Explore Athens

The second must-see museum in the city is the National Archeological Museum, on the central Patission street, right at the heart of the city. In stark contrast to the innovative modernist architecture of the New Acropolis Museum, it is housed in a beautiful and classy older building, imitating the classical era style. Rather than being concentrated on a narrow sample of findings from a particular location, it gives the visitor a wide historical perspective over the entirety of the ancient Greek art, both in space and in time, covering both the various lands and places where the ancient Greek people acted, as well as the ages from prehistory to the early Roman era. Other notable museums in the city include the Museum of Cycladic Art, located in an impressive mansion and exhibiting findings related to the Cycladic civilization, one of the earliest in Europe and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, fittingly housed in an large formerly abandoned brewery building, which is brand new, since it was fully opened for the public as late as 2020.

Departing from the Agora, we shall stumble upon the impressive Stoa of Attalos. Stoa is the Greek word for ‘portico’ and this monument is indeed a long covered two-storey walk path, with an architecture typical of the Hellenistic Age, when it was constructed. Right next to it, we will again make a leap back in time, as we encounter one of the most well-preserved ancient Greek sanctuaries, the renowned Temple of Hephaestus, which was erected in the Classical era. The nearby square of Monastiraki, where one of the busiest public transport stations of the city is located, is both one of the most well-known meeting points of Athenians, as well as home of the most authentic flea market in Athens, where you can both purchase contemporary goods in unimaginable prices, as well as unearth valuable treasures in one of the many antique shops.

At the same time, local wine labels, spirits made from the abundant fruits and vegetables grown in the country and beers from Greek microbreweries have also been elevated in a new status, as their quality has risen in such levels that are routinely preferred from even the most refined imports.

Although fine dining is amply offered in Athens, our suggestion for you is to first taste the most traditional and fundamentals flavors of the Greek cuisine. Firstly and foremostly this category includes Souvlaki, which is more of a cultural identity element for Greeks, rather than a dish, is cooked literally in every corner of the city and is a sandwich with a special kind of pie wrapped around chopped slices of meat and any other stuffing you can think of. You can enjoy this and other simple traditional greek dishes in small Taverns or places that serve small dishes along with live music, known as "Koutoukia"