Must-See’s in Athens
Obviously, the number one thing to see in Athens is the Parthenon, the marble temple that can be seen from many parts of the city and is beautifully lit at night. Around the Acropolis area are several museums and other sightseeing opportunities such as the Acropolis Museum, Thission, the Temple of Zeus and what remains of the infamous Elgin Marbles. The Kallimarmaro stadium which dates back to the 4th Century, but was revived in 1896, is also interesting to visit and was used in the recent Olympics.
Art lovers would be advised to see the Benaki Museum with it extensive collection of ancient Greek, Byzantine and even Chinese artwork, the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art, the National Art Gallery and the National Archealogical Museum itself. All of these have treasures around each corner and regardless of your taste in art and ancient antiquities, will surely amaze.
It is worth noting that Athens usually has a wide variety of one-off shows and exhibitions being held in the city, so it is worth checking in the English speaking press (the Athens News newspaper is a good start) or with your hotel to see what is happening during your stay.
For a slightly more unusual museum visit, the Athens War Museum has much information about Greece’s involvement in World War II, plus the county’s military history prior to this. This private collection is free to enter and makes for a fascinating afternoon.
Wandering the streets of Athens will mean you are never far from a traditional Greek café, a trendy bar or even a Starbucks, but if you would prefer a more upmarket location to enjoy your coffee, look no further than the many roof gardens that can be found at several Athens hotels.
Even if you choose not to stay there, the Grand Bretagne’s roof garden is excellent and has a great view of the Acropolis.
The same can be said for restaurants as Athens has everything from Yo Sushi and a Noodle Bar to traditional Souvlaki and a massive choice of Greek taverna’s. Again, Grand Bretagne’s restaurants are superb, as is the Hilton’s, but for anyone wanting a very Greek surrounding and quality meat or fish should try either Petrino or Atheniako near to Omonia Square and towards Exarchia.
The many pictures of old Greek movie stars adorning the walls gives Petrino a great atmosphere.
If you take our advice and head South, George’s Steak House in Glyfada must be visited and to the North, try the restaurant at Hotel 21 in Kifisia or Gourounakia (literally ‘little pigs’) for an excellent souvlaki too.
If you still have time in your schedule, the changing of the guard outside the Parlimentary building can be seen daily, in fact, a walk around this area is enjoyable too, as the architecture of the University and the library is wonderful. If you have the time, inclination and are happy to strap on a pair of decent walking shoes, Athens will rarely disappoint. |
