Meet in the car park
Petros Parthenis and his WeSwim (weswim.gr) crew hit outside Sardelaki taverna.
the water in Voulliagmeni bay every Wednesday at 7pm. Poseidonos 18,
Sessions are free and are suitable for all abilities. Petros Vouliagmeni 166 71
also hosts a private Airbnb Experience (https://abnb.
me/o1PqdCDlTgb) in Vouliagmeni. Over three and a half
hours, you’ll swim two to three kilometres and polish
up your open water breathing, safety and navigation
techniques. Tap Petros for the secrets he’s picked up over
decades of wild swimming along Attica’s coastline.

Shore Thing
Sunsets at Sounion.

1
Suburbian
Athens Metro Map
2
3
Getting Around
Transport for Athens (OASA, oasa.gr) offers a solid transport network and a very
reasonable flat fare for travel within the city limits (except for trips to and from
the airport). Electronic signage at bus stops, real-time travel information and trip
planning via the OASA website or app ensure a smooth transit. Bus, trolley and
metro are best for getting around the neighbourhoods and suburbs, the tram for
the beaches and Athens Riviera. The city centre is best explored on foot. Bicycles
and electric scooters are surging in popularity among younger Athenians, with
designated lanes gradually being incorporated into urban planning. Metro:
Fast, efficient and spotless, the Athens metro is the quickest way to get around
town. The metro system has three lines and is being expanded. Line 1 is the
old ilektrikos, or electric rail, that is mostly overground. Ticket etiquette:

Single tickets on all modes of public transport (including the suburban railway)
are valid for 90 minutes. The paper ATHE.ENA ticket (athenacard.gr) is valid for
unlimited travel for 24 hours, 3 or 5 days; a plastic ATH.ENA card is also available.
Buy or top up at vending machines in metro stations, tram stops or ticket offices
in central metro stations. (Top up paper tickets after they run out, plastic cards
before.) Getting to and from the airport: A half-hourly metro service
links the airport to downtown Athens, from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Schedules are
posted in stations along the airport line; estimate about 40 minutes travel time
from Syntagma. Three bus lines offer a 24-hour service from the airport to the city
centre and the port of Piraeus. The suburban railway also runs a regular airport
service to Piraeus and Athens Railway Station (Larissa Station). Fares to/from the
airport are purchased separately. Getting to the islands: Three ports,
Piraeus, Lavrio, and Rafina, connect Athens to many of the Greek islands. Piraeus
is easily reached from both Athens and the airport, by metro, bus or the suburban
railway, with a planned tram extension underway. Both Lavrio and Rafina can be
reached by coach (KTEL, ktelattikis.gr/en); some ferry companies also run coaches
to and from Lavrio for their passengers.
Piraeus Port
Gateways
E1 Dodecanese
E2 Crete, Chios, Mytilene, Ikaria, Samos
E3 Crete, Kythira — vehicles entry
X96 E4 E5
E4 Kythira — vehicles exit only
E5 PPA Bus Station — pedestrian entrance
E3 X96
E6 Cyclades, Rethymnon — pedestrian bridge Akti Kondyli
E7 Cyclades, Rethymnon
E6 Metro
E8 Saronic Gulf
E9 Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria Station
E10 Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria — vehicles exit only E7 Piraeus
E11 Cruise terminal A Line 1
E8 X96
E12 Cruise terminal B
X96 Bus to the airport
E2 Akti Tzelepi
X96
Akti Vasiliadi Akti Iettiona
E1
E9
Akti Miaouli E10

Akti Xaveriou
E12
E11
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Kolokotronis statue, hero of the Independence
Revolution of 1821
Travelling to the mainland: Greece’s mountainous terrain has limited

the development of a wide-ranging railway network, but you can catch
a train to destinations like Meteora, Volos, and Thessaloniki. There’s also
a suburban rail network, the Proastiakos, linking Athens to nearby towns
like Corinth and Halkida. The Athens Railway Station (Stathmos Larissis)
is the main train hub (trainsose.gr). The Greek mainland is served by
an extensive network of intercity KTEL buses that also covers Attica
(ktelattikis.gr), including Sounio and Marathon. KTEL routes are organised
by region, and depart from different terminuses. Taxis: Taxis in Athens
are cheaper than most European cities. Hail a cab on the street, call, or
book in advance using an app such as Beat, Taxiplon, or Uber (which
operates exclusively with taxis in Athens). There’s a set fare from airport
to city centre, but confirm that your destination falls within that range.
All fares are metered, with a minimum fare currently set at €3.50. Rates
per kilometre (double outside the city limits and between midnight and
5 a.m.), plus extra charges such as baggage or station pickups, must be
posted inside the taxi. Driving: Driving and parking in the centre of
Athens can be frustrating, but is often the best option for day trips around
and beyond Attica. Roads and signage are much improved, but driver’s
etiquette hasn’t always kept pace.
Underground art Unlimited travel passes allow you to pop in and out
of stations – a bonus on the Athens metro as each station has its own
permanent exhibition of art or antiquities. Ancient finds unearthed during
metro construction are exhibited at Syntagma, Monastiraki, Acropolis,
Kerameikos, Egaleo, and Elaionas. Other stations offer a crash course in
modern Greek art, with works by internationally renowned artists Yiannis
Moralis (Panepistimio), Dimitris Mytaras (Dafni), Stephen Antonakos
(Ampelokipi), and Chryssa (Evangelismos).

iLoveAthens
143 LiFO 07_INFO

iLoveAthens
CityGuide
ATHENS CULTURE
For all this summer’s events, exhibitions
and concerts press here.
New in Athens: Three cultural
landmarks that just opened their
doors to the public. í Ancient
Athens: A concise guide of all the
right sites and museums to visit
if you want to learn about Ancient
Greece. í Art&Design Athens:
Must see museums, gallery
districts, architectural landmarks
and five unusual museums
with great art. í Secret Athens:
Uncovering the city’s lesser
known landmarks. í Outdoor
Athens: Parks, mountains and a
list of all the open air cinemas
worth visiting. í Coastal Athens:
Beach life is just half an hour
away from the city center.

2021 EnglishGuide 2021 DhmAthin Low

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Summer Guide For Visitors

YOUR FREE COPY

Over the last few years, our visitors have begun to

As we are investing in quality of life for our residents

This is the moment for Athens. I am proud to

2 SUMMER 2021 iLoveAthens

Plus: Speak Athenian/Where to skate/

For queries or comments email us at info@lifo.gr

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If you want to survive as long as Athens has, you

This surge of energy has been catalysed by the bicentenary,

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218 Lenorman, Kolonos 104 43,

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Vasileos Konstantinou 50, Pangrati 115 28,

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Inside Golden Hall

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+30 210 923 8747

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Adrianou 24, Monastiraki 10555,

Ermou 148, Kerameikos 10553,

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Temple of Olympian Zeus

Vas. Olgas Avenue 10557,

Thrasyllou & Dionysiou Areopagitou, Acropolis 11742,

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Polignotou 3, Plaka 10555,

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Pnyx Hill, Acropolis 11741

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Vas. Konstantinou, Mets 11635,

Rigillis 11, Anaktora 10675,

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The Greek capital’s 75+

museums attest to a rich cultural

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Patission 44, 10682,

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Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Acropolis 11742,

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Museum of Cycladic Art

Neophytou Douka 4, Kolonaki 10674,

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Panepistimiou 12, Syntagma 10671,

Culture Shots Sightseeing in the summer

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surfaces and monuments, Athens

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