Many visitors may be forgiven when caught wondering if Athens, with all its fables and glorious past, is the ideal holiday destination. For many, the Greek capital is nothing more than an obligatory stopover on the way to the exotic islands, occasionally combined with some frantic sightseeing for those who want to be “touristically correct”. The city of Athens many have come to expect is too polluted, chaotic, and expensive to be attractive, and on top of that, it regularly gets its share of bad press for being paralyzed by workers’ strikes and overwhelming traffic jams. So you’re convinced Athens must be a terrible place, right? Wrong!
While it is true that Athens’ former mayor did everything he could (nothing at all, that is) to make the city hit rock bottom, nobody—not even the Athenians themselves—seems to acknowledge that Athens is a typical big city (roughly half of Greece’s population lives here). As such, Athens is prone to suffer the same ills of big cities the world over. Seriously, when was the last time anyone expected the streets of Manhattan to be uncongested and quiet, or Paris to be clean, or named London as a cheap travel destination? Rather than ranting like a true Greek about the bad sides of pretty much every metropolis, perhaps you should worry more about all the good things you’ll miss if you don’t visit Athens. And you’d miss a lot! Even if you are not fascinated by ancient ruins, a walk along the pedestrian street crossing the archaeological park of Athens will bewilder you (and make you smarter, too!). Stretching from Hadrian’s Gate, past the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, and down to the cemetery of Keramikos, the park will give you the chance to stroll through the major sites of ancient Athens. Take some time to contemplate the birthplace of democracy, or try to picture the fathers of philosophy, Socrates and Plato, strolling exactly where you are now while engaged in some endless debate over the meaning of happiness or the relative importance of knowledge. A quick detour up the imposing Acropolis rock and there you’ll be, standing speechless in front of the Parthenon, a unique architectural wonder. On your way down, it’s time to get hopelessly lost in the old, picturesque district of Plaka, speckled with tacky souvenir shops that will allow you to regain your senses only after you buy a few kitschy keepsakes or end up eating a calorie-rich moussaka in one of the area’s colorful taverns. Continue wandering around and you will probably end up in Monastiraki, where you will be immersed in the oriental atmosphere of the narrow streets, the flea market, and some of the best kebabs in town (regretting that moussaka now, are you?). As the day goes by, your path will inevitably cross the posh district of Kolonaki, once a stronghold of the modern Athenian aristocracy. There, you should succumb to the temptation to sip a coffee at the cafes on the central square—only after some serious window shopping, of course. Kolonaki and its cafes is the place to see and be seen, and you will undoubtedly engage in Athenians’ number-one hobby: people-watching (and generating the absolutely essential commentary to go along with your astute observations). Nearby Lycabettus hill and its little chapel offer splendid views of the Acropolis rock emerging from the sea of flat-roofed buildings and TV antennas, and of the real sea down at Piraeus. You must have heard that ancient Athens was a major cultural hub. What you surely don’t know is that its modern counterpart is striving to live up to the hype. Extensively revamped after the Olympic games of 2004, today’s Athens is a city in perpetual motion where you can be sure there is always something fantastic going on. Museum fans will adore the new Acropolis museum, and will surely enjoy exploring the myriad other museums of all sizes around the city center. Both in winter and summer, Athens hums with all sorts of exhibitions, festivals, and concerts, while the nightlife scene continuously reinvents itself in the form of uncountable bars, discos, nightclubs, restaurants, and cafes. Big or small, Greek or international, laid-back or snooty, gay-friendly or gay-only, decadent or posh, low-key or flamboyant, Athens nightlife comes in many flavors and is as vibrant as Athenians themselves.
The bottom line: Athens is said to be a city that people love to hate, a city oscillating between the lifestyle of a metropolis and the old-time charm of a small village. One thing is for sure, there is no other city like it in the world. If you haven’t been there yet, you really can’t imagine what you’re missing.
