Think of Athens and the chances are that you’ll think of marble, statues, columns and ancient stadia, of crumbling capitals and smooth white dark-veined floors. Like mysterious wrecks, the relics of antiquity lie at anchor on the Greek capital’s endless rooftop sea.
Few travellers linger long here, stopping merely to pay their respects to the “cradle of Western civilisation”. They should: Athens is a lively and energetic city, best experienced by joining in all the honking, cursing and general party fun. So take a shopping stroll in fashionable Kolonaki, drink your frappé and eat your squid in red-wine sauce. If you really want to get under the city’s skin, though, hit the clubs and tavernas of Psiri and Gazi in the evening. It’s only at night that Athens truly gets into her stride, and many of the locals think nothing of going out five or six times a week.
Writer: Monica Filthaut; Photographer: Marvin Zilm
Out and about in Athens
Restaurants & more
Greeks enjoy dining both late in the evening and often long into the night, but above all they enjoy dining well! See for yourself!
Shopping & more
The Greek capital is famous for antique goods made of leather, but there is of course much more to discover here on the shopping front.
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