AUGUST 2022
We kicked off a week of traveling through Greece in its capital: Athens! I didn’t know what to expect of Greece and only knew that I really wanted to visit the Acropolis. Sometimes it is good to visit a location without expectations, so it can really take you by surprise and that is exactly what happened to me in Athens. Athens quickly conquered my heart and if you follow my guide I am confident it will capture yours too.
Where to stay
Athens is an enormous city and the metropolitan area has over 4 million inhabitants. It stretches all the way to the sea and you do not want to stay in the wrong area. The historical area of Athens can actually be explored by foot, as long as you stay in the right area. Monistiraki is the area where you will find Athens’ main square and Hadrian’s library, this is the beating heart of the city. You should want to stay near Monistiraki, yet not directly at the Monistiraki Square as it’s very chaotic and busy. We stayed in Titania hotel, which was a nice 15 minute walk to Monistiraki, through a pedestrian area. We chose this hotel because of its central location and its rooftop restaurant with views of the Acropolis. A room costs € 85 per night, which includes a breakfast buffet. It is possible to stay in Athens much cheaper, especially when you rent an appartment, but as we were traveling with a baby we loved the opportunity to put him to bed and enjoy the restaurant ourselves. The hotel looked a bit dated, but it was clean and the restaurant was really good and lively!
Day 1
It is very tempting to start your day at the Acropolis, but I would recommend to hold off and visit it later during the day. In the early morning a lot of tour and cruise groups visit the Acropolis. It is better to visit it in the afternoon, when the crowds have disappeared. What you should do instead is visit the neighborhood Plaka and the oldest borough Anafiotika. Plaka and Anafiotika are the areas which will give you that island feel and you will forget you are in a metropolitan city. In the morning this area is still very quiet and you can enjoy the bougainvilleas and beautiful doors and buildings without lots of people passing by. I would recommend to stay in Plaka for lunch and do some people watching. If you are still looking for a cute blue and white outfit to bring with you to the islands, Plaka is where you should go shopping! Ceramics and clothes are much more affordable here than on the islands. And while you are shopping you will probably run into Hadrian’s arch as well, it is located opposite the temple of Zeus (which did not seem worth visiting to me).
In the afternoon you should go visit the Acropolis. The Acropolis and the Parthenon are such amazing sites, you should dedicate sufficient time to them. I wrote a separate blogpost with recommendations for visiting the Acropolis, as it can be a bit chaotic to find out how to buy tickets.
In the evening I would recommend to have dinner at a rooftop restaurant with views of the Acropolis. The Acropolis lights up beautifully in the evening and it is best admired from a rooftop restaurant. Olive Garden at Titania hotel has a lovely rooftop and it is also possible to eat here if you do not stay the night.
Day 2
I would start this day by exploring Monastiraki and its markets. This area reminded me of Arabian cities, as all the markets flow into each other. This is the true hustle and bustle in Athens! Near Monastiraki square you will find Hadrian’s library, which you can actually see pretty clearly by just walking around it. I did not feel the need to buy an entrance ticket as it is so visible from the streets, however if you have a particular interest in it and want to know more, it is one of the best preserved sites of Athens… You can enter churches for free in Athens, you will find many in Monastiraki and it is worth it to go in and enjoy the colorful frescos.
When it starts to get really hot, you can cool off under the palm trees of the National Garden. The park is absolutely gigantic and don’t make the same mistake that we did and make sure to visit the ponds. We were super excited when we spotted a tortoise on the pathways, but apparantly you can find heaps of turtoises at the ponds. The National Garden is free to enter, but does close at 7PM.
Near the National Garden you can spot the National Library of Athens, which is such a lovely building!
To round off your visit to Athens in the classical way, the Ancient Agora is one of the most beautiful historic sites in Athens. This is the old marketplace of Athens and it is located in a beautiful location under the Acropolis. The Hephaisteion is a temple that is specifically well preserved and less photobombed than the Acropolis.
In the evening I would recommend to get back to Plaka, as the area really livens up in the evenings. You will find musicians playing the Sirtaki, while you are sipping ouzo under the olive trees.
