Plaka
Hugging the base of the Acropolis, the area extends from Filomousson Square, roughly at the intersection of Kidathinaion and Adrianou Streets, down to Monastiraki. The best way to see Plaka is to simply wander its lanes, chasing glimpses of the Acropolis between the neoclassical buildings, Byzantine churches, cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops. The prime sights are, of course, the Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum. But do give yourself time to visit smaller gems that highlight less familiar aspects of Greek culture, like the Museum of Greek Folk Art, the Folk Instruments Museum and the fine private art and antiquities collections at the Frissiras and Canellopoulos Museums.
Acropolis / Koukaki
What a difference a decade makes. The arrival of the landmark Acropolis Museum and the pedestrian walkway linking the city’s ancient monuments has seen this historic neighbourhood emerge as one of Athens’ most fashionable postcodes.
Monastiraki/Psirri
Old and new Athens converge in Monastiraki. The metro disgorges passengers on Adrianou, a street that is the flea market's main artery but was also part of the ancient city. The city’s historical layers and the area’s traditionally diverse communities align here: look up from the square towards the Acropolis and your line of sight crosses both a mosque and a Byzantine church. Monastiraki, or ‘little Monastery’, is named after a monastic compound that once occupied the site. Today, all that’s left is the small 10th-century Pantanassa basilica on the square.
A wave of gentrification swept most of the old artisan workshops from Psirri and replaced them with bars and eateries in the early 21st century. Now modern craftspeople are moving back in, producing leather sandals and quirky souvenirs rather than wicker chairs and tinware. And derelict buildings have been revitalised with extraordinary displays of street art. But Psirri is still at its most enchanting, and liveliest, at night, when the second-hand shops close and the trendy night-spots set their stools out on the narrow streets.
Thissio / Petralona
Just beyond the stunning promenade ringing the Acropolis, these two neighbourhoods offer an intriguing mix of classical splendour, cafe culture, and community spirit
Omonia
In the Greek popular imagination, Omonia is as much a symbol of the modern city as the Acropolis is of the ancient—and with as many cultural references. When Athens first became Greece’s capital, Omonia was a cosmopolitan hub. Later, around 1880, it became the terminus for carriages and other transportation, thus making it the place where Greeks from the provinces arrived. Through successive waves of migration during the 1960s and 1970s, Omonia is where those newly-arrived from the village connected with ‘compatriots’ who frequented the coffee houses on its perimeter. Omonia emerged as the locus of blue-collar Athens—the staging point for labour union marches but also the convergence point of spontaneous celebrations of major sports victories, such as 2004 European football championships. And while both the square and the city have undergone several transformations down the years, Omonia is still where you go to feel Athens’ urban pulse (and since the square’s latest look debuted in May 2020, the cooling mists from George Zongolopoulos’s hydrokinetic sculpture).
Gazi / Keramikos
Twilight is the best time for exploring Gazi and Keramikos, for the area’s subtle charms fade under the glare of the noonday sun. The half-light of the late afternoon awakens a wanderlust deepened by the sight of the rusted railway lines on the industrial side of Ermou Street and for an instant, your thumb twitches to hitch a ride from one of the trucks trundling towards the city’s exit. In this dusky light, the ancient cemetery of Keramikos is one of the most beautiful spots in Athens.
Like Gazi, the Keramikos and its neighbouring Metaxourgio district come to life as darkness descends. Chinese discount shops and clothing wholesalers give way to more hedonistic pursuits—from cocktails and dancing to traces of the area’s legacy as the red light district. Alekos Fassianos’ The Myth of Neighbourhood installed in Metaxourgio metro station is a subtle nod to the area’s rebirth. Old warehouses have been transformed into cavernous clubs, cosy bars, experimental stages, and Michelin-starred restaurants that set the trends the rest of the city follows.
Kolonaki
Kolonaki may be the city’s poshest neighbourhood, but there’s delicious irony in the fact that under Ottoman rule it was largely grazing lands. Many of its earliest inhabitants chose to settle at the foot of Lycabettus hill because it reminded them of their mountain village. Kolonaki’s star may have waned in recent years, but it’s still the place moneyed Athenians go to shop and socialise. And just as the city’s centre of gravity has shifted so has Kolonaki’s, moving from Agios Dionysios to Kolonaki Square, with the cafés on its lower side and along Kapsali street siphoning off its cachet. But Kolonaki never goes out of style—and is in fact reclaiming its own. The high street retailers that sprouted like weeds in the 1990s have beat a retreat, leaving space for a new crop of Greek designers to move in.
Pangrati
Pangrati is the quintessential middle-class neighbourhood with a definite artsy aura. The home address of musicians, writers, directors, academics, and journalists, past residents include composer Manos Hatzidakis and poet George Seferis. This makes for a lively café culture radiating from two hubs, Platia Proskopon and Platia Varnava. Shops, restaurants, small bars, and green spaces—plus a couple of galleries, an art house cinema, and a theatre—reflect the locals’ cosmopolitan outlook. Opened in October 2019, the Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art boosted the area’s profile among visitors, already drawn by the Kallimarmaro stadium and Athens First Cemetery. The artsy ambience is now complete with the reopening of the city’s flagship art repository, the National Gallery in early 2021. The unique vibe undulates between edginess and convention. This is one of the city’s most desirable neighbourhoods, and finding an apartment in the Pangrati or Mets areas has always been hard, as people move in but rarely move out. Though technically right in the city centre, the mood here is decidedly detached from it: Pangrati isn’t where change is sparked, but where it settles in.
Glyfada
Home turf to millionaires and popstars, this most commercial of beachy suburbs lies 16km from the Acropolis, where it proudly flaunts its “L.A. airs”. Welcome to glitzy Glyfada, unofficial capital of the Athens Riviera. There are luxe, leafy pockets where you might indeed be on Rodeo Drive: jazzy Kyprou and Laodikis Streets with their upscale boutiques, imported palm trees and style-conscious, outdoor cafes. Beneath it all, though, sociable Glyfada remains refreshingly grounded, with souvlaki joints, low-key cinemas and farmers markets sharing street space with trendy bars colonised by the Instagram set. Meanwhile, glossy, inked-up teens flex their latest must-have trainers up and down the marble pavements of Metaxa, the main shopping strip, like exotic herds.
The Metaxa Street artery runs from Agiou Konstantinou cathedral, opposite the Glyfada Nautical Club. It’s a long, open-air shopping mall of international and Greek fashion chains and shoe shops, serviced by frequent tram stops and fast food outlets. In the 1990s, a United States air base cleared out of this southern seaside hub, leaving behind an American echo in Metaxa’s retro marble shopping arcades and in the country’s first 18-hole pro-golf course.
Piraeus
Piraeus is much more than just a port. It’s a city in its own right. Yet most visitors fleetingly pass through on their way to the Greek islands and see little beyond the smoggy hustle of the ferry terminal. Take time to explore and you’ll find archaeological sights, stunning sea views, as far as the Saronic Gulf islands; and some of the best fish restaurants in Athens.
Piraeus was first incorporated into Athens in 515 BC. In 493 BC, the great naval strategist Themistocles began fortification works to enclose both cities behind Long Walls. These defences, still visible today, gave the Athenians uninterrupted access to the sea. Over three millennia, Piraeus has grown to become one of the largest passenger and cargo ports in the world. There’s more to this commercial hub and gateway to the Greek islands than meets the eye. Whether you have a few hours to kill before your onward journey or a full day (or more) to explore the area, this guide will help you get the most out of Piraeus.