SKIAS
Civic offices that held the polis’ official weights and measures were managed in 35-day segments by each of Athens’ different factions in the round building now known as the Tholos—Greek for “circle”—on the left side of the Agora beneath the Temple of Hephaestus. Next to the altars to the gods and across from the gymnasium, the Skias’ location is a prime of example of what the Agora was in its heyday—a mix of everything Athenian.
ODEION OF AGRIPPA
Designed for performances, this structure originally had a thatched roof, orchestra pit, and seating for nearly 1000 people—no small feat for a building in 15 BCE. Like many other structures in the Agora, the original was destroyed by the Herulian invasion of 267 CE.
ROMAN AGORA
When the Ancient Agora filled with administrative buildings and crowded out vendors, the shop owners picked up their commerce and moved to the Roman Agora. The structure was built from 19-11 BCE and had two propyla, or Doric vestibules at the entrance, one of which was given by Julius Caesar himself. Today, all that remains beyond the five imposing columns at the entrance is an open, grassy expanse ringed by white marble pieces. In the far end of the Agora stands the Tower of the Winds, built by Andronikos, an astronomer from Macedonia. Also, the far side of the Agora is the foundation of the Vespasianae, or public latrines, that showcase Greece’s advanced sewage system.
Enter the Agora either off Pl. Thission, off Adrianou, or as you descend from the Acropolis. For holiday schedule, call 210 32 16 690. Map kiosks are plentiful throughout the park, but it might be helpful to bring your own maps. €2, students and EU seniors €1. EU students and under 19 free. Open daily 8am-8pm. Last entrance 7:30pm.
Syntagma
ACROPOLIS MUSEUM
Dionyssiou Areopagitou 15
MUSEUM
210 32 10 185 www.theacropolismuseum.gr
A must-see—preferably before heading up the hill to the Acropolis—this modern museum has an astounding collection of ancient artifacts within its somewhat controversial modern design. Opened in 2007, it holds statues, terracotta wine vases, coins, and dioramas designated with placards that give great historical context in both Greek and English. Five of the original 6 Caryatids from 420-415 BCE are inside on the second floor; copies now stand in their stead on the Erechtheumn. Make sure to watch the video about the Parthenon on the 3rd floor for a great dose of information, and ask the archaeologists wandering the exhibits in black pants, white shirts, and nametags any pertinent questions.
Acropolis. Located 300m from the Acropolis itself. The entrance to the museum has glass flooring, allowing visitors to see ruins beneath where they walk. Very cool and very reflective: make sure not to wear a skirt. Cafe on 3rd floor. €5, students €3. Open Tu-Su 8am-8pm, last entry 7:30pm.
NATIONAL GARDEN
The land between Amalias, Vas. Olgas, Vas. Sofias, and Irodou Atikou
GARDEN
Step through the gates of the National Garden and the honks, heat, and general havoc of Athens fades into the shade, soft paths, and bird sounds within the park. This lush, expansive patch of peace has been public since 1923 and boasts, along with benches, marigolds, and winding pathways, a Botanical Garden, turtle pond, and cafe. In antiquity, the sacred grove of Cyceum stood in the same place.
From Syntagma facing the Parliament building, turn right. The many entrances to the park are behind the stalls and bus stops. Don’t go alone at night. Free. Open 24hr.
PARLIAMENT BUILDING
Stadiou 13
PUBLIC BUILDING
210 32 37 315 www.nhmuseum.gr
Every hour on the hour, a small crowd of tourists assembles in front of the Parliament building to witness the changing of the guard, an absurd ritual that involves five men in tan colored shirts holding guns walking in a way that must resemble a loon mating dance. As part of the procedure for switching the soldiers need to touch their shoes’ humongo pompoms. Between the hourly embarrassments, times two lucky men get to stand in the garb and get stared at by crowds without responding (a la Buckingham Palace). On Sunday at 11am there is an even more elaborate proceeding. All in all, the process takes about 5min.
Yellow building at the head of Syntagma, along Amalias. Changing of the guard every hour on the hour all day and night.
PANATHENAIC STADIUM
STADIUM
Renovated for the Athens Olympics in 2004, the stadium is a massive construction of marble with no hot dog vendors of the standard American stadium. Sadly, this stadium might be better appreciated through pictures—the angle that visitors are allowed does not provide much of a vantage point, and honking from the road 50m away undermines the structure’s glory.
On Vas. Konstantinou. From Sydagma, walk down Amalias 10 min. to Vas. Olgas and follow it to the left. Or take trolley #2, 4, or 11 from Syntagma. Free. Open 24hr.
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Patision Street 144
MUSEUM
210 90 00 901
At home if you dig in the dirt, you find worms. In Athens, it seems, one finds ancient artifacts. And worms. The quantity of vases and statues in this museum, founded in 1892, is astounding, and to look at every exhibit would take days. Room after room is full of perfectly chiseled, nude forms, and the second floor is entirely pottery. Decide ahead of time how long you want to spend at the museum, but don’t expect to breeze through. The placards are like textbooks, so read them like you do a textbook: skim.
Walk 20 min. from Pl. Syntagma down Stadiou to Aiolou. Turn right onto Patission; or take trolley #2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 15, or 18 from the uphill side of Syntagma or trolley #3 or 13 from the north side of Vas. Sofias From Victoria, walk straight to the 1st street, 28 Oktuvriou; turn right and walk 5 blocks. Museum will be on the left Photos without flash permitted. €7; students and EU citizens over 65 €3; EU students, under 19, and disabled persons free. Open Apr-Oct M 1:30pm-8pm, Tu-Su 8am-8pm. Nov-Mar 1:30pm-3:00pm, Tu-Su 8:30am-3pm.
Plaka
HADRIAN’S LIBRARY
RUINS
210 32 49 350
Built in 132 CE in the architectural style of the Roman Forum, this library was once the scene of a pool, a garden, and as the name suggests...a library. The books made of papyrus are long gone, but some columns still stand.
Monastiraki. Walk up the hill. Included in the €12 Acropolis ticket. Students and over 65 €2. EU students and under 19 free. Open daily 8am-8pm.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF KERAMEIKOS
End of Ermou
RUINS
210 346 3552
Come to this burial ground to walk on over 1000 years of ancient, rotting nobility. No markers indicate who lies where, but blooming flowers, huge funerary statues, and remains of the ancient walls of Athens dot the landscape, making this former cemetery a beautiful archaeological excavation site. Look for the Dipylon gate, once the city’s main entrance, where Pericles gave a memorable speech honoring those who perished during the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Supposedly, the hill to the immediate right of the museum is where the most famous remains rest.
Monastiraki. Walk down Ermou. Included in the €12 Acropolis ticket. €2, with student ID €1. Open daily 8:30am-3pm.
NUMISMATIC MUSEUM
12 Panepistimiou
MUSEUM
210 36 52 057 www.nma.gr
It takes money to see money. More coins than you could ever imagine are displayed in glass cases in this formal house of a German benefactor. As you walk through the displays, take note of the overzealous guards that watch your every move, almost assuming that you are going after one of these old pieces of change. With a huge variety of ancient currencies, this museum is worth your money—especially because it offers a complimentary hour-long audio tour of the first floor.
Syntagma. Go left down Panepistimiou, and the museum will be on the right. Complimentary hour-long audio tour of the 1st floor. €3, students and over 65 €2, EU students and under 19 free. Open Tu-Su 8:30am-3pm.
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MUSEUM OF CYCLADIC ART
4 Neophytou Douka
MUSEUM
210 72 28 321 www.cycladic.gr
This museum’s informative and well-labeled contents highlight a style of Greek art different from the other museums of its caliber. The first floor holds prime examples of Cycladic art, which is defined by its violin-shaped figures that capture human form in extreme simplicity. The fourth floor also holds dioramas about life in seventh-century Athens.
Syntagma. Walk to Pl. Konolaki; the museum is 2 blocks past the square. Pictures without flash permitted. €7, over 65 €3.50, students €2.50, under 18 free. Open M 10am-5pm, W 10am-5pm, Th 10am-8pm, F-Sa 10am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm.
BENAKI MUSEUM
1 Koumbari and Vas. Sofias
MUSEUM
210 36 71 000 www.benaki.gr
Founded in 1930 from a collection accumulated by Antony Benaki in his family’s mansion, this museum—the central one of the Benaki museum network—houses an extensive collection of art from Greek history to the present. Pottery, busts, paintings, and a gold crown are shown behind glass in the museum that reopened in 2000.
Syntagma. Walk along Vas. Sofias; the museum is at the intersection of Vas. Sofias and Koumbari. €6, students and over 65 €3, EU students and under 19 free. Open M 9am-5pm, W 9am-5pm, Th 9am-midnight, F-Sa 9am-5pm.
NATIONAL GALLERY
Vas. Konstantinou 50
MUSEUM
210 72 35 937 www.nationalgallery.gr
Greece is not renowned for its modern art, yet it seems the National Gallery showcases work mostly from the last few hundred years. The main collection holds a large number of Greek portraits, whose prominent moles have been immortalized forever, but lacks any artwork that really stands out.
Located on the intersection of Vas. Konstantinou and Vas. Sofias by the Hilton Hotel. Photos without flash permitted. €6.50; students, children, and over 65 €3. Open M-Sa 9am-3pm, Su 10am-2pm.
Exarhia
HOLY TRINITY
Fillelinon 21A
CHURCH
210 32 31 090
Gilt-laden, the Holy Trinity is the largest of the Byzantine churches in Athens and easily accessible from Syntagma. With 1000 years of history, this church is still young relative to other sights of Athens. After being amazed by the giant chandelier in the church’s center, don’t miss a nook on the right that displays a fresco painted 850 years ago. Other than this piece, most of the paintings on the walls are from the 19th century.
Syntagma. Follow Fillelinon at the base of the square. The church will be a few blocks down on the left. Free. Open daily 8am-noon.
FOOD
Syntagma
PARADOSIAKO
Voulis 44
GREEK
210 321 4121
While many lunch places sit idle with empty chairs, this stop does not lack customers—and for good reason. The Greek salad (€6), though ubiquitous in Athens (and oddly enough listed on menus as “Greek salad” rather than just... salad), is particularly scrumptious. Mop up the extra olive oil with the hearty, solid bread that comes with your meal. Sitting either inside or outside on a quiet side street, meet the wonderful owners—a husband and wife team that has worked here since the restaurant’s opening.
Syntagma. Walk along Filellinon, take a right down Nikodimou. Voulis is 3 blocks down. Paradosiako is on your right. Meals €5-15. Open daily noon-midnight.
CAFE VOULIS
Voulis 17
CAFE
210 32 34 333
Chat over a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich (€3. 70) along with some coffee (€1.50-€3.20) at this reasonably-priced coffee shop where customers smoke from their metal bar stools and relax for hours on end. Fairly crowded and just a few blocks from Syntagma, Cafe Voulis is not gourmet but is very convenient.
Behind hordes of motorcycles, set back on a corner just off Ermou. Delivery available. Entrees €6. Open M-F 7:30am-9pm, Sa 8am-5pm.
PETROS GRILL HOUSE
Kidathineon 28
GRILL HOUSE
201 32 46 229
Petros is a great place to grab a chicken or pork gyro (€2) for the road. While this restaurant does double as a locals’ evening hangout, stick to their lunch menu and ask for the waiter from New York who moved to Greece to turn his life around after losing his job at Lehman Brothers.
Head 3 blocks down Kidathineon; it’s on the right. Entrees €12. Open daily 9am-2am.
Plaka
YIASEMI
23 Mnisikleous
CAFE
213 04 17 937 www.yiasemi.gr
This cafe belongs by the sea rather than in the heart of Athens. With its adorable daisy-painted tables and stone staircases, it’s a shame there’s no view to go with this relaxed beach town vibe. The portions are small, but this cafe is better for sitting with a friend and catching up over coffee or tea (€3.50). If hungry, try the lemon pie (€5) or meatballs (€5) that offer a hearty portion for their price.
Up the hill past the Roman Agora. To the right down the street with the red track paint and lanes drawn on the ground. Coffee €3.50. Entrees €5-10. Open daily 10am-2am.
BENETH
Adrianou 97
BAKERY
210 32 38 822
If it’s your birthday, if you want to pretend it’s your birthday, or even if you just want to eat something delicious, go to Beneth. Pastries made on location and baklava that leaves you craving more even after eating your own body weight in these treats are well worth their price tags (€2). Packaged yogurt and beverages are sold in a cooler on the left of the shop. Though Beneth offers no seating, try standing at the high metal tables out front.
Striaght down Adrianou. Pastries and fresh-baked bread €1-3. Cappuccino €1.50. Open daily 7am-10pm.
SCHOLARHIO OUZERI KOUKLIS
Tripodon 14
TAVERNA
210 32 42 603 www.scholarhio.gr
This self-proclaimed traditional family restaurant is in actuality the neighborhood’s restaurant best adapted to tourism. Waiters sneakily bring out bottled water before you can think to ask for tap and fill your table with platters of small plates whose prices add up quicker than you can eat. Keeping track of the tab aside, the food is pretty good, and green peppers in the Greek salad (€4) are a nice touch.
Up the hill past the Roman Agora. Down the street on the right with the red track paint and lanes drawn on the ground. Individual dishes €3. Meal of 2 side plates, bread, beverage, and dessert €14. Open daily 11am-2am.
EAT AT MILTON’S
91 Adrianou
FANCY
210 32 49 129 www.eatmiltons.gr
Perfect for the fanciest date of your life, this white-tiled restaurant serves fish so fresh that there’s not even a freezer on-site. For those attempting to win over a heart—and willing to have a heart attack when the bill comes—there is a lobster special (€50 per person) that will impress the most gourmet of companions. If you’re not trying to impress anybody, order one of the few modest options on the menu to save your wallet from extinction. Organic food fans will be pleased to learn that they serve a “BIO” Greek salad (€12) made with fresh local ingredients.
Up the hill past the Roman Agora. Take the street with red track paint and lanes drawn on the ground to the end, and then turn left at the next road. Milton’s will be on the opposite corner at the end of the block. Salads and soups €9-12. Entrees €25-30. Lobster special €50. Open daily noon-5pm and 7:30pm-midnight.
Monastiraki
MANDRAS
Ag. Anarguron 8 and Taki
GREEK
210 32 13 765
Delicious food defines this classy establishment near a large square in the depths of Monastiraki. Tzatziki dip comes with olive oil drizzled on top and one regal olive perched in the center of the serving. Those craving a healthy serving of meat should try the lamb (€16) or grilled chicken (€9.50).
Monastiraki. Live music nightly after 8pm.
Appetizers €5; entrees €8-25. Open daily 2pm-2am.
SAVVAS
Mitropoleos 86
TAVERNA
210 32 45 048
These gyros are cheap and delicious, and you’ll almost feel like Pavlov’s dog after eating your first. The cost of a gyro skyrockets to €8.50 if you eat at the restaurant, so grab a few to go and eat them in Pl. Monastiraki.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 100