The cosmopolitan capital hides several aces up its sleeves. Markets, entertainment, historical journeys, parks and beaches, all compose a complex beautiful puzzle of experiences worth living.
During the night, the heart of the city beats at the districts of Psyrri, Gazi, Monastiraki and Peiraios Street.
In small music taverns serving ouzo and local dishes, traditional taverns and even big live music dance clubs, entertainment is guaranteed.
Around and near HEART OF ATHENS there are many choices, only 50-100 meters away. You may listen to rebetika songs [ at “STOU KORRE”], taste delicacies and raki in picturesque small taverns on Agion Anargyron Street [such as “To 21”, “Prothermansi”, “Zeidoron”, “Nikitas”] or choose a play at the neighbouring theatres: Ivi (just next to HEART OF ATHENS), Apothiki, Emporikon and Politeia.
You will discover numerous restaurants and atmospheric cafés at every step, up to Iroon Square, at the junction of Agion Anargyron and Karaiskaki Streets. On all the roads surrounding HEART OF ATHENS, there are numerous cafés, bars and restaurants offering something different for every hour of the day and for every taste.
After dinner, you may choose small atmospheric Rock, Soul, Jazz and Funk bars on Solonos Street, at Kolonaki and at Exarcheia, dozens of clubs, pubs and alternative bars at Gazi and Kerameikos.
Another completely transformed area in the Southern Suburbs, which was in the past known for its “sins”, is the area of Troumpa, that is the new hot spot of night-life, with numerous bars daily gathering patrons until the early hours in the morning.
Shopping
The most commercial areas of Athens are Ermou Street [282.00 m/ about 4 minutes walking distance from HEART OF ATHENS), Kolonaki [1.53 km / about 18 minutes walking distance from HEART OF ATHENS] and Plaka, each having its own special profile. All along Ermou Street and the side roads you will discover modern stores and branded goods at low prices. Top fashion designers, brands and jewellery shops adorn the streets in Kolonaki district, while you should move to Plaka and its alleys that are full of souvenir shops, fur boutiques and tourist stores for more traditional purchases.
THREE BIG DEPARTMENT STORES ARE DIRECTLY ACCESSIBLE BY METRO:
Athens Heart Mall [180
Piraios and Hamosternas Streets, Moschato - Tavros] is the ultimate shopping experience
near the historic centre of the city and with easy road access. It has 4 levels with branded stores
with fashion, technology and household, 80 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues and
underground car park for 750 vehicles.
ATTICA [9 Panepistimiou
Street, Athens]: an emblematic, perfectly restored historic building in the centre of
Athens, hosting 360 stores with more than 860 famous brands.
ATHENS METRO MALL [276
Vouliagmenis Ave., Ag. Dimitrios]: 5 levels with 85 stores, 18 restaurants, 5 cinemas,
supermarket and bank.
DISCOVER THE HISTORIC CENTRE
You can discover the historic centre of Athens beginning from the area of Psyrri in three different courses.
Just a few minutes from the square towards the south-east we meet the bustling square of Monastiraki where Tzistarakis Mosque (1759) dominates, next to part of the wall of Hadrian’s Library that was constructed in 132 AD as an offer to the city of Athens by the Roman Emperor Hadrian and near them the small Church of the Pantanassa. From here we continue to the Flea Market, the marketplace on Ifaistou Street with the antiques shops, bazaars and dozens of shops of traditional items, as well as Avissynia Square. Monastiraki is directly connected to Theseion via Andrianou Street, around the Ancient Agora.
A second trail includes the picturesque neighbourhood of Plaka, the most ancient and aristocratic district of the Greek capital, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, the Byzantine church of Panagia Kapnikarea (11th century) and Ermou Street, that is ideal for shopping. The whole distance is not more than 1.5 km and it is a true revelation. The narrow alleys, the beautifully preserved historic houses, the monuments and the squares you can discover during your walk make this trail a true revelations’ game.
From the heart of the city, Syntagma Square (20 minutes walk from HEART OF ATHENS/ 1.5 km) you may begin from the building of the Greek Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where you can admire the changing of the guard. Then, following the boundaries of the National Garden, you shall reach the Zappeion Hall (19th century) with the beautiful neoclassical portico of Corinthian order, the interior circular lobby with the marble colonnades and its green garden that combines French and English garden architecture. Just a few meters to the east of Zappeion, the road leads to Panathenaic Stadium (also known as Kallimarmaro), the Stadium that hosted the first Modern Olympic Games (1896)! If you have some time, it is worth a visit (gen. admission ticket €5), and you can enjoy a personal audio guide tour as well. The guide tour is available in 10 languages (Greek, English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese and Japanese) and its duration is 20 minutes.
At a short distance from the Panathenaic Stadium you can find the archaeological site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion (6th century), the Columns of the Olympian Zeus and the Arch of Hadrian that separated the old and the new city, about 500 m to the south-east of the Acropolis. Directly opposite you will find Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, a pedestrian walkway that leads to Herodion, the New Acropolis Museum, Philopappos Hill and of course, the Acropolis.