Plaka and Monastiraki
The two districts are linked. Moreover, to visit Plaka, the Monastiraki metro station is highly recommended. It can also be approached on foot, after a ten minute walk, getting off the Syntagma or Acropoli metro stations. The Plaka neighborhood stretches between the perpendicular axes of Fillelinon and Mitropoleos. Here, the streets suddenly become narrower, lined with beautiful neoclassical villas. Some of them, animated and pedestrian, align taverns, cafes and souvenir stores. The walk is pleasant at any time of the day, even in the evening. As you go deeper into this old neighborhood, clinging to the northeast side of the Acropolis, the charm of a trip back in time takes effect. You can feel the way of life of yesteryear in these entangled streets whose high neoclassical buildings, cream-colored with green shutters, ochre and round tiles, wrought iron balconies overflowing with flowers, sometimes hide enclosed and wooded gardens, enclosed behind high walls. At the bend of a stairway, discover some houses dating from the Turkish occupation, remained intact or now in ruins. Byzantine churches also mark out your wanderings. Visit Anafiotika, an old Cycladic village on the slope that even the Parthenon. White and blue houses, clean narrow streets, you feel like on an island. It is beautiful. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it has passed through history and knows all the secrets of the city. After independence, the upper classes of Athenian society came to live in Plaka. Today, it is the most touristic district of Athens. It breathes, at its own pace, far from the bustle of the modern city. Don't hesitate to get lost for a few hours and sit at one of its terraces, in the upper part of the old town, more peaceful.
Once you have filled up on the fullness of life, you will be ready to face Monastiraki, best known for its flea market that takes up residence in the small streets that lead from the Old Agora to Avissinias Square. Adjacent to the Agora, this small neighborhood contains ancient sites, Byzantine churches, two old mosques and beautiful 19th century houses. The pedestrian walk along the Agora and the city's electric train, which goes down to Piraeus, is elbow to elbow, between the terraces of cafes and restaurants. However, it remains a must, whether you are an Athenian or a visitor, and leads you to Thissio, the starting point of the pedestrian avenues Apostolou Pavlou and Dionyssiou Areopagitou, built around the rock of the Acropolis.
Psirri and Gazi
The Athinas artery, which leads from Omonia to the Monastiraki metro station, marks the eastern border of the Psirri neighborhood. Behind the high row of buildings of the avenue, the alleys multiply and criss-cross around Iroon and Saint-Anargyron squares, the heart of this nightlife district. Tiny taverns and mezedopoleia, whose chairs and tables hold the pavement, have been feeding the inhabitants for decades, while new addresses of modern and international cuisine are emerging. During the day, small craftsmen and second-hand goods dealers give the alleys their popular soul, while at night, groups of Athenians and tourists take over the trendy bars and clubs. Undeniably, Psirri is a very lively area during the day, while at night the party goes on in the small streets. Don't hesitate to visit this area during the day and wander through the narrow streets full of authenticity and reflecting the atmosphere of life in the 19th century. You must go to the Aghias Irinis square, a stone's throw from Psirri. Ideal for a morning coffee or a brunch, this square and the small winding streets that surround it are worth a visit at any time of day.
You can get to Gazi by taking the pleasant walk along Ermou Street from Thissio, or by taking the Keramikos subway, which opens onto the central and very lively square of the neighborhood. Around this square, the terraces of bars are crowded with young people and electronic music, often mainstream. Technopoli, a former gas factory, is an unmissable building, now a cultural center and concert venue. Around, the alleys intertwine, bounded by the railroad, the Iera Odos and Pireos Avenue. In this district, some facades of beautiful neoclassical houses remain next to low and very simple houses, sheltering whole families of immigrants or craftsmen. The break with the city center is total, the atmosphere and the rhythm of life radically different. The youth of the city has taken over this popular district, which has become quite trendy.
Kolonaki
A chic and dandy neighborhood par excellence, on the southwestern slope of Mount Lycabette, Kolonaki has lost its arrogance with the crisis. Not so long ago, luxury boutiques and designer workshops used to pride themselves on opening in Kolonaki. Today, wealthy and dolled-up Greeks still shop there and then sit, as visibly as possible, at the terrace of a café in Kolonaki Square, but the ostentation tends to disappear. Many are the empty store fronts. But still, it is still here that there are excellent restaurants at more or less affordable prices. On the border with Exarchia, a "buffer zone" offers a mix of the pleasures of Kolonaki with the alternative touch of Exarchia. The many cafes and restaurants of Skoufa are thus crowded from morning to night, taken over by the active youth of Athens. From this neighborhood, the pedestrian alleys turn into shady staircases, climbing up to Mount Lycabette from where the view of the city is impressive.
Next to Kolonaki, Pagrati is another authentic Athens neighborhood. It stretches between Vasilissis Sofias, Vasileos Konstantinou and Vassileos Alexandrou avenues. Located on the border with the trendy Kolonaki neighborhood, south of the Panathenaic Stadium and the First Cemetery of Athens, Pagrati is an evolving neighborhood with many gems to discover. It is a middle-class residential area once appreciated by the rather bohemian nerds. There is Spondi, one of the best gourmet and starred restaurants in Athens, as well as a considerable number of bistros, lounge cafes, bars and taverns that are worth a stop. Going to Pagrati should be on your list of things to do for an unforgettable night.
Omonia and Exarchia
Here, side by side, are neighborhoods with completely opposite atmospheres: during the day, Omonia is noisy and swarming with hurried passers-by and cars, while Exarchia, with its small tree-lined streets, offers a certain tranquility at the terraces of the cafes. But at night, the area of Omonia is less reassuring. We avoid it in favor of Exarchia, one of the busiest nightlife areas, especially in summer. And between the two districts, the National Archaeological Museum is certainly the biggest attraction likely to bring visitors to this part of the city!
Exarchia is the neighboring district of the Polytechnic School, which was the birthplace of the student revolt during the dictatorship of the colonels. It is full of history, and in its courtyard you will see the entrance door that a tank of the dictatorship crushed in 1973, before shooting students and starting the revolution. Today, the neighborhood is still occupied by young people and artists, in an atmosphere that is a bit of a protest. Bounded by Akadimias, Zoodohou Pigis and Strefi Hill, it lives to the rhythm of rock and trendy bars. At the intersection of Koletti and Messologgiou streets, some nice little colorful bars spread out in the pedestrian streets and create a great atmosphere to spend the evening. Pass by the pretty Kallidromiou street, which has its own market of local products and vegetables on Saturday mornings, as well as a few cafes and restaurants.
Omonia is especially convenient, as it is central and has excellent public transport links to both Piraeus and the airport. That's why you will find a lot of hotels here. Unfortunately, in recent years, it is not a good place to walk around. You just sleep there. Recently renovated, the Omonia square is home to a few neoclassical buildings, but the square's vast cement traffic circle is struggling to find an identity despite the few trees planted in a hurry for the Olympic Games.
Syntagma
The Syntagma subway, leading to the vast Constitution Square, is the center of the city, where every Athenian passes regularly. All around, the National Garden (to the south and east), Ermou Avenue (to the west) and Panepistimiou Avenue (to the north) radiate from Syntagma, each in its own direction.
Syntagma Square (Constitution Square) is the emblematic place of today's Athens. It is the seat of demonstrations when they take place, but it remains a central and friendly place where all the modern attributes of the city are concentrated. Just across the street stands the elegant salmon-colored building of the Parliament (the Vouli), where all political decisions affecting the future of the country are made. In front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the changing of the guard of the Euzones, whose shoes with tassels are beating the pavement, is a popular attraction for tourists who flock there, camera in hand. They wear the uniforms of their ancestors who liberated Greece from the Ottoman yoke during the War of Independence (1821-1828).
Not far from there, the National Garden, formerly attached to the Royal Palace, is an oasis of peace and greenery in the middle of the city. These paths, laid out in 1838, are lined with a thousand varieties of trees and plants. At the exit of the garden, on the south side, you can see the majestic Zappeion and the marble stadium, the Kallimarmaro, where the first modern Olympic Games were held. If you want to make an archaeological stop, go to the temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate, just a few steps away.
The commercial and pedestrian artery of Ermou starts at Syntagma Square and leads to Monastiraki. All the major international brands are located here. Around the Kolokotroni, one plunges into the popular Athens, and the stores of haberdashery and household articles are legion. Finally, to enter Stadiou Avenue is to re-enter the modern world. The main artery of the city, Stadiou and its parallels Panepistimiou and Akademias serve the main neighborhoods of the capital.
