Athens

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Athens (Αθήνα, Athína), [1] is the capital city of Greece with a metropolitan population of 3.7 million inhabitants. It is in many ways the birthplace of Classical Greece, and therefore of Western civilization.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 Olympic Games 1.2 Architecture 1.3 Climate 2 Districts 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By regional coach 3.3 By train 4 Get around 4.1 By metro 4.2 By suburban rail 4.3 By tram 4.4 By bus 4.5 By taxi 5 See 5.1 Landmarks 5.2 Museums and Galleries 6 Do 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Stay Safe 12 Get out

[edit] Understand

Visitors today may be shocked to find a city nothing like they had imagined. A large, overwhelming proportion of the city and its nearest suburbs are subject to bad urban planning and unimaginative 1970s architecture. There are few green spaces in the central areas of the city, and the urban sprawl does an injustice to the city's glorious past.

Athens was just a small provincial village when it was chosen in the middle of the 19th century to serve as the national capital of the modern Greek State. With a prestigious past, the city's political, economic, and cultural importance had declined over the centuries, leaving behind only its classical ruins as a reminder of better times. With the decision to move the national capital from Nafplio to Athens, architects and city planners were hired to build a new city next to the classical ruins, with grand neoclassical homes and public buildings, large city squares, green spaces, and wide avenues. The city regained its importance in Greek civilization, and by 1900 had evolved into a very attractive cosmopolitan city, with abundant neoclassical architecture harking to the nation's past.

The 20th century, however, was not as kind to the city. The city suffered some damage during WWII, and suffered terrible urban planning in the decades that followed, as the nation rapidly industrialized and urbanized. In the 1960s and 1970s, countless 19th century neoclassical buldings were torn down to make way for massive concrete apartment blocks that characterize much of the downtown area until today. The city also expanded outward through rash development, particularly towards the west, as its population grew by absorbing job-seekers from the provinces. With the onset of the automobile, public officials reduced the city's public transportation services without foreseeing the traffic gridlock and smog that would menace the city by the 1980s. Certain areas of the city center, such as Pláka and Thissio districts, retained their charming 19th century architecture but fell into decay, at least to some degree.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city's reality led to a rude awakening among local and national officials and -coupled with the country's newfound remarkable prosperity- large scale projects began to slowly regenerate the city and -as much as possible- undo the damages of recent decades. Over the course of the next 15 years, millions of euros poured into new transportation infrastructure projects, the restoration of surviving neoclassical buildings, the gentrification of the city's historical center and the renovation of many former industrial areas and the city's coastline. The restoration of charming neoclassical buildings in the city's historical center has been accompanied by the construction of attractive post-modern buildings in newer districts; both of which have begun to improve the aesthetic essence of the city. Athens today is ever evolving, forging a brand new identity for the 21st century.

[edit] Olympic Games

Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games which, to the defiance of critics, were a spectacular success. While most of the sporting venues were located outside the city proper -in various locations throughout Attica- the entire urban area of Athens underwent major lasting changes that have improved the quality of life for visitors and residents alike. Aside from the excellent transportation infrastructure that was completed in time for the 2004 Olympics (from new freeways to light rail systems), the city's historic center underwent serious renovation. Most notable among the city's facelift projects are the Unification of Archaelogical Sights -which connects the city's classical-era ruins and monuments to each other through a network of pleasant pedestrianized streets- and the restoration of the picturesque neoclassical Thissio and Pláka districts.

[edit] Architecture

Athens displays a bewildering mix of architectural styles from across the centuries and under many influences, making it a fascinating place to visit. A European Union-sponsored program aims to help in Discovering Contemporary Architecture in Athens by means of multimedia presentation and guided walks.

The Athens Academy is a beautiful building on Panapestimiou Street, about a 10 minute walk from Syntagma. Next to the Academy is the University of Athens (its original location) and the National Library.

[edit] Climate

Spring and late autumn are the best times to visit Athens. Summer can be extremely hot and dry during heatwaves, but these rarely happen. Winter is definitely low season, being chilly with the occasional rainy or snowy day, but also an ideal time to save money while enjoying the city without countless other travellers and tourists.

Athens has something of a reputation for being Europe's smog capital, the most polluted city on the continent. While this was once true (and the memory dies hard), it is now quite undeserved. For the last decade or more, massive clean ups have been in force, older vehicles and buses were withdrawn from the roads, industries were moved out of the city centre and the Metro has been expanded. Whilst peak hour can still be a bit smoggy on the main roads, on most sunny days the skies are azure blue.

[edit] Districts

The sprawling city is bounded on three sides by Mt Hymettos, Mt Parnitha and Mt Pendeli; whilst inside Athens are eight hills (one more than Rome!), the Acropolis and Lykavittos being the most prominent. These hills provide a refuge from the noise and commotion of the crowded city streets, offering amazing views down to Saronic Gulf, Athens' boundary with the Aegean Sea on its southern side. The streets of Athens (clearly signposted in Greek and English) now meld imperceptibly into Piraeus, the city's ancient (and still bustling) port.

Most things of interest to travellers can be found within a relatively small area surrounding the city centre at Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos). This epicentre is surrounded by the districts of the Plaka to the south, Monastiraki to the west, Kolonaki to the east and Omonia to the north. Further afield is the port of Athens, the Piraeus.

• Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos) - dominated by the old Royal Palace, Syntagma Square is the business district of Athens, complete with major hotels, banks, restaurants and airline offices
• the Plaka - gentrified during the 1990s (and now very popular with tourists), the Pláka is a charming historic district at the foot of the Acropolis, with its restored 19th century neoclassical homes, pedestrianized streets, shops and restaurants, and picturesque ruins from the city's Roman era
• the Acropolis - the ancient "high city" of Athens, crowned by marble temples sacred to the city's goddess Athena
• Monastiraki - very bohemian district increasingly popular with tourists, with stores selling a variety of items including antiques, cookware, souvenirs, arts and crafts, movie posters, punk culture, funky clothing, and pretty much anything you can think of
• Kolonaki - upscale residential area with many cafes, boutiques and galleries
• Psiri - up and coming former industrial district, full of trendy or alternative restaurants, cafés, bars, and small shops
• Exarhia - bohemian district with lots of bars and clubs visited by students, intellectuals and people who are into alternative culture
• Omonia - a somewhat seedy district, sometimes notorious for pickpockets and prostitutes (be careful here!), Omonia Square (Plateia Omonoias) is nonetheless an important transport hub, especially for buses. After the construction of the metro (Line 2 passes from there), the image of the area has turned much better
• Thissio - picturesque, historic district with restored 19th-century neoclassical architecture -similar to Pláka- located next to the Ancient Agora, and housing many restaurants and cafes
• Piraeus - the ancient port of Athens, Piraeus is today an independent, heavily industrial municipality located southwest of Athens, whose modern-day port serves almost all of Attica's ferry connections to Crete and the Aegean Islands.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is situated 27 km (17 miles) east of the city center, near the suburb of Spáta. This well-appointed airport opened in 2001, raising the comfort levels of travelling to Athens and Greece by a phenomenal degree, for travellers ariving from 'Euro-zone' countries. This means that you are going to need euro coins if you want a trolley for your luggage; trolleys are available at the airport and they use coins the same way supermarket trolleys do. You insert your coin, and you get it back by placing the trolley back to its original position- so, be advised, and make sure you carry the correct currency.

Athens airport is a major hub in the Aegean, Balkan and East Mediterranean regions. Delta and Olympic maintain non-stop flights from North America, while a large number of European carriers fly direct into Athens.

From the airport you can reach the city

• by metro to the city centre for €8 -group tickets (2 or 3 persons) are also available and they provide some discount (see below). That is an extension of Line 3 (blue line) that takes you to the downtown Syntagma and Monastiráki stations.
• by suburban railway to Larissis Railway Station for €8. Change from there to Line 2 of the subway that takes you to
  • the downtown Omónia and Syntagma stations
  • northern Greece and the Peloponnese, by train
• by bus: X92 to Kifissia, X93 to Kifissos Coach Station, X94 to Ethniki Amyna metro station (subway Line 3), X95 to Syntagma Square (subway Lines 2 and 3), X96 to Piraeus (subway Line 1) and X97 to Dafni metro station (subway Line 2) for €5. It takes 45 min to 1.5 hrs depending on traffic.
• by taxi for €15-20: If you take a taxi be careful. Make sure that the meter is switched on and shows tariff 1 (tariff 2 applies after midnight and is twice as expensive)

It is advisable to grab a free copy of city transport map in the airport – in the city, it helps a lot.

If you stay in Athens for a short time, consider leaving most luggage in a baggage storage. It is run by Pacific Travel [2], is located in the end of left-hand wing, arrivals level. Storage time differentiates between 6 / 12 / 18 / 24 / 36 hours, then x24hr; sizes vary to Small, Medium and Large. The only inconvenience is that same queue is for collecting and for leaving – allow extra time before your flight. No automatic lockers found in the airport.

[edit] By regional coach

Regional coaches (KTEL) [3] connect Athens to other cities in Greece. The fleet of buses has recently been upgraded, which makes the journey pleasant and safe. For some destinations one can also use the buses of the railroad company (OSE, see next paragraph) that might be international, but can also be used for in-country transport. At times there are collaborations with companies from adjastent countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania) so your best move will always be to ask on both the bus and the train companies about your available options.

[edit] By train

Trains (OSE) [4] connect Athens to other cities in Greece -however, do not expect the diversity and complexity of railroads you usually find in other european countries; the national railroad system is poor in Greece, in effect having only two train lines. One goes to the south (pelloponisos) and the other to the north, connecting Athens with the second major city in Greece, Thessaloniki. From there the line continues further to the north and all the way to the east, passing through many other cities of northen Greece and eventually reaching Istanbul. Be advised that there are two kinds of train you can use; normal, supposingly slow, type of train equipped with beds, and the so called new 'Intercity' type which is more expensive because of a 'quality supplement fee' that grows with distance. For example, travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki by the 'Intercity' type will save you one hour at most, but the ticket will be almost double the price. 'Intercity' tends to be more reliable, yet more 'bumpy' than the normal train.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By metro

The new Athens Metro system, opened in 2001 and currently being extended, is a wonder to behold, and puts many better-known metro systems to shame. Many metro stations resemble museums, as they exhibit artifacts found during excavations for the system (i.e. Syntagma). Greeks are very proud about the new subway system, so do not even think about littering and by all means avoid any urge for graffiti- you will be intercepted by security at once. You are also not allowed to consume food or drink in the subway system. There are three lines:

• Line 1 (Μ1 – ISAP): Piraeus – Kifissia connects the port of Piraeus and the northern suburbs of Athens via the city centre.
• Line 2 (M2 – Attiko Metro): Agios Antonios – Agios Dimitrios connects western and southern Athens.
• Line 3 (M3 – Attiko Metro): Monastiraki – Doukissis Plakentias – International Airport connects the city centre with the northern suburbs (Halandri and Doukissis Plakentias stations) and the International Airport.

Validate your ticket at the validation machines upon entering the station. The standard metro fare (as of January 2005) is €0.80 for trips between all stations except the Airport. The standard fare to or from the Airport is €6, €10 for a return trip within 48 hours, €10 for a one-way trip for a group of 2 persons and €15 for a one-way trip for a group of 3 persons.

A day ticket of €3 will let you use all modes of transport. A weekly ticket of €10 will let you use all modes of transport between all stations except the Airport.

The new combined ticket, introduced December 2004, costs €1 and is valid for all modes of transport for 1.5 hours between all stations except the Airport.

[edit] By suburban rail

The Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) began being built in 2002 and finished in 2004, starts from Larissis Station (OSE Main Line station and Metro station) and terminates at the International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos). From September 2005, the suburban railway travels also to Corinth.

[edit] By tram

The new Athens Tram connects the city centre with the southern suburbs and has connections with the metro lines. There are two tram lines:

• Line 1 (T1): Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Neo Faliro connects the city centre with the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
• Line 2 (T2): Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada connects the city centre with the coastal zone.
• Line 3 (T3): Neo Faliro – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada runs along the coastal zone.

A single ticket costs 60 cents.

[edit] By bus

Athens is served by a network of diesel buses, natural gas buses and electric trolley buses run by the Athens Urban Transport Organisation. A standard bus ticket costs €0.50. Use the €3.20 ticket to travel to or from the Airport.

Nightbuses. As of March 2006 the nightbus routes are:

• X14 Syntagma Square to Kifissia
• 11 Ano Patissia – Neo Pangrati – Nea Elvetia (trolley bus)
• 040 Piraeus to Syntagma Square
• 500 Piraeus – Kifissia (night only)
• X92, X93, X95, X96, X97 (the airport buses)

[edit] By taxi

Taxis are relatively cheap in Athens. They are easy to come-by. Note that taxi meters in Athens have two rates - rate 1 applies from 5am till midnight, and rate 2, the double rate, from midnight to 5am. Taxi fare fraud is not as widespread as it used to be, but it still happens, so make sure the rate is correct. If you feel you have been overcharged, ask for a receipt (they are obliged to give one) and take the plate number, then phone the tourist police to report the driver on 171.

[edit] See

• At first glance, Athens seems entirely to be composed of nasty, four- to six-story concrete buildings, lacking character and badly in need of a paint, but look beyond that and you will find little gems tucked in amongst the grey. The areas at the foot of the Acropolis, Anafiotika, Plaka, Monastiraki and Thiseio are home to many wonderful neoclassical buildings, trendy and traditional cafes and shops, narrow winding streets, and incredible views of the Acropolis. Little Greek Orthodox churches are tucked in amongst the concrete, often in the most unexpected places. These are usually beautifully decorated with icons and brass fixtures inside, but make sure you're appropriately dressed (no short sleeves or bare legs is a good rule of thumb, as a mark of respect).
• For the best views of Athens, take the funicular railway from the top of Ploutarchou Street in Kolonaki (make sure to wear flat shoes, and bring lots of water!) and see the whole city, the port of Piraeus and the island of Aegina from the top of Lycavittos Hill. Have a drink at the cafe there, and pay a visit to the chapel of St George.
• If you're lucky enough to be in Athens for the Easter Weekend, you'll see the spectacular sight of hundreds of people making their candlelit way down the hill on Easter Saturday night as part of the Easter Vigil procession.

[edit] Landmarks

• the Acropolis [5] - the ancient fortified town of Athens, dating back to the Late Bronze Age, now the site of the best buildings of the Greek Classical age: the Parthenon, the Erectheion, the Temple of Athena Nike. The normal entrance price is 12 euros. If you attend a university in the European Union, bring your ID and you can enter for free.
• Syntagma Square - check out the Parliament building and the newly-restored Grande Bretagne Hotel. Also, catch the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament every hour on the hour. Their uniforms and walking style is fun to see.

[edit] Museums and Galleries

Given its antiquity and influence, Athens is full of museums and galleries. Here are a selection of 'must-sees' - district articles will hold additional possibilities:

• Acropolis Museum [6][7] - the new one (designed by swiss star architect Bernard Tschumi) is under construction.
• Benaki Museum [8] - visit the beautiful neoclassical main building which houses collections of Greek art, from ancient times through the Byzantine period and the modern state. Open late and for free on Thursday evenings.
• National Archaeological Museum of Athens [9] - Greece's best repository of archaeological finds.
• Museum of Cycladic Art [10] - small but gem-like
• Greek National Gallery [11] Exhibits Greek art from the 18th to 20th Centuries as well as some El Greco and Post-Byzantine art

[edit] Do

• Near Athens, in Glyfada (50 min by tram from the center), there is the Sea Turtle Rescue Society Archelon. They are regularly looking for volunteers who are willing to work on their own costs and are able to take care of injured Sea Turtles.

[edit] Buy

• Kolonaki is Posh Central. It is cosily situated between Syntagma Square (metro Lines 2 and 3), Evangelismós (metro Line 3) and the Lucabettus hill. Come here for first hand experience of the sport of "people watching" and marvel at the spectacle of elegantly dressed people of all ages lounging in the cafes on the main square, sipping Frappé and gossiping. Here is where you'll find your designer goodies, should you be so inclined.
• Shopping addicts will love Kolonaki, or for a more reasonable price tag, Ermou Street, beside Syntagma Square. Turn right off Ermou at the MAC makeup shop and you'll find yourself on Aghiou Markou and other small streets which are home to incredibly cheap shoes, bags, jewellery, gifts, homewares, and so on.

[edit] Eat

• 'Psiri' is the up-and-coming social hub of Athens- if you are looking for 'trendiness', you are at the correct place. Situated in the "warehouse" district, beside the Monastiraki metro station, it's home to many of Athens' more funky restaurants, and a great number of good tavernas and bars. The place buzzes on a Saturday night, well into the small hours.

• For an atmospheric lunch or dinner with the best view of the city, the best choice is Lycabettus Hill, where Orizontes Lykavittoy and Cafe Lykavittos present delicious international dishes seven days a week. (Tel: +30 210 7227065)

• For quick, descent and low-budget meals that do not fall into the commercialized fast food category, make sure you try 'souvlaki' (pronounced soo- VLAH-kee), mainly grilled meat (pork, chicken, it's your choice) vegetables (tomato and onion slices) and greek 'tzatziki' (pronounced tzah-TZEE-khee) which is yogurt enriched with garlic and cucumber. All the above (often accompanied by french fries) are gently (or hardly) wrapped inside a thin slice of pan bread, named 'pita' (PEE-tah). Prices of 'souvlaki' vary according to the confidence and/or nerve of the cornershop owner, but usually you can get one from €1 to €1.50; add some soda, salad and french fries and you can have lunch for no more than €7. You can get souvlaki just about everywhere, especially where tourists roam, though they are a bit more expensive in those regions. You can ask any Greek person about them; they all know.

[edit] Drink

• Greeks love to socialize, and Athens buzzes long after its other European counterparts have conked out. 8 pm is the earliest most Greeks will consider going to eat out, and clubbers start to get ready at about midnight. Note that many Athens clubs relocate to the beach during the summer months. Cafes spill onto the streets and the sound of lively conversation is everywhere in the evenings.

• Have a frappé, the delicious Greek version of cold coffee. Being a Greek invention, it is absolutely nothing like the frappé you find in other countries of the world. Served sweet, medium, or without sugar, with or without milk. Delicious with Bailey's, too.

• Single male, beware of any friendly stranger approaching and starting conversations. You might be led to a pub where outrageous bill is asked to be paid. This kind of pub scam has been happening for years, while police can do little to help you if you have paid. Two such places are "Pub Love" and "New York Pub", both located in the same street in Plaka.

• A 'club zone' is located in the coastal zone, running to the east- if you go there and you are lucky, you can actually get to listen to non-greek music. There are also many clubs and pubs in the center of Athens.

• Go to the Psyrrí area (Monastiraki or Thisseio stop, Lines 1 and 3 and Line 1 respectively) for a number of smart bars and small clubs.

[edit] Sleep

Athens has a wide variety of accommodation options, from camping and hostels, right up to 5 star luxury hotels.

• If you are on a budget, a good hotel in the center is the Hotel Plaka, in the heart of the tourist district. Do book well in advance though as it is deservedly very popular. The Hostel Aphrodite, not too far from Larissa train station, is not particularly recommended if you are looking to get to sleep before 2 AM. Air conditioning in a room is available for extra €3 per person.
• Luxury hotels include the Grande Bretagne and the Hilton, both of which were extensively refurbished last year.

• Zinon (BestWestern chain) [12] Decent choice when everything else booked in advance: huge and impersonal hotel; quite old building with recently refurbished interiors and western management results in low rates and a good service. But it's Omonia--don't plan to leave your room in evenings, it's quite dirty and the only Russians-run food outlets are nearby. Travellers mix: majority are elder, retired people (and families) from US / Canada / Australia.

Internet connection is declared to work for every room. It's WiFi with good strength but very unstable, breaking for 2 minutes every 10 minutes. Besides, there's a LAN outlet in every room, not tried -- and not supported, according to reception. Single €60, double €80 (breakfast included).

For non-EU citizens, the hotel itself can't provide official booking confirmation for arrangement of visa--you can only print email confirmation of booking from BW chain's global web site.

• Elysium (BestWestern chain) [13] elysium_hotel@yahoo.gr. Cheap-and-chic boutique hotel, 16 rooms. For non-EU citizens, same problem on official confirmations for visa arrangement as with Zinon.

• Marina Hotel, 13 Voulgari Str, +30 21 05237832, fax +30 21 05229109, info@marinahotel-athens.com, [14], [15]. Reservations are processed awfully (eg: for request to book 3 rooms, they confirmed 2: "that's all we have"); emails in English are responded irregularly; English over phone is very poor as well. Single €49, double €59.
• Tony Hotel: 26Zaharitsa Str., Koukaki, +30 210 9235761, +30 210 9230561, fax +30 210 9236370, tony@hoteltony.gr, [16]

• Athos Patrou 3, Τel: +30 210 3221977-9 [17] Nice hotel in Plaka with roof-garden with a view of the Acropolis.

• The National Tourism Organisation [18] provides a list of more than 250 licensed hotels in Athens.

[edit] Stay Safe

While generally a safe city, Athens is home to many thieves and pickpockets. Traffic can be horrendous.

Athens is one of the most political cities in Europe. Demonstrations and riots are common and accepted as part of everyday life and democracy by most Athenians. Keep abreast of news of demonstrations, and avoid them if you don't want to run the risk of being arrested or tear-gassed.

Anarchist and leftist groups often target police, government, and corporate targets during the night. It is unlikely that tourists would be hurt, as the anarchists usually take care to only damage property as opposed to people. Nonetheless, parking by McDonald's, police stations, or banks could get your car damaged.

[edit] Get out

Piraeus, the harbour of Athens, and Rafina (on the east coast of Attica) are the departure points for a large number of ferry services to the Greek Islands and other destinations in the eastern Mediterranean, including ports in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Israel and Cyprus. Fast hydrofoil and catamaran or helicopter services also take you to the Greek Islands. Check [19] for timetables. Italy is easier approached by boat from Patras (take a train or a bus to Patras).

The closest islands, suitable for a day trip, are located in the Argosaronic (or Saronic) gulf: Hydra, Aegina, Poros, Spetses and Salamina.

Day trips to the Corinth Canal, the theatre at Epidaurus and to the ancient sites of Olympia, Delphi and Mycenae are easy with a rental car. Other towns along the Peloponnese such as Nafplion are charming and worthwhile.