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Uncover a unique facet to Athens with these enjoyable, uncommon issues to do within the Greek capital…
Athens. One of many world’s oldest cities, a spot the place the traditional world collides with the fashionable – and the place a number of layers of historical past and tradition coexist in a chaotic jumble.
Historical structure emerges everywhere in the metropolis centre: seen in metro stations, beneath public squares, or integrated into trendy buildings. And all of the whereas, the enduring Parthenon on Acropolis Hill overlooks town’s skyline.
However past the historical past town is so well-known for, Athens is a pulsing and fast-evolving metropolis present process a radical city transformation. As soon as-impoverished districts are being reclaimed as inventive centres, full of vibrant avenue artwork, stylish boutique retailers, and bars & eating places to go well with each style possible.
When you’ve checked off the primary sights in Athens, it’s time to immerse your self within the metropolis’s quite a few personalities. Dive into in style native nightlife hotspots, search avenue artwork between Byzantine buildings, beach-hop your means alongside the Athens Riviera, or people-watch on the bustling metropolis centre markets.
These are a number of the extra uncommon issues to do in Athens – that will help you get beneath the pores and skin of town and expertise it a bit extra “like a neighborhood”. Don’t have time to learn the entire article? There’s additionally a map and a brief model of the checklist on the backside of this web page. Get pleasure from…
Beneficial Athens Excursions
Whether or not you wish to discover the primary websites in Athens or get off the crushed monitor, there are some nice excursions on Get Your Information. These are a number of the top-rated…
Uncommon Issues to do in Athens
In a rush? There’s a map and a brief model of the checklist on the backside of this web page! Use the contents menu above to skip forward if it is advisable to.
1. Don’t Miss the Historical Websites in Athens
Athens is known for its historical websites – particularly the enduring, hilltop Acropolis which could be seen from throughout town. These don’t really matter as “uncommon issues to do” as they’re so well-known, however they’re undoubtedly must-sees while you go to Athens. So right here’s a quick checklist of the “high” historical websites you shouldn’t miss:
- The Acropolis and the Parthenon. For a extra uncommon take on Athens’ most well-known sight, take a look at this Acropolis Mythology Tour.
- The Acropolis Museum
- The Historical Agora
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus
- Temple of Hephaestus
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Prime tip – you possibly can purchase a Combo Ticket for entry to the entire following: Acropolis, Historical Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Zeus, Aristotle’s College, Hadrian’s Library, and Kerameikos Historical Cemetery. Click on right here for particulars and newest costs.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Acropolis, Parthenon, & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour (from €57pp)
2. See Athens with a Native on an Different Athens Tour
Once I visited Athens, I took a strolling tour with a improbable native firm referred to as Different Athens. They’re simply among the best tour corporations within the metropolis, providing small-group strolling excursions led by knowledgeable native guides – all of which intention to take you past the basic vacationer websites and aid you get to know the true, genuine Athens.
Different Athens runs a number of distinctive metropolis excursions, together with meals excursions, a Homosexual & Lesbian Nightlife Tour, and a Road Artwork Tour. I took the Surprising Athens Orientation Tour, which runs each day at 9:30am, takes 4 hours, and prices €49 per particular person.
It’s the right introduction to town, taking in a lot of the foremost websites in addition to a number of the metropolis’s quirkier districts. Plus, your information will be capable to share plenty of insider ideas for locations to eat and drink throughout your journey to Athens. You simply can’t beat a advice from a neighborhood!
3. Watch the Altering of the Guard at Syntagma Sq.
Syntagma Sq. seems like the center of Athens: a bustling sq. on the pinnacle of the busy excessive avenue Ermou.
It’s residence to the Royal Palace, a modest neo-classical constructing relationship from the 1830s when Greece lastly gained independence after centuries of Ottoman occupation. Right this moment, the palace homes the Greek parliament.
Don’t miss the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in entrance of the parliament constructing: a memorial devoted to the fallen troopers of Greece’s wars. The tomb is consistently guarded by troopers wearing conventional livery, together with Tsarouhi: giant, clog-like footwear with studded soles and fluffy pompoms on the toes.
The Altering of the Guard takes place each hour, a drawn-out course of involving all of the pomp and fussiness you’d count on kind such a ceremony. It’s free to look at and is properly price together with in your Athens itinerary. On Sundays at 11am, the Grand Change takes place: a bigger model of the ceremony involving extra troopers and much more pomp!
4. Hunt down the Road Artwork in Athens
Followers of avenue artwork and concrete artwork will love exploring Athens’ historic sidestreets and quirky hipster neighbourhoods. There are murals, installations, and vibrant items of avenue artwork all over the place!
Psirri, Monastiraki, Gazi, and Metaxourgio are a number of the greatest districts to go avenue artwork searching. Higher nonetheless, take a guided tour with a neighborhood knowledgeable that will help you discover one of the best avenue artwork in Athens. I’d advocate certainly one of these two:
5. Hunt for Bargains at Monastiraki Flea Market
Monastiraki is a historic neighbourhood near the Historical Agora recognized for its quirky procuring scene and vibrant avenue artwork. The labyrinthine community of slim streets is full of improbable eateries and bars, artisanal boutiques, and funky classic retailers.
Don’t miss the well-known Monastiraki Flea Market. That is held each Sunday morning within the space between Monastiraki Sq. and Avissynias Sq.. Stalls right here promote the whole lot from damaged Barbies and surplus military gear to vintage furnishings and outdated cash. There are sometimes avenue performers and busking musicians, too, giving Sunday mornings a celebration vibe!
Though the market is barely held on Sundays, the entire space is crammed with vintage retailers and weird boutiques which might be open all week. So even should you’re not visiting Athens on the weekend, it’s nonetheless price exploring the Monastiraki Flea Market space for some window procuring, people-watching, and bargain-hunting.
6. Uncover Athens’ Up to date Artwork Scene at TAF (The Artwork Basis)
Housed inside a superbly crumbling Ottoman mansion with a central courtyard, TAF is an progressive cultural centre in Athens’ Monastiraki district. They host worldwide and native group exhibitions, in addition to cultural occasions, workshops, performances, and movie screenings.
It’s price visiting simply to discover the constructing itself – however this cultural hub can be residence to a up to date artwork gallery, a store selling native designers, and a energetic courtyard cafe-bar.
7. Witness 4 Eras of Athens Historical past at Monastiraki Sq.
From Athens’ well-known Monastiraki Sq., you possibly can get pleasure from a view that takes within the 4 main eras of town. There’s the red-tiled dome of the Ottoman Tzisdarakis Mosque, the Roman pillars of Hadrian’s library, the fashionable metro station, and the Historical Greek Acropolis above.
It’s an ideal picture to summarise Athens, the place the layers of town’s previous are chaotically intertwined creating a fancy, vibrant mishmash of various eras, architectures, and influences.
8. Take a Greek Meals Tour in Athens
For my part, one of the best ways to get to know a tradition is thru meals. I attempt to take a meals tour in each metropolis I go to. It’s the right option to discover the native flavours (each actually and figuratively. There are some improbable meals excursions in Athens to select from – these are my high picks:
9. Uncover a Roman Tomb inside a Zara Retailer
Head to the Zara retailer on Stadiou Road for a real hidden gem in Athens. On the basement degree, you possibly can see the ruins of an Historical Roman tomb!
These are protected by a glass wall, and have a glass ceiling so you possibly can look down from the ground above as you enter the store.
Athens is Europe’s oldest capital metropolis, with recorded historical past relationship again over 3,400 years, so there are various traces of the previous buried beneath the fashionable metropolis. It appears you possibly can’t begin digging within the centre of Athens with out discovering one thing, and plenty of trendy buildings have needed to be distorted throughout constructing to protect the previous. This is only one of many examples: however it’s free and straightforward to go to so properly definitely worth the detour!
10. Swing by the Archaeological Website inside Monastiraki Metro Station
Main on from the above, there’s additionally a small archaeological web site contained in the Monastiraki Metro Station. A number of archaeological finds have been uncovered throughout the station’s development, relationship way back to the eighth century BC. It’s additionally free to go to – so cease by earlier than you catch your prepare!
11. Spot Neo-Classical Structure on Panepistimiou Road
Take a stroll alongside Panepistimiou Road, a significant avenue operating from Omonia Sq. to Syntagma Sq., to discover a treasure trove of neoclassical structure.
Probably the most well-known buildings right here kind the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy”: the Academy of Athens, the Nationwide and Kapodistrian College of Athens, and the Nationwide Library. These are thought-about three of one of the best items of structure within the metropolis and are completely beautiful.
There are a number of extra buildings price noticing alongside Panepistimiou Road. Don’t miss the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, in-built an elaborate Neo-Renaissance type.
The pink-bricked Athens Ofthamiatrio (Public Eye Hospital) has an attention-grabbing historical past. Supposedly, it was constructed to deal with the massive quantity of eye issues that sprang up within the nineteenth century, attributable to the mud from all of the constructing work as Athens was reworked from a tiny metropolis of simply 10,000 residents into the new capital of Greece.
12. Soak Up Ottoman Structure and Hipster Vibes in Psirri District
From the mid-Fifteenth century to the early nineteenth century, Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire, and earlier than that was beneath Byzantine rule. These centuries of occupation left as a lot of a mark on Athens as the sooner Historical Romans and Greeks did.
To find a few of these traces, head to the colorful, historic district of Psirri (additionally referred to as Psyri) – one of many metropolis’s oldest neighbourhoods. A maze of winding alleyways and sloping streets designed to channel rainwater, Psirri is crammed with crumbling Ottoman Mansions and Byzantine church buildings.
Nowadays, it’s certainly one of Athens’ trendiest neighbourhoods; recognized for its energetic nightlife and nice foodie scene. There’s lots of avenue artwork round, with work and murals tucked into nearly any obtainable spot. Fashionable tradition and hipster vibes blended right into a superbly vintage neighbourhood – what’s to not love?
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Psyri Neighborhood Graffiti Self-Guided Recreation & Tour – from €10.99
13. Study Concerning the German Occupation at Korai 4
In newer historical past, Athens was topic to a different occupation: this time by the Germans throughout WW11. Initially an workplace constructing, Korai 4 was requisitioned because the headquarters of the Gestapo in Athens between 1941 and 1945.
Visiting Korai 4 is without doubt one of the extra uncommon issues to do in Athens, however it’s an enchanting and chilling perception right into a horrible chapter of town’s historical past.
The slim, basement-level air-raid shelter – claustrophobic behind metallic air-lock doorways – was transformed right into a “short-term” subterranean jail. Non permanent within the sense that almost all prisoners have been solely stored there for a matter of days earlier than being transported to a camp or executed.
Inside, you possibly can see imprints of the tiny cells on the flooring. The partitions are scarred with writing and drawings etched by the prisoners. Some left their names and the dates of their incarceration, others scratched out doodles or self-portraits.
14. Dive Into the Stylish Gazi District
Athens is consistently reinventing itself, and nowhere is that extra obvious than within the trendily grungy, industrial-chic district of Gazi.
The fuel works that stood right here till 1989 as soon as pumped out a lot air pollution that the encompassing space was referred to as the “Gasoline District” (Gazi). Right this moment, the now-silent chimneys and the rusted skeleton of the outdated fuel holder nonetheless dominate the realm – however now they’ve been repurposed into Athens’ coolest nightlife district.
The outdated fuel drums have been transformed into eco-friendly workplaces, whereas the previous fuel works now homes Technopolis, an industrial museum and a significant cultural venue. The encompassing streets are full of cafes, eating places, bars, and golf equipment – together with some improbable LGBTQ+ golf equipment – and the neighbourhood has turn into referred to as among the best locations to get together in Athens.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Bar Crawl with Free Drinks and Membership Entry – from €26.70pp
15. Take a Sip of Historical past on the Oldest Distillery in Athens
Within the coronary heart of the historic Plata district, yow will discover the oldest bar and distillery in Athens: Brettos. The distillery was based by Michail Brettos in 1909, who produced ouzo, brandy, and liqueurs primarily based on outdated household recipes from Smyrni (modern-day Izmir in Turkey). You’ll be able to nonetheless pattern these similar liqueurs right this moment for an actual style of historical past!
Over a century outdated, this atmospheric bar nonetheless appears virtually precisely because it did initially of the twentieth century. The partitions behind the outdated wood bar are coated with shelf upon shelf of vibrant bottles, lit from behind to create a surprising impact.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Greek Wine & Olive Oil Tasting at Brettos – 2 hours, from €110pp
16. Take an Olympic Work Out within the Historic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium is without doubt one of the most iconic websites in Athens. It was constructed (or re-built) as a duplicate of an Historical Greek stadium which as soon as stood on the identical web site and which hosted the Panathenaic Video games, a non secular and athletic pageant celebrated each 4 years in honour of the goddess Athena.
The stadium we see right this moment was reconstructed for the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896. It’s additionally the one stadium on the earth constructed totally of marble.
These on the lookout for extra uncommon issues to do in Athens ought to take a look at this distinctive Olympic Video games Exercise expertise (from €55pp). You’ll get the possibility to run across the stadium – in addition to attempt a number of the basic Olympic sports activities like javelin, shot put and discus.
17. Watch an Historical Greek Theater Efficiency
Deliver the tales and myths of Athens’ historical buildings to life with this distinctive expertise. In a rooftop theatre overlooking the Acropolis, you possibly can watch a superb Historical Greek Theater Present.
Actors put on conventional costumes and use masks to depict totally different characters, precisely as they did in historical instances. The play, ‘Medea and Different Mates I Made in Athens’, is a humorous tackle the traditional Greek myths – so it’s a good way to be taught slightly of the historical past behind town’s iconic ruins. From €25 – click on right here to purchase tickets.
18. Or Catch a Movie at an Open Air Cinema in Athens
Talking of performances – how about an outside cinema? In summertime, open-air cinemas are a BIG factor in Athens, with over 60 scattered throughout town. Right here’s my choose of a number of the greatest:
- Aegli – the oldest open-air cinema within the metropolis, set inside the gardens of stately Zappeion Corridor.
- Cine Dexameni – on the roof of the Historical Roman Hadrian’s Aqueduct.
- Cine Thisio – views of the illuminated Acropolis at night time.
- Zefyros – historic, bohemian cinema showcasing basic & artsy movies.
19. Store with the Locals at Varvakios Market
Varvakios Central Municipal Market is the largest and liveliest market in Athens, so it’s an ideal place to expertise an genuine facet of Athenian life.
The historic constructing, relationship from 1886, is full of stalls promoting contemporary meat, fish, olives, herbs, spices, and all method of scrumptious Greek produce. It’s an ideal place to people-watch and pattern some native flavours. Be warned, although, the sections housing the meat and fish aren’t for the faint-hearted!
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Half-Day Final Meals Strolling Tour – 4 hours, from €69pp
20. Discover the Seafront of the Athens Riviera
Athens could also be greatest referred to as a metropolis break vacation spot, however you can too have a seaside vacation right here!
If you wish to see one other very totally different facet of Athens, head south to the coastal space referred to as the Athens Riviera. The riviera stretches round 60km from the swanky marina at Paleo Faliro to Cape Sounion. All alongside it, yow will discover stunning sandy seashores, bustling ports, posh “yachtie” haunts, and hidden coves.
Don’t miss the well-known Temple of Poseidon, the therapeutic mineral waters of Vouliagmeni Lake, or the wonderful seafood eating places round Piraeus.
21. Take a Greek Cooking Class
For an additional enjoyable and weird exercise in Athens, contemplate taking a cooking class. This can be a nice option to meet different travellers, uncover some scrumptious native meals – and perhaps be taught slightly about Athenian tradition whilst you do it. Right here’s my choose of one of the best cooking lessons in Athens:
Uncommon Issues to do in Athens: Quicklist and Map
Don’t have time to learn the entire submit above? Right here’s a fast checklist of one of the best uncommon issues to do in Athens – plus a helpful map that will help you navigate.
- Don’t Miss the Historical Websites
- Take a Strolling Tour with Different Athens
- Watch the Altering of the Guards at Syntagma Sq.
- Hunt down the Road Artwork in Athens
- Hunt for Bargains at Monastiraki Flea Market
- Uncover Athens’ Up to date Artwork Scene at TAF (The Artwork Basis)
- Witness 4 Eras of Athens Historical past at Monastiraki Sq.
- Take a Greek Meals Tour in Athens
- Uncover a Roman Tomb inside a Zara Retailer
- Swing by the Archaeological Website inside Monastiraki Metro Station
- Spot Neo-Classical Structure on Panepistimo Road
- Spot Road Artwork and Ottoman Structure in Psirri District
- Study Concerning the German Occupation at Korai 4
- Dive Into the Stylish Gazi District
- Take a Sip of Historical past on the Oldest Distillery in Athens
- Take an Olympic Work Out within the Historical Stadium
- Watch an Historical Greek Theater Efficiency
- Or Catch a Movie at an Open Air Cinema in Athens
- Store with the Locals at Varvakios Market
- Discover the Seafront of the Athens Riviera
- Take a Greek Cooking Class
Learn Extra
Are you aware any extra hidden gems or uncommon issues to do in Athens? Scroll right down to share your high ideas within the feedback!