Things to Do in Athens

Anafiotika

Anafiotika, with its old houses and gardens, charming doorways on some houses, narrow stepped streets, interesting street art, and the view from the top, became one of my favorite spots in Athens. It was also the closest place to those white stepped streets we see in movies set in Greece. It felt as if you were in a holiday town rather than a big city… You can also find lovely cafes here and there. Naturally, these places are also great for taking photos.
When we reached the area around Saint George of the Rock Church, we were greeted by a beautiful view of Athens. We spent more time there than expected, especially when we were lucky enough to catch the church bells ringing and a street musician playing nearby.

Exarchia

Exarchia is one of the more bohemian and anarchist areas. The murals were nice, but we felt a bit uneasy when we first arrived in this area. I recall liking the square with its cafes. While looking for Strefi Hill near this square, we met a Kurdish refugee who told us that many people like him lived in this area. He gave us directions to the hill and said there wasn’t much to see, which turned out to be true.

Strefi Hill is more of a small mound than a hill; compared to the other hills, there isn’t much of a view here. From what I observed, it’s more of a place where locals come for picnics, to walk their dogs, or to have drinks with friends at sunset. It was also quite untidy, even a bit dirty.

Lycabettus Hill

Although it shows as a 20-minute walk from Kolonaki, let me remind you that since it’s quite high up, you’ll have to climb endless stairs and slopes to reach Lycabettus Hill. If walking seems too difficult, there’s a funicular, but I remember that even for the funicular, you still have to climb a bit. From this hill, you can also get a nice view of Athens, but we preferred Anafiotika in this regard. Perhaps because this place is higher and offers a broader view, everything seemed smaller and less appealing. You could come here to take distant photos of the Acropolis, but I don’t think it’s necessary since you can see it from many other places. Night photos looked better, so maybe a bright, illuminated view of Athens would be nicer.

Instead of the hill itself, it was more ideal to explore the Kolonaki area as we ascended, with its upscale shops, stylish people, and cafes, as well as the orderly streets.

Olympic Stadium

Normally, there’s an entrance fee to the Olympic Stadium, but we saw an open door and ended up going in, taking a look, and even snapping some photos. It might be an attractive spot for stadium enthusiasts, but it wasn’t particularly important for us. I found the houses with flower-adorned doors around the stadium more appealing.

National Garden of Athens

This is a large park in the city center. We took many photos by the pond and at various spots. Queen Amalia’s Pergola was one of the nice spots for photos, for example. You won’t escape the city’s hustle and bustle here, but it’s a nice place to catch your breath amidst the greenery.

Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis Museum is Athens’ archaeological museum. As you can imagine, there are many sculptures inside, along with the typical ancient artifacts and tombs found in archaeology museums. The building is very modern, and you can also see the remnants of the old city under the glass ceiling. There wasn’t much of a line when we visited, but if you don’t want to wait, you can buy tickets online.

Acropolis

We went up to the Acropolis but didn’t go inside, as paying for the entry didn’t seem worth it when the photos from the outside were much better. Actually, you don’t even need to go to that area; the photos from afar are even more beautiful. We also took free photos of the ancient Theater of Dionysus or the Odeon from below through the iron bars. I think it was the Odeon of Herodes Atticus because it’s still used for events rather than just being a ruin. People might confuse the two as they both have similar photos on Maps.

Of course, there were the inevitable vendors around, selling crowns similar to those worn by ancient Greek women. Naturally, I bought one!

Syntagma Square

I said that all roads in Athens lead to Syntagma Square, but some of our friends never made it there! Since we walked everywhere, we passed through it many times, and our hotel was on a street that continued from Syntagma. This square is also where you can catch transportation to the airport, and it’s close to many central points. We also witnessed the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament near the square.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

This center houses the National Opera, library, and many cultural activities. Stavros Niarchos Park is a well-maintained park with a lavender scent. We stopped by to rest while heading to the marina. The buildings are very modern and spacious inside. I believe there’s also a light and water show in the central pool in the evenings. I suggest visiting if you’re coming for an event or if it’s on your way.

Flisvos Marina

Athens’ own marina just below didn’t impress us much; it was ordinary and there wasn’t much around. We thought a walk along the coast would be nice, but we didn’t find what we were looking for.

Piraeus

Believe it or not, we walked 3.5 hours from Athens to another city: Piraeus. Halfway there, we looked for other ways to get there, but it was too late! We walked the whole way, but I wouldn’t recommend it as the roads weren’t pleasant.

Piraeus is a typical coastal town, with nice beaches for swimming. If you go to the Marina Zeas area, there are restaurants, cafes, and benches to watch the sea. We had a pleasant time enjoying our ice cream. There wasn’t anything special in the city itself. It’s not a must-visit place, but if you feel like you’ve run out of things to do in central Athens, you can consider it. We took the train back.

Psirri Square

Psirri is another area with colorful small houses, lovely cafes, and street art. The famous Little Kook cafe is also located here; we only took photos from the outside and moved on because places like that are usually too much for me. I think there are nicer cafes in the area. It’s a very lively area with people in the streets.

Pnyx Hill

Pnyx Hill was a place we explored the day before our last day. It’s a wooded area with a nice view from the hill, especially from some points where the Acropolis is quite close, so it stands out better than from other viewpoints.

There are also some spots like the Prison of Socrates and the Cave of the Blind Man, but there’s not much to see. It’s a place I might hesitate to visit in the evening, as it’s more natural, but the night photos of the Acropolis from here are also nice.

Accommodation in Athens

We stayed at Hotel @ Syngrou Fix. Overall, we were satisfied with the hotel, and its ratings are still high, but there were a few homeless people in the area, which made us a bit uneasy at first. Fortunately, there were no problems. It was also within walking distance of the city center. If you want to stay in more luxurious areas, you can check out the Kolonaki area.

For the cafes/restaurants and shopping in Athens, visit my blog post “Eateries and Shops in Athens“