ATHENS IN THREE DAYS: A CITY GUIDE
Hello everyone, or should I say as the Greeks do chaírete everyone (nope it’s not pronounced like chai disappointingly). I recently got back from the vacation of my dreams, and I’m feeling some post-trip sadness. Fortunately, I came back with a bronze tan, a zillion photos, and lots of evil eye trinkets, so I can still live a little like a Grecian back at home. My family and our friends spent 10 days exploring this beautiful country and some of it’s most beautiful islands. We stayed in Athens for 3 days before heading off to live on a private boat for a week. I know what you’re thinking. How lucky can one girl be? But seriously, I am so incredibly blessed to have gone on this incredible trip and I hope that through my photos and descriptions, you’ll be inspired to add one more destination to your travel bucket list. For this post, I’m going to focus on my time spent in Athens, so let’s get to it!
Stay:
Electra Metropolis Hotel - After a 12 hour plane journey, we finally reached Athens and drove straight to our hotel. I got my first taste of what this city has to offer once our troupe had reached the rooftop bar of this beautiful hotel. The place has the most jaw-dropping panoramic views of the city, including the best view of the Acropolis in town.
Eat:
Sábbas - On our first night in Athens we were all craving some good old Greek souvlaki and kebab, and our wish was most certainly granted. We ate, no we FEASTED, on giant platters filled with meat, falafel, hummus, tzatziki, and pita, and were left both satisfied and overwhelmingly full.
O Thanasis - Our diet in Athens consisted of three things: Greek salad (which is essentially the freshest salad in the world sans lettuce), souvlaki (lamb + beef), and anything with greek yogurt. O Thanasis had all of the above plus the best whopping piece of baklava I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
Funky Gourmet - It's a shame that the name of this place is absolutely terrible and sounds like a sketchy restaurant in a strip mall, but SURPRISE, it’s actually a two Michelin star dining experience. All of us were a bit hesitant to go to this place based on name alone, but we ended up having one of the best meals of our entire trip. The names of the items on the 12 course menu we had (downgraded from 14 to accommodate 10 people) ranged from ‘Beetrose' to ‘Mastic explosion,’ and each dish that came out was more and more unexpected and delicious. This is definitely not for the faint of heart (or stomach for that matter) and is on the pricier side, but hey, I thought I’d mention it anyways for the sake of explaining a fun and exciting experience I got to have.
Varoulko - Right before boarding our boat we stopped by another upscale but more laid-back meal in Piraeus, which is 30 minutes outside of Athens. We dined on the freshest seafood I’ve ever had with a beautiful view of the marina's edge right outside the wide open glass doors. Oh, and their Greek salad was top notch. Pure perfection. :)
See:
The Acropolis - If you ever travel to Athens, the main attraction you’re bound to see first is the Acropolis. It’s pretty hard to miss considering that it’s on top of a giant hill that can be viewed from most parts of the city. That being said, it’s an incredible place to see as every remaining ruin represents the pinnacle of architecture in the ancient Western world, and has inspired countless other architectural masterpieces. Every nook and cranny of this place is a work of art. The Parthenon, which was a former temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena, alone is worth the long hike up.
Acropolis Museum - This impressively curated museum of some of the items found and excavated from the Acropolis grounds was one of the coolest places I got to visit while I was in Greece. The place itself was built right on top of an early Christian settlement, which is not yet open to the public. The strikingly ultramodern design of the building surprisingly does not overpower the grandeur of the ancient findings that it holds, which means the architects of this relatively new museum definitely knew what they were doing. :)
Temple of Olympian Zeus - The Acropolis wasn’t enough history for you? Well no worries because Athens has enough ancient ruins to satisfy any history junky. The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens was once a colossal monument dedicated to the ruler of good old Mount Olympus and the gods who lived there. Unfortunately, a few raids and barbarian invasions later, all that remains of this once grand temple are 16 giant columns. I kept singing “Go the Distance” from Disney’s Hercules when the title character meets his dad (sort of) at his temple, but apparently there is another Temple of Olympian Zeus in Olympia in which that scene takes place. Oh well, it was still amazing.
Theatre of Dionysus - The entire area just beneath the Acropolis houses a variety of other ancient landmarks that really don’t get as much attention as the big guys up top (the Parthenon and such). One such site is the Theatre of Dionysus, which is exactly what it sounds like. The beautiful theatre in it’s heyday could seat up to 17,000 people and was the first stone theatre to have ever been built. Dedicated to the god of wine, parties, plays, and other such leisurely things, this place was where the ancient Greeks would watch and perform Greek tragedies.
The Agora of Athens - The ancient agora was once the center of all political, commercial, and social activity in Athens, and now what remains are the ruins of this once magnificent sprawl of buildings. The Temple of Hephaestus (pictured above) and the entrance to the Odeon of Agrippa (a large concert hall) can’t be missed. ;)
Kerameikos - Known as the “ancient cemetery of Athens,” Kerameikos is an expansive archaeological area northwest of the Acropolis. As you can see, there's a pretty nice view of the famous hilltop from this spot. Numerous funerary sculptures can be found among the ruins of Kerameikos, as well as the remains of various religious structures. According to some historical sources, Socrates used to roam around this part of town, which in my humble opinion is pretty cool. :)
Athens Central Meat and Fish Market - To experience the real Athens, one must visit the central marketplace. Here I got to see the daily hustle and bustle of the city in full force as vendors offered their freshest and finest meat and fish right before my eyes. The indoor market space is stunning on it’s own, and just on the outsides of the buildings are other people who sell the most delicious nuts and spices.
Shop:
Melissinos - This tiny shop off a side street makes the essential custom Greek leather sandals of your dreams. The likes of Jackie-O Kennedy, Sofia Loren, and John Lennon used to shop here and even have shoe styles named after each of them. I recommend hitting this place up earlier rather than later because it fills up pretty quickly in the afternoon. I ended up leaving with a pair of the ‘Olympia’ style and I honestly can say after wearing them for a few weeks now that they are the most comfortable sandals I’ve ever owned.
Kilo Shop - This quirky vintage store has an interesting system of paying by the weight of an item rather than with set prices. My friend scored a sweet pair of adorable Levi’s shorts with patterned trim while I left empty-handed. I couldn’t commit to anything I saw, but I still think this place was worth a look around.
Athens is an interesting city full of vibrant neighborhoods and some of the most fascinating history in the whole world. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a city with less charm than a little island town, but nevertheless it’s a great place to visit. I stayed for 3 full days, but I honestly feel like I could’ve gotten a truly good look around with at least a week. Until next time Athens. :)
What to pack on your Grecian getaway:
