Destination: ATHENS, GREECE

Athens is the capital city of Greece with a metropolitan population of 3.7 million inhabitants. It is in many ways the birthplace of Classical Greece, and therefore of Western civilization.

UNDERSTAND ATHENS

Visitors today may be shocked to find a city nothing like they had imagined. A large, overwhelming proportion of the city and its nearest suburbs are subject to bad urban planning and unimaginative 1970s architecture. There are few green spaces in the central areas of the city, and the urban sprawl does an injustice to the city's glorious past.

Athens was just a small provincial village when it was chosen in the middle of the 19th century to serve as the national capital of the modern Greek State. With a prestigeous past, the city's political, economic, and cultural importance had declined over the centuries, leaving behind only its classical ruins as a reminder of better times. With the decision to move the national capital from Nafplio to Athens, architects and city planners were hired to build a new city next to the classical ruins, with grand neoclassical homes and public buildings, large city squares, green spaces, and wide avenues. The city regained its importance in Greek civilization, and by 1900 had evolved into a very attractive cosmopolitan city, with abundant neoclassical architecture harking to the nation's past.

The 20th century, however, was not as kind to the city. The city suffered some damage during WWII, and suffered terrible urban planning in the decades that followed, as the nation industrialized and urbanized. In the 1960s and 1970s, countless 19th century neoclassical buldings were torn down to make way for the infamous concrete apartment blocks that characterize much of the city today. The city also expanded outward through rash development, particularly towards the west, as its population grew by absorbing job-seekers from the provinces. With the onset of the automobile, public officials reduced the city's public transportation services, without foreseeing the traffic gridlock and smog that would menace the city by the 1980s. Certain areas of the city center, such as the Pláka and Thissio districts, retained their charming 19th century architecture, but fell into decay.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city's reality led to a rude awakening among local and national officials, and -coupled with the country's newfound prosperity- large scale projects began to slowly regenerate the city and -as much as possible- undo the damages of recent decades. Over the course of the next 15 years, millions of euros poured into new transportation infrastructure projects, the restoration of surviving neoclassical buildings, the gentrification of the city's historical center, and the renovation of many former industrial areas and the city's coast. The restoration of charming neoclassical buildings in the city's historical center has been accompanied by the construction of attractive post-modern buidings in newer districts; both of which have begun to improve the aesthetic essence of the city. Athens today is ever evolving, forging a new identity for the 21st century, and gradually making up for the damages of the 20th.

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THE OLYMPICS IN ATHENS

Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games which, to the defiance of critics, were a spectacular success. While most of the sporting venues were located outside the city proper -in various locations throughout Attica- the entire urban area of Athens underwent major lasting changes that have improved the quality of life for visitors and residents alike. Aside from the excellent transportation infrastracture that was completed in time for the 2004 Olympics (from new freeways to light rail systems), the city's historic center underwent serious renovation.

Most notable among the city's facelift projects are the Unification of Archaelogical Sights, which connects the city's classical-era ruins and monuments to each other through a network of pleasant pedestrianized streets, and the restoration of the picturesque, 19th-century neoclassical Thissio and Pláka districts.

ARCHITECTURE OF ATHENS

Athens displays a bewildering mix of architectural styles from across the centuries and under many influences, making it a fascinating place to visit. A European Union-sponsored program aims to help in Discovering Contemporary Architecture in Athens by means of multimedia presentation and guided walks.

The Athens Academy is a beautiful building on Panapestimiou Street, about a 10 minute walk from Syntagma. Next to the Academy is the University of Athens (its original location) and the National Library.

CLIMATE OF ATHENS

Spring and late autumn are the best times to visit Athens. Summer can be extremely hot and dry during heatwaves, but these rarely happen. Winter is definitely low season, being chilly with the occasional rainy or snowy day, but also an ideal time to save money while enjoying the city without countless other travellers and tourists.

Athens has something of a reputation for being Europe's smog capital, the most polluted city on the continent. While this was once true (and the memory dies hard), it is now quite undeserved. For the last decade or more, massive clean ups have been in force, older vehicles and buses were withdrawn from the roads, industries were moved out of the city centre and the Metro has been expanded. Whilst peak hour can still be a bit smoggy on the main roads, on most sunny days the skies are azure blue.

DISTRICTS OF ATHENS

The sprawling city is bounded on three sides by Mt Hymettos, Mt Parnitha and Mt Pendeli; whilst inside Athens are eight hills (one more than Rome!), the Acropolis and Lykavittos being the most prominent. These hills provide a refuge from the noise and commotion of the crowded city streets, offering amazing views down to Saronic Gulf, Athens' boundary with the Aegean Sea on its southern side. The streets of Athens (clearly signposted in Greek and English) now meld imperceptibly into Piraeus, the city's ancient (and still bustling) port.

Most things of interest to travellers can be found within a relatively small area surrounding the city centre at Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos). This epicentre is surrounded by the districts of the Plaka to the south, Monastiraki to the west, Kolonaki to the east and Omonia to the north. Further afield is the port of Athens, the Piraeus.

Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos) - dominated by the old Royal Palace, Syntagma Square is the business district of Athens, complete with major hotels, banks, restaurants and airline offices
the Plaka - gentrified during the 1990s (and now very popular with tourists), the Pláka is a charming historic district at the foot of the Acropolis, with its restored 19th century neoclassical homes, pedestrianized streets, shops and restaurants, and picturesque ruins from the city's Roman era
the Acropolis - the ancient "high city" of Athens, crowned by marble temples sacred to the city's goddess Athena
Monastiraki - very bohemian district increasingly popular with tourists, with stores selling a variety of items including antiques, cookware, souvenirs, arts and crafts, movie posters, punk culture, funky clothing, and pretty much anything you can think of
Kolonaki - upscale residential area with many cafes, boutiques and galleries
Psiri - up and coming former industrial district, full of trendy or alternative restaurants, cafes, bars, and small shops
Omonia - a somewhat seedy district, sometimes notorious for pickpockets and prostitutes (be careful here!), Omonia Square (Plateia Omonoias) is nonetheless an important transport hub, especially for buses. After the construction of the metro (Line 2 passes from there), the image of the area has turned much better
Thissio - picturesque, historic district with restored 19th-century neoclassical architecture -similar to Pláka- located next to the Ancient Agora, and housing many restaurants and cafes
Piraeus - the ancient port of Athens, Piraeus is today an independent, heavily industrial municipality located southwest of Athens, whose modern-day port serves almost all of Attica's ferry connections to Crete and the Aegean Islands.

THINGS TO SEE IN ATHENS

At first glance, Athens seems entirely to be composed of nasty, four- to six-story concrete buildings, lacking character and badly in need of a paint, but look beyond that and you will find little gems tucked in amongst the grey. The areas at the foot of the Acropolis, Anafiotika, Plaka, Monastiraki and Thiseio are home to many wonderful neoclassical buildings, trendy and traditional cafes and shops, narrow winding streets, and incredible views of the Acropolis. Little Greek Orthodox churches are tucked in amongst the concrete, often in the most unexpected places. These are usually beautifully decorated with icons and brass fixtures inside, but make sure you're appropriately dressed (no short sleeves or bare legs is a good rule of thumb, as a mark of respect).
For the best views of Athens, take the funicular railway from the top of Ploutarchou Street in Kolonaki (make sure to wear flat shoes, and bring lots of water!) and see the whole city, the port of Piraeus and the island of Aegina from the top of Lycavittos Hill. Have a drink at the cafe there, and pay a visit to the chapel of St George.
If you're lucky enough to be in Athens for the Easter Weekend, you'll see the spectacular sight of hundreds of people making their candlelit way down the hill on Easter Saturday night as part of the Easter Vigil procession.

Landmarks

the Acropolis - the ancient fortified town of Athens, dating back to the Late Bronze Age, now the site of the best buildings of the Greek Classical age: the Parthenon, the Erectheion, the Temple of Athena Nike.
Syntagma Square - check out the Parliament building and the newly-restored Grande Bretagne Hotel. Also, catch the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament every hour on the hour. Their uniforms and walking style is fun to see.

Museums and Galleries

Given its antiquity and influence, Athens is full of museums and galleries. Here are a selection of 'must-sees' - district articles will hold additional possibilities:

Acropolis Museum - the new one (designed by swiss star architect bernard tschumi) is under construction.
Benaki Museum - visit the beautiful neoclassical main building which houses collections of Greek art, from ancient times through the Byzantine period and the modern state. Open late and for free on Thursday evenings.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens - Greece's best repository of archaeological finds.
Museum of Cycladic Art - small but gem-like

SHOPPING IN ATHENS

Kolonaki is Posh Central. It is cosily situated between Syntagma Square (metro Lines 2 and 3), Evangelismós (metro Line 3) and the Lucabettus hill. Come here for first hand experience of the sport of "people watching" and marvel at the spectacle of elegantly dressed people of all ages lounging in the cafes on the main square, sipping Frappe and gossiping. Here is where you'll find your designer goodies, should you be so inclined.
Shopping addicts will love Kolonaki, or for a more reasonable price tag, Ermou Street, beside Syntagma Square. Turn right off Ermou at the MAC makeup shop and you'll find yourself on Aghiou Markou and other small streets which are home to incredibly cheap shoes, bags, jewellery, gifts, homewares, and so on.

FOOD IN ATHENS

'Psiri' is the up-and-coming social hub of Athens- if you are looking for 'trendiness', you are at the correct place. Situated in the "warehouse" district, beside the Monastiraki metro station, it's home to many of Athens' more funky restaurants, and a great number of good tavernas and bars. The place buzzes on a Saturday night, well into the small hours.
For an atmospheric lunch or dinner with the best view of the city, the best choice is Lycabettus Hill, where Orizontes Lykavittoy and Cafe Lykavittos present delicious international dishes seven days a week.
For quick, descent and low-budget meals that do not fall into the commercialized fast food category, make sure you try 'souvlaki' (pronounced soo- VLAH-kee), mainly grilled meat (pork, chicken, it's your choice) vegetables (tomato and onion slices) and greek 'tzatziki' (pronounced tzah-TZEE-khee) which is yogurt enriched with garlic and cucumber. All the above (often accompanied by french fries) are gently (or hardly) wrapped inside a thin slice of pan bread, named 'pita' (PEE-tuh). Prices of 'souvlaki' vary according to the confidence and/or nerve of the cornershop owner, but usually you can get one from €1 to €1.50; add some soda, salad and french fries and you can have lunch for no more than €7. You can get souvlaki just about everywhere, especially where tourists roam, though they are a bit more expensive in those regions. You can ask any Greek person about them; they all know.

RECOMMENDED TRIPS OUT OF ATHENS

Piraeus, the harbour of Athens, and Rafina (on the east coast of Attica) are the departure points for a large number of ferry services to the Greek Islands and other destinations in the eastern Mediterranean, including ports in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Israel and Cyprus. Fast hydrofoil and catamaran or helicopter services also take you to the Greek Islands. Italy is easier approached by boat from Patras (take a train or a bus to Patras).
The closest islands, suitable for a day trip, are located in the Argosaronic (or Saronic) gulf: Hydra, Aegina, Poros, Spetses and Salamina.
Day trips to the Corinth Canal, the theatre at Epidaurus and to the ancient sites of Olympia, Delphi and Mycenae are easy by car or organized tour. Other towns along the Peloponnese such as Nafplion are charming and well worthwhile.

For more information on Athens, visit the source at Wikitravel

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Athens, Greece