GREECE IS | ATHENS | WINTER 2015 by GREECE IS

greece is experience culture, gastronomy & more

ATHENS edition

ATHE NS

SUMMER 2015

10 - 41

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91 - 134

EXPER I EN CE

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135 - 160 TA S T E

From the top of Lykavitos hill to the beaches of the southern suburbs, we propose a number of authentic Athenian experiences that will bring you closer to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul.

Become familiar with the Acropolis and its new, internationally acclaimed museum, the Athenian Agora, the repositories of Greek culture and the architectural gems that lend character to Athens.

The neighborhoods of Athens invite visitors to stray from the tourist trail and explore their streets, feel their changes in atmosphere and share the daily lives of their residents.

Compiled by experts and conveniently arranged by district, our list of restaurants, cafĂŠs and bars is your starting point for an unforgettable adventure of culinary delight and fun.

we LCOME WE lcome

Capital A By Giorgos Tsiros e d i t o r i n c h i e f, g r e e c e i s

First of all, let’s address the elephant in the room. Athens is neither an easily navigable city nor one with which you are likely to fall in love at first sight. According to the most recent Eurobarometer survey, among citizens of 83 European cities and capitals, Athenians are the least satisfied by their quality of life. From high above, this sprawling metropolis of almost 4 million people looks like a sea of cement. At street level, it’s noisy, hectic and at times even chaotic – while the ongoing crisis certainly hasn’t helped, adding dozens of closed shops and random graffiti to the mix. Yet Athens retains a unique character. Its past is ever-present. Athenians say that no matter where you dig, you will find remains of the ancient, glorious past, and it is no exaggeration. During the construction

of its ultra-modern, still expanding metro, over 50,000 artifacts were unearthed, many of enormous archaeological significance. Its crown jewel, the Acropolis, is one of the most instantly recognizable monuments in the world, visited each year by millions, many of whom regard the experience as a form of pilgrimage. The spirit of the great thinkers you may have learned about at school or university – Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Sophocles – still lingers. But this is a city whose storied past is not confined to museums or archaeological sites; it is very much alive in the streets. Visitors and locals alike can savor the spice-flavored East in one part of the city and, in another, discover beauty and harmony in the exquisite proportions of ancient sculptures that underpin the entire edifice of Western artistic culture. They can shop on

streets that would not be out of place in London or Milan or, in just 30 minutes, find themselves in a seaside suburb reminiscent of the French Riviera or Miami’s South Beach. Diverse influences have helped shape the city’s multicultural melting pot, yet the result, oddly enough, has a flavor, aroma and texture which are distinctly Athenian. Then, there are the nights. Many cities in the world may claim they never sleep, but in the case of Athens it’s just plain fact. From classy bars on the rooftops of luxury hotels to sidewalks in the heart of the city, where hipsters and youngsters with attitude congregate to down beers, sip cocktails, flirt and chat, everything conspires to keep you away from your hotel bed. And since you are likely to be here for only a few days, you may consider yielding to temptation.

“Αthenian Neighborhood” by Sophia Kalogeropoulou - Mazarakis, acrylic on wood, courtesy of the Athens City Museum (5-7 I. Paparigopoulou street, Klafthmonos Sq.)

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CONTENTS Athens Edition, Summer 2015 10 Only in Athens: Lycabettus Hill, Festival Nights, the Riviera & more 18 Innovative Tours: Pick a team of insiders and gain fresh perspectives 22 From the Inside: Four Athenians share their favorite walks and haunts 28 Agenda: Selected exhibitions, concerts & performances 32 Iconic Views: From the Kallimarmaro to Cape Sounio 4 4 Newsbites DIS C OV E R 46 The Acropolis: Built for Eternity 54 The Acropolis Museum: Treasury of World Heritage 66 The Athenian Agora: Where it All Happened 76 Treasure Hunting: In the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inspiring Museums 7 8 Great Athenians 82 Architecture: Master Builders

ON THE C OVER Portrait of Rhoemetalces or Sauromates II, kings of the Bosporus Kingdom. 150-125 BC Courtesy of The Acropolis Museum

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154

92 140

CONTENTS E X P LORE 92 Neighborhoods: Plaka & Anafiotika, Dionysiou Areopagitou & Philopappou, Thisseio, Gazi, Athinas Street, Monastiraki & Psyrri, Ermou Street, Kolonaki... All the stories, interesting facts and information you’ll need, to feel like you really know the city

TASTE 136 Back to Basics: Shops that live for the ABC’s of taste 140 Culinary Adventures: From awarded restaurants to street food 154 Let’s Grab a Drink: A selection of bars and cafes, in a city that never sleeps 160 Facts & Figures: The city in numbers

greece is, athens edition - summer 2015 Published by: Kathimerines Ekdoseis SA, Ethnarchou Makariou & 2 Falireos St, Athens, 18547, Greece, www.kathimerini.gr ISSN: 2459-2498

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ONLY IN ATHENS

Lycabettus is the limit

If you want to clear your head ride the cable car up Lycabettus hill! Athens from above is even better than at street-level. As long as the Acropolis remains in place and the Earth continues to turn, the airy refuge atop Lycabettus will always be just a short stroll from the city center. Let’s say you’re sipping coffee in Kolonaki, one of the capital’s busiest, most cosmopolitan neighborhoods. Imagine, in just 10 minutes you could be sitting on a bench, on a lush green hillside covered with pine, olive and almond trees, or taking in the

Athens cityscape through a telescope. Lycabettus offers a refreshing breath of nature even the locals regularly seek out. On foot, by car or with the funicular, you can soon be at the top of the highest hill in Athens (270 m.), enjoying a view of the entire surrounding basin, marveling at the surprisingly diverse avifauna – with goldfinches, collared doves, blackbirds, owls and other birds vying for your attention. At the top, you will find the cafe-bar-restaurant Orizontes, with a Mediterranean menu, and the tiny Chapel of St. George, built

in Cycladic architectural style and first used for worship in 1834 (open daily 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 4-9 p.m.). The Sunday service (which starts at 7.40 a.m.) is a memorable experience. The square outside the theater, where young Athenians park and drink beer from the canteen, stays open till 2 a.m. Also, be sure to visit the Church of Agioi Isidoroi, “carved” out of the largest cave on Lycabettus in the 15th or 16th century (open daily 9 a.m. – 12.30 noon). MARIA KOR AcHAI

I n f o : The funicular terminal is at the end of Aristippou street. The cable car departs every 30 minutes (or every 10 minutes at peak times), and the service runs from early in the morning till 2 a.m. the following day. R e t u r n t i c k e t: €7 per person.

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S l i g h t ly a b o v e t h e c i t y, s l i g h t ly b e l o w t h e At t i c a s k y

ONLY IN ATHENS

Festival Nights

As you make your way along Dionysiou Areopagitou street to the sounds of street musicians, ascend the marble staircase and the Odeon’s stone arches greet you, creatively illuminated, waiting to transport you back in time. Whatever performance you attend – music, dance or theater – here you get a real sense of the city’s history and cultural tradition, from ancient times to the present. Built with incredible acoustics in AD 161 by the orator/sophist Herodes Atticus, one of the wealthiest, most powerful citizens of Athens at the time, in memory of his wife, Regilla, the Odeon used to have a roof made of of cedar

that may have covered the entire building without the aid of internal supports. A host of legendary names have graced its stage, from Maria Callas, Herbert von Karajan and Frank Sinatra to Elton John and Liza Minnelli. Its impressive tiers of marble seats, with a capacity of 5,000, may not be the most comfortable (many guests come with their own folding cushions), but the experience is quite unique. And please note, stiletto heels are prohibited. Virtually unknown to foreign visitors, the modern face of the Athens Festival is Pireos 260. Once a furniture factory, the venue is a typical example of

I n f o : greekfestival.gr/en/home

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1970s industrial architecture. The dress code is much more relaxed, the audience generally younger and all three of its auditoriums are covered, with a capacity of 100, 500 and 650. Here you can watch contemporary dance and theater performances of the international repertoire, from famous directors, such as Romeo Castellucci and Thomas Ostermeier, and from leading exponents of the modern Greek theater. Its two outdoor cafes, where audience members gather before and after performances, are a definite plus for the venue. I oa n n a B l at s o u

T h e a n c i e n t O d e o n o f H e r o d e s Att i c u s a n d t h e p o s t- i n d u s t r i a l s e tt i n g o f P i r e o s 2 6 0 a r e t h e o p p o s i t e p o l e s o f At h e n s ’ c u lt u r a l s u m m e r

ONLY IN ATHENS

A night or two with the stars... under the stars

Feel the Rhythm

T r e at y o u r s e l f t o a m e m o r a b l e s u m m e r e x p e r i e n c e

tr aditional dance performance If dance names such as Kalamatianos, Aloniotikos, Ballos and Pentozali sound “all Greek” to you, an evening at the Dora Stratou Theater will provide an ideal and fascinating initiation into the world of traditional Greek dancing. Even seated, your feet will soon be tapping to the rhythm, while the spectacle and music (live, of course) will remain with you long after the 90-minute performance. This year, the open-air theater, nestled on lush green Philopappou Hill, celebrates its 50th anniversary. The theater is the legacy of an inspired Athenian, who dedicated her life to preserving tradition by traveling all over Greece recording and collecting dances, music and authentic costumes. Even if the idea of “folk art” normally bores you stiff, the authenticity of this unique experience will leave you feeling exhilarated.

Even if catching a Hollywood movie is not one of your top priorities when traveling abroad, in these particular cases you may want to think twice. The 80-year-old Cine Thisio totally lives up to the hype of its CNN rating as one of the most enjoyable open-air cinemas in the world. Get there early to avoid the long queue, grab a cheese pie and homemade cherry juice before settling down for some quality entertainment. Cine Paris, on the other hand, first opened in 1920 and, according to the Guardian newspaper, is one of the best open-air cinemas in Europe. Located in picturesque Plaka, it offers nights filled with all the magic of the silver screen in leafy surroundings. Here, too, you can

nab a hot dog or some popcorn and discover how a night at the movies can still be a truly unforgettable experience. On the ground floor there is a shop with an impressive selection of old movie posters. An added attraction of both cinemas is their location – at the foot of the enchantingly lit Acropolis – so don’t be surprised if you find yourself gazing at the Sacred Rock more than the screen! Both cinemas are open daily, with two shows per night, usually starting at around 8.45 p.m. and 11 p.m. For some visitors, there may be only one catch: as these are open-air cinemas, smoking is generally allowed. GIORGOS TSIROS

I n f o : C i n e T h i s i o : 7 Apostolou Pavlou, Thission • Tel. (30) 210-342.0864, 210-347.0980 C i n e P a r i s : 22 Kidathinaion, Plaka • Tel. (+30) 210-322.2071, 210-324.8057

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Info D o r a St r at o u T h e at e r Philopappou Hill • Tel. (30) 210-921.4650 • Performances: daily (except Monday and Tuesday) • Beginning at 9.30 p.m. (Wednesday to Friday) and 8.15 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday) • Tickets: €15. www.grdance.org.

IFIGENIA VIRVIDAKI

ONLY IN ATHENS

On the Coast I f t h e At h e n s h u s t l e a n d b u s t l e g e t s t o o m u c h , y o u c a n e s c a p e t o t h e s e a w i t h o u t s e t t i n g f o o t o n a b o at

Flisvos Marina

Vouliagmeni Lake

Astir Palace

Athens has the good fortune to have the Saronic Gulf at its feet: think marinas, seaside promenades with palm trees and cycle paths, developed beaches with Blue Flags (an impressive 13 in 2015) and lesser known free beaches, where you simply park and swim – a good indication of the best spots is a line of parked cars at the roadside. So, how do you get there? Take the Syntagma-Voula tram from the city center and in 30-40 minutes you might just as well be on an island. The landscape is markedly different, the scenery becomes more pleasant, the air is more refreshing, your mood improves and the pace of life slows down. Resi16

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dents of the suburbs alongside the Poseidonos coast road – Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza – are right to feel privileged; it’s no small thing to be able to swim five months a year or go to the bank wearing only a bathing suit and sandals. Every summer, this stretch of coastline draws young and old like a magnet, day and night. It has something for everyone, from beach bars and clubs, with house music blaring, to their more Greek-style counterparts, where the intoxicating sounds of the bouzouki work their magic – these are an experience in their own right , though perhaps not for the faint-hearted. This so-called Athenian Riviera,

more of a notion than an official title, is an entertainment strip neither strictly delineated nor continuous. In the broadest sense, it begins at Neo Faliro and ends at Cape Sounio, a distance of about 62 km. After Varkiza, as you make your way along the coastal road, the landscape becomes even more dramatic, a Greek version of California’s Big Sur Coastal Highway or Australia’s Great Ocean Road. At the end of the road, the ancient Temple of Poseidon stands on a rocky promontory that affords one of the most spectacular sunset views you will ever see. MARIA KOR AcHAI

Kalamaki beach

ONLY IN ATHENS

DON’T MISS Astir Beach

Balux

Island

A stop-off at revamped Flisvos Marina, with shops, restaurants, trendy cafes, open-air cinemas, yachts that are the stuff of dreams, plenty of space for kids to cycle or play and the decommissioned cruiser Georgios Averof, which distinguished herself a century ago during the Balkan Wars (Paleo Faliro, www.flisvosmarina.com). Sunbathing and swimming at cosmopolitan Blue-Flagged Astir Beach, Vouliagmeni (astir-beach.com), which boasts world class facilities, sand and water sports, a spa, beautiful peo-

ple and... pricey admission (€15 on weekdays; €25 on weekends). Coveted Blue Flags have also been awarded to Voula A, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonissi (Kochylia, Mediterraneo, Grand Beach) and Mavro Lithari / Eden Beach. Close by, the natural spa waters of Vouliagmeni Lake, a protected wetland of outstanding natural beauty (Natura 2000, Ramsar), with warm, brackish, emerald-green water, imposing rocks, lush vegetation, labyrinthine underwater tunnels and a quality all-day bar-restaurant (www.

limnivouliagmenis.gr). Entertainment at the acclaimed Island club-restaurant (27th km on the Athens-Sounion road, www.islandclubrestaurant.gr); the allday multi-purpose Balux (58 Poseidonos Ave, Asteras Glyfadas Complex, – hotspot, www.baluxcafe.com); the Nalu for coffee, drinks and good food, right next to the sea (Poseidonos Ave, Akti Iliou, Alimos, tel. +30 210-988.0990); or the Bolivar beach bar, which holds dance events with famous DJs (Poseidonos Ave., Alimos Beach A, tel. +30 697-0367.684).

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ACTIVITIE S

Innovative Tours pick a team of insiders and gain fresh perspectives BY E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U , M A R I A AT H A N A S I O U

ATA (Alternative Tours of Athens)

Athens Insiders

Art walks from Omonia Square to the Metaxourgio and Gazi districts. Here’s your chance to discover street art on building facades covered in spray paint, or to acquaint yourself with the major hubs of contemporary culture – from the Athens Concert Hall and National Museum of Contemporary Art to the Onassis Cultural Center and the (currently under construction) Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. You will “dig around” in the city’s flea markets, get a taste of life underground in the metro stations and familiarize yourself with the art works of Fassianos, Varotsos and Stephen Antonakos. With a focus primarily on art in public places, the team from ATA (comprising photographers, architects, musicians and visual artists) organize events aimed at showcasing the city’s less orthodox beauty, as can only be perceived by the discerning eye of an artist.

In just four hours, Athens Insiders attempt to share with participants their knowledge of a city that has been inhabited for thousands of years. This tour has a little of everything: a visit to Syntagma and Monastiraki squares; views of the Acropolis and the ancient Athenian Agora; an unveiling of the city’s Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past; and a chance to re-energize with a Greek coffee or cup of “mountain” tea (Greek herbal infusion). The team also has other proposals for those interested in an experiential acquaintance with the city, such as the family tour dubbed “In the Time of Pericles” (which gives kids an opportunity to learn about Athenian history through games, combined with a picnic of local culinary delights) or a sightseeing tour followed by a tasting of four Greek wines and a hearty discussion on wine making.

www.atathens.org

www.athensinsiders.com

Athens Walking Tours

Their Athens Food Tour, as the name suggests, is focused on Greece’s rich culinary heritage and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, while also offering participants the chance to discover these merits for themselves – by trying olives, traditional feta cheese, halva, loukoumades with syrup, cream-filled bougatsa pie, sesame bread rings (from one of the dozens of street vendors who man their posts each day in the city center), as well as tsipouro or ouzo. The tour concludes with a visit to the colorful central market, the Varvakeios Agora, where one’s ears are barraged by sellers’ constant calls to attract customers and sharp smells tantalize the nose. Among Athens Walking Tours’ many other options, visitors can take a close look at the city’s historical center or focus exclusively on the secrets of the Acropolis. 18

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www.athenswalkingtours.gr

ACTIVITIE S

Alternative Athens

Discover Greek Culture

Alternative Athens offers a number of tours enabling you to see the city through the eyes of a local. One such option is the Cool Athens Shopping Tour – during which you will visit 10 carefully selected shops, selling everything from Greek sandals and handicrafts to souvenirs, designer fashion and jewelery; you’ll also meet Greek designers in person and learn about the traditional art of loom weaving. Another possibility is Proud Athens Gay & Lesbian Night Out (for an acquaintance with the city’s gay scene, including visits to areas and venues where it’s all happening, from cafes to clubs). Alternative Athens by Night is a bar-hopping tour that will introduce you to a city of endless partying, under the watchful eye of a connoisseur of local nightlife.

Here, the emphasis is on cultural tourism, led by a team of archaeologists, licensed tour guides, tour designers, a landscape architect, even a horticulturist, who offer half-day tours (e.g. National Garden, Numismatic Museum, Museum of the City of Athens); full-day tours (e.g. Acropolis and its Museum, church of Aghios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, footpaths of Greek architect Dimitris Pikionis between the Acropolis and Philopappos hill – tours include tastings of Greek liqueurs and spirits); four-day tours (e.g. Katakouzenos House Museum, Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron, Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio); as well as experiential activities, such as breakfast at the Benaki Museum, during which participants can learn about the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832) and view historic artifacts close up.

www.alternativeathens.com

www.discovergreekculture.com

Solebike

www.solebike.eu Another interesting proposal to get to know Athens: by bicycle. Solebike takes advantage of the flexibility of the bicycle to introduce the city to anyone willing to sit on the saddle for a couple of hours. Again, there are a number of tours to choose from. On the 11-km Athens Delight Tour, for example, cyclists make their way through the city center, passing by historic landmarks and neighborhoods (Hadrian’s Arch, Zappeio Hall, Parliament building, Monument of Lysicrates, Aghia Irenes Square, Psyrri, Monastiraki, etc). It’s not all about history, though: you will also visit an original “kafeneio,” taste meze dishes, and sip retsina wine and ouzo to get a proper taste of local tradition.

Big Olive City Walks bigolive.org

A broad spectrum of interests is also catered to by the activities of Big Olive, which offers visitors the opportunity to get to know the city of the sacred olive through walking tours. Here too, the themes are varied, ranging from the evolution of Athens – with reference to the ancient (now mostly asphalt-covered) Ilissos River, whose banks were once the site of architectural masterpieces – to the city’s past religious identity (Jewish synagogues, Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques, even the “ghost” of a Capuchin monastery) and the rich history of Athenian modernism, evident through the architectural legacies of the Kolonaki and Exarchia areas. 20

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ADVE RTORIAL

Planet Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2015

The Louis Vuitton show in Paris was sold out. You never know what to expect from Nicolas Ghesquiere. Thanks to the way he directed and produced the last collection for 2015, Instagram was flooded by LV hashtags – #LVSPRING. What do you snap with the camera first? The brand-new Louis Vuitton Foundation, designed by architect Frank Gehry to look like a spaceship that has landed right in the middle of the Bois de Boulogne? It’s tempting to immortalize every moment at Planet Vuitton. And the show hadn’t even started yet. The models played host on transparent projectors. “The journey starts here…” Science-fiction with the perfect soundtrack: Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence.” A video clip inspired by David Lynch’s 1984 “Dune.” That’s GEHRY014. A retro and cool collection with A-line silhouettes,

stripes, velvet, leather that resembles lace, denim, woven dresses, sprinkled with tiny sequins. The art show had something of Barbarella-meetsAndre Courreges about it; ‘70s-inspired sci-fi. No wonder everyone was talking about “the show (and collection) of the season.” And the motifs? Get ready to try everything from matchboxes to hairdryers and earphones. The V from the 1965 ad, designed originally by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, revives the magic of travel. And the dress code? Navy blazer with seventies jeans. Mini dress with boots. “Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you, the LV house wants to explore the ability to travel to any part of the universe without moving.” In high heels, of course. In the shape of the LV monogram flower.

19 Voukourestiou St • Athens 106 73 • Greece • Phone: (+30) 210-361.3938

FROM THE INSIDE

BEYOND THE ORDINARY

“Where Pericles once stood...” By Euphrosyne Doxiadis*

Kerameikos 22

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The so-called “historical triangle” of Athens is my haunt, including the cemetery of classical times, the Kerameikos, a place named after its potters, who, in antiquity, produced and painted their ceramics for the needs of the city. This area of ancient Athens extending around the Acropolis is where, I feel, the city’s heart beats. Being one of those people who feels the presence of things that happened in the past and the energy of those long gone, I am inspired and indeed empowered by the amazing aura of this entire area – where I also have the good fortune to live, side by side with the Athens of old. I have lived on Aeolou Street for 12 blissful years. On weekdays I have a coffee at Magazi or Pera, both on Aeolou just a few steps from my home. I have Hadrian’s Library just a stone’s throw away, and often walk down Adrianou Street to the Theater of Dionysus, where the great dramatists of the 5th century BC competed for prizes with their plays. It is quite something to stand on the spot where Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides put themselves to the test 24 centuries ago. The spirit of the place has been enriched forever by their tragedies, endowing the air with the intensity of human suffering. On other days, I walk down Ermou Street until I come to the ancient Cemetery of Kerameikos. I walk near the spot on which Pericles once stood to deliver his renowned Funeral Oration, in honor of those who had died in the first year of of the Peloponnesian War (431404 BC). This we know from Thucydides’ writings, which still work their magic in present-day Athens, as he himself had hoped when he confided to the reader that he was writing not just for his own, but for all times: “Ες αεί” in ancient Greek.

* Euphrosyne Doxiadis is a writer and painter

Whether it’s dramatic history, architectural grace, or humble toil and dreams, local perspectives shed light on Athens’ pleasingly ordinary and extraordinary local culture.

Montblanc Boutique 7 Kriezotou, 106 71, Athens - tel. (+30) 210-325.3610

FROM THE INSIDE

The unsung capital of Mediterranean modernism By Niko s Vat op oul o s *

Patriarxou Ioakeim

In looking at photographs of Athens in World War II, and contemplating which buildings had shaped the city in the 19th century and which had first forayed into modernity after 1910, the ones that stand out most in terms of height and mass are modern. If you could zoom in on the details, you would see that the new buildings which began appearing on the Athens skyline in the 1930s, and a decade after that, represented an architectural vernacular that introduced modernist trends from Central Europe to Athens. Walking in downtown Athens – particularly along Academias Street, in the streets around Syntagma Square, to the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy” of the Hansen brothers on Panepistimiou, as well as around Kolonaki – you will see apartment buildings that were once ultra-modern, the latest shout in architectural modernism and residential technology. Most of these examples of Athenian Bauhaus and Greek art deco, despite being around 75-85 years old, are still in good shape. If you follow Academias from its top, near Parliament, pay attention to the building at the first corner of Voukourestiou Street, one of the first truly modern buildings in Athens. From Voukourestiou to Sina, particularly on the odd-numbered side of the street, you will see several facades of the 1930s. One of Kolonaki’s finest examples, built in 1933, is located near the British and German embassies on the corner of Ypsilandou and Ploutarchou. It was designed by a wealthy and well-traveled Greek from Constantinople, Constantinos Kyriakidis, and is one of the most interesting apartment buildings of its kind (note the details). Among all the apartment buildings’ characteristics from that era, the chrome and stylistic motifs of the 1930s exhibit a fascinating variety, making Athens the unsung capital of Mediterranean modernism. Tel Aviv may have the glory, but Athens has all the grace.

* N i k o s Vat o p o u l o s i s a j o u r n a l i s t, t h e a u t h o r of “Facing At hens” a nd cre ator of t he onl ine c i t i z e n s ’ g r o u p “ E ve r y S a t u r d a y i n A t h e n s , ” w h i c h c u r r e n t l y b o a s t s m o r e t h a n 2 4 , 0 0 0 m e m be r s

Akadimias 24

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P lo u t a r x o

H&M Athens Stores 22 Ermou, 210-322.3420 • 54 Ermou, 210-323.3858 • 49-49B Stadiou, 210-324.9302 • 18 Skoufa, Kolonaki, 216-800.2777 • H&M Avenue Mall, 210-610.4811 • H&M Athens Heart, 210-342.8503 • 89 Aeolou, 210-322.3052 • 5 Platonos, Halandri, 210-685.2152 • H&M Athens Metro Mall, 210-976.1250 • H&M River West, 210-544.1594 • H&M Mall Athens, 210-619.91528 • 269 Irakleiou Ave, N.Ionia, 210-271.9420 • H&M Smart Park, 210-602.5971 • 147 El. Venizelou, Kallithea, 216-800.1890 • 2 V. Georgiou, Piraeus, 210-412.3012 • 41 Foivis & A.Metaxa,Glyfada, 210-894.2685

FROM THE INSIDE

Neighborhood of dreams

From Thiseio, I head up Apostolou Pavlou toward Petralona. By the time I reach the Athinaion Politeia cafe and turn right, the city’s din has ebbed and made way for the serenity of the neoclassical and inter-war-period buildings of Akamantos Street. With my eyes on the Saronic Gulf, I take the Philopappos ring road to reach a tiny district known as Asyrmato (after the WWII wireless station) – once a shantytown for refugees from the 1922 Asia Minor exodus, but improved in the 1950s on the orders of Greece’s Queen Frederica. In this microcosmic utopia of flourishing post-war Greece, the subject of so many Greek films and songs, which for years had tried to hide in shame, one meets the realism of the present day which no longer has anything to hide. I wander among cats and bougainvilleas, through the fresh herbs and plastic, dismembered dolls of the Kallisthenous street market, past the picturesque Church of Aghia Sotiria. Turning down the side streets of Troodon, past tavernas, meze joints and the Zephyros open-air cinema, I end up, my mind filled with new images, at Mercouri Square, having gotten a sense, in a single afternoon, of life in this neighborhood of toil and dreams.

B y Ya nni s Z a r a s *

Kypseli Embracing the unremarkable By Dimitris Rigopoulos*

Petralona

When I welcome guests from abroad to Athens, I think about where I myself like to go when I’m visiting friends in a new, foreign city. Surprise is a welcome element, although I hardly expect to see an elephant in the middle of the road. In fact, quite the opposite, which is why I ask them to show me a slice of “real life,” somewhere tourists don’t normally tread, preferably some “anonymous” neighborhood or part of the city that may be integral to its identity, but which cannot be found in most tourist guides. Likewise, I prefer to show my out-oftown guests unremarkable yet profoundly Athenian parts of my city: the pedestrian area of Fokionos Negri in Kypseli, the main square of Nea Smyrni, or the shops of Glyfada and Kifissia (all conveniently close to a metro, railway or tram station). There is no better way to introduce someone to the local culture than spending a couple of placid hours of observation at busy cafes, bars, shopping centers, etc. They may curse me inwardly for not taking them straight to the Acropolis, but once back home they appreciate having seen an authentic slice of Athens they may never have discovered on their own.

* Dimitris Rigopoulos is a journalist * Y a n n i s Z a r a s i s m a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r o f B i g O l i ve C i t y W a l k s 26

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AGENDA

A SPOT OF CULTURE A series of exhibitions, concerts and performances enrich Athens’ already vibrant cultural scene this summer. The Blind

Carmen

Manu Chao

Terrapolis

GazArte

Mikis Theodorakis

July Drawing inspiration from Maurice Maeterlinck’s symbolic drama “The Blind,” Zoe Chatziantoniou directs and choreographs a unique opera of sounds and gestures, with the assistance of composer Dimitris Kamarotos. (Athens Festival – Pireos 260)

Till

The works in the exhibition “Nikolaos Dragoumis: The Painter 1874-1933” reveal the rare talent of Greece’s first postImpressionist painter, an artist who cared little about success and fame. Dragoumis never participated in exhibitions and never sold his paintings, preferring instead to offer them as gifts. (National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation)

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Till

200 authentic photographs, old cameras and stereoscopic devices are displayed in the exhibition “Metamorphoses of Athens: People-MemoriesMonuments. Photographic Itinerary 1839-1960.” (Herakleidon Museum)

French-Spanish vocalist Manu Chao of “Bongo Bongo” fame brings his uplifting summer-time tunes to the Rockwave Festival, north of Athens. (Terra Vibe Park)

Till

Sculptures, installations and films by 37 Greek and foreign artists, with references to ancient drama, mythology and the animal kingdom,

can be viewed in the gardens of the French School at Athens. The exhibition “Terrapolis” has been put together by the NEON cultural organization and Whitechapel Gallery. (French School at Athens)

Till

26/7

The verdant terrace of GazArte offers the sweet fragrance of lavender, mint and basil with retro music and song, in a preeminently summer atmosphere. Bands with strong appeal among Greek audiences, including Penny & the Swingin’ Cats (16/7), the explosive New York City Powerhouse Kokolo (23/7) and Electro Swing Boogie Belgique (26/7), will be making their way to the city’s coolest music stage.

26, 28, 30 & 31

The Greek National Opera takes part in the Athens Festival with Georges Bizet’s explosive “Carmen,” directed by Stephen Langridge, artistic director of the Göteborg Opera, and conducted by Myron Michailidis. In French, with Greek and English surtitles. (Athens Festival – Odeon of Herodes Atticus)

Le Choeur du Canto, a top-class choir from Brittany, will perform Pablo Neruda’s masterpiece “Canto General” to music by Mikis Theodorakis. The concert is held on the occasion of the great Greek composer’s 90th birthday. (Athens Festival – National Archaeological Museum)

12-13

AGENDA

Euripides’ “Electra”

27-29

Acclaimed choreographer and dancer Antonis Foniadakis makes his first appearance at the Athens Festival with a performance of his solo work “Priority.” (Athens Festival – Pireos 260)

Till

1/8

Richard Phillips “translates” the morality and imagery of mainstream media, including man’s obsession with sexuality, power and death, into 14 new paintings that represent familiar faces, famous logos and images found in old books. (Gagosian Gallery)

AUGUST The month when even art goes on holiday…

SEPTEMBER

One of the most talented Greek singer-songwriters of his

Info At h e n s F est i v a l www.greekfestival.gr • Advance ticket sales: (+30) 210-327.2000 • Daily 9 a.m. – 9 p.m • Main Box Office: 39 Panepistimiou (inside the Pesmazoglou Arcade) • Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

generation, Foivos Delivorias will be delivering a mix of old and new songs. (Technopolis)

Till

An exhibition of works by Panayiotis Tetsis – who turns 90 this year – created between 2010 and 2014. Many of these depict the artist’s birthplace, the Saronic island of Hydra. (B&M Theocharakis Foundation)

14 & 15

With his distinctive voice and inspiring lute-playing, Giannis Haroulis will be your guide along musical paths where electronica meets traditional Cretan folk music. (Technopolis)

15/9

Singer-songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright and photographer Cindy Sherman will present a revamped version of Prima Donna, dedicated to Maria Callas, at the Odeon of

F re n c h S c h oo l at At h e n s www.neon.org.gr • 6 Didotou, Kolonaki • Tel. 210-367.9900 • Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. –9 p.m., Sunday 12-6 p.m., Monday closed

B a d m i n to n T h eater www.badmintontheater.gr • Goudi Park • Advance ticket sales: (+30) 210-884.0600

G agos i a n G a l l er y www.gagosian.com • 3 Merlin, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210364.0215, 210-364.0204 • Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

B & M T h eoc h ara k i s F o u n d at i o n www.thf.gr • 9 Vassilissis Sofias & 1 Merlin, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210-361.1206

G a z arte www.gazarte.gr • 32- 34 Voutadon, Gazi • Tel. (+30) 210346.0347

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DESTE Prize 2015

Rufus Wainwright

Giannis Haroulis

Herodes Atticus on the eve of the anniversary of the great soprano’s death. The new visual spin on Wainwright’s 2009 opera debuts at the Odeon on the sidelines of the Athens Democracy Forum of the International New York Times, one of the most important international meetings to be held in the city, in collaboration with the United Nations Democracy Fund, Athens Municipality and the newspaper “Kathimerini”.

Socratis Socratous and Maria Hassabi – will present their work at the Stathatos Mansion. Established in 1999, the prize has become a major feature on the country’s visual arts agenda, particularly due to its support for young artists. (Museum of Cycladic Art)

Till

Euripides’ “Electra,” directed by Spyros Evaggelatos, with Marina Aslanoglou in the title role, launches the “Ancient Drama Cycle” at the Badminton Theater, with surtitles in six languages. (Badminton Theater)

OCTOBER Till

The exhibition “In Between” traces the course of two outstanding postmodern artists: Georg Baselitz and Paul McCarthy. Through 10 works, it is possible to discern the common points in the art and themes, as well as in the social, political and religious stimuli which shaped their chosen form of artistic expression. (George Economou Collection)

The six short-listed artists for the DESTE Prize 2015 – Natali Yiaxi, Petros Moris, Yiannis Papadopoulos, Angelo Plessas,

* Due to possible last-minute cancellations, visitors are advised to call in advance.

G eorge E co n omo u C o l l ect i o n www.thegeorgeeconomoucollection.com • 80 Kifissias Avenue, Marousi • Tel. (+30) 210-809.0519

T ec h n opo l i s www.technopolis-athens.com • 100 Pireos & Voutadon, Gazi • Tel. (+30) 210-347.5518, 210-346.1589

Hera k l e i d o n M u se u m www.herakleidon-art.gr • 37 Apostolou Pavlou, Thiseio • Tel. (+30) 210-346.1981 • Open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

T erra V i be P ar k • www.terravibepark.gr • www.rockwavefestival.gr • 37th km Athens-Lamia Highway • Tickets from Ticket House, 42 Panepistimiou (inside the arcade) • Tel. 210-360.8366) and online at www.ticketpro.gr.

Nat i o n a l B a n k of G reece C u lt u ra l F o u n d at i o n www.miet.gr • Eynard Mansion, 20 Aghiou Konstantinou & Menandrou, Omonia • Tel. (+30) 210-522.1420

Antonis Foniadakis

IN PICTURE S

ICONIC VIEWS

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timeless

ÂŠ visualhellas.gr

From Thiseio, a vista of the majestic Acropolis, whose forested northern slopes, marked above by numerous cave shrines, were once home to the earliest, Neolithic inhabitants of this now universally recognized outcrop, known as the Sacred Rock.

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in quest of human excellence, under the attic sky

The Panathenaic Stadium, refurbished in 1896 for the first modern Olympics, was given its monumental form in the 4th century BC. Athletes then and now have long competed for coveted honors on its oval track. A temple of Tyche (Fortune) once stood on the far hill.

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tHE PROUD “EVZONES”

With their foustanella skirts (30 meters of white fabric folded into 400 pleats, to represent the years of the Turkish occupation) and tsarouchi clogs weighing 3.5 kilograms each, the young soldiers of the Presidential Guard offer an unrivaled spectacle every Sunday at 11 a.m. for the ceremonial changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament. In preparation for sentry duty, they go through a month of grueling training so they can learn to stand perfectly still.

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YES, THIS IS STILL ATHENS

ÂŠ dimitris vlaikos

Anafiotika is a small neighborhood that adjoins the bustling Plaka district, a small slice of the Cycladic islands right in the center of Athens, with a fascinating history you can read about on page 98. How many modern cities can boast such a picturesque little corner as this?

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ZEA MARINA

The picturesque bay of Pasalimani (“Pasha’s harbor”) as it’s been known since Ottoman times, is the most cosmopolitan part of Piraeus (just 30 minutes from the city center on the ISAP train). Have a walk around and enjoy the view of the sea and the shiny yachts at one of its many cafes or restaurants.

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SIMPLY DIVINE

The temple of Poseidon atop Cape Sounio, a magnificent showcase of the elements of nature, was once a sailorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; landmark, a haunt for pirates and a target of pilgrimage for early modern travelers and Hellenophiles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including Lord Byron, who left his name etched on a column. The sunset is a total must.

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ÂŠ getty images/ideal image G R E E C E IS

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discover GREECE IS

ATH EN S

TH E GL ORIOUS PAST

Endowed with a history spanning 5,000 years and an internationally recognized landmark, the Acropolis, Athens enchants with its ancient monuments, fascinating museums and striking examples of neoclassical architecture standing proudly in a sea of cement. Detail from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Idealized View of the Acropolis and the Areopagus in Athensâ&#x20AC;? (1846) by German painter-architect Leo von Klenze, New Pinakothek of Munich.

THE ACROPOLIS

Built for Eternity The Parthenon we see today was built atop the Sacred Rock in the 5th century BC. Following the construction of this exquisite piece of architecture, the Greek idea of beauty – kallos – became embodied in stone. BY SOPHIA STYLIANOU

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THE ACROPOLIS

al decoration, including the colossal statue of Athena Parthenos, whose face and arms were covered with ivory and the rest with gold plates weighing a total of 44 talents (1,140 kilograms). The Parthenon’s importance as a temple of Athena was overshadowed, however, by its role as a giant message board, whose sculptures reminded Athenians of the legendary greatness of Greeks. Its metopes depicted classic conflicts in which they had prevailed: the Trojan War, the Centauromachy, the Gigantomachy and the Amazonomachy. Although 2,500 years have passed since the Parthenon’s creation, this extraordinary monument is impressive even today for its optical refinements and other innovative elements. Built in 447-438 BC, it was one of the largest Doric temples of Classical antiquity, whose estimated 13,400 blocks of marble were transported 16 kilometers from the quarries on Mount Penteli.

PARTHENON

Propyl aia

The Parthenon rose as the visual centerpiece of the Sacred Rock after the mid-5th century BC, built at the direction of Pericles, who employed a host of architects, artists, highly skilled stone masons and especially his friend Pheidias, the master sculptor. Pheidias, assisted by junior sculptors working in his style, produced all the temple’s lavish exterior and interior sculptur-

The monumental gateway to the sacred precinct was designed by Mnesikles and built (437-432 BC) almost entirely of white Pentelic marble. The architecture of the Propylaia, with its combination of Doric and Ionic elements, provided a source of inspiration for designers in later periods. The north wing consisted of a structure known as the Pinakotheke (“picture gallery”),

The unusual shape of this Ionic temple, built between 421 and 406 BC, is due not only to the sloping terrain of its setting, but also to its need to accommodate a number of individual shrines. Moreover, it was the site of marks in the rock made by Poseidon’s trident and of Athena’s sacred olive tree. Below the floor of the north porch was the mark of the thunderbolt hurled by Zeus to kill the legendary King Erechtheus. According to Pausanias, the Erechtheion was divided into two sections.

1. View of the Erechtheion (421-406 BC), with its southern Porch of the Caryatids. Replicas stand in for the original maidens, who (except for one in London) now reside in the Acropolis Museum.

4. Some of the Acropolis’ scattered architectural members that evoke the numerous elegant shrines and dedications once characterizing the Sacred Rock of ancient Athens.

7. The Beule Gate (3rd cent. AD), with the Propylaia visible behind, further up slope. Part of a hurriedly built fortification, whose stones were reused from other earlier Acropolis buildings.

2. The restored ceiling structure of the Propylaia (437-432 BC), in which are visible its coffer panels, beams and two Ionic column capitals newly carved from gleaming Pentelic marble.

5 & 8. The Erechtheion’s north porch, one of the Acropolis’ many Classical masterpieces that influenced architectural designs in ancient Rome and elsewhere through the ages.

9. The partly preserved east pediment of the Parthenon, with its row of triglyphs and figural metopes (depicting the Gigantomachy) below.

3. The Parthenon, rich with optical refinements, whose soaring Doric columns actually bulge in the middle and lean inwards, while its stepped pedestal is domed, both in length and width.

6. A visitor contemplates her next memorable subject. There is something worth photographing almost everywhere you look on the Acropolis.

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which according to some scholars was used as a dining hall, whose walls were lined with paintings (described by the 2nd century AD traveler Pausanias) and couches on which important guests could recline.

Temple of Athena Nike The construction of this diminutive temple may have been conceived in 448 BC, but it was not completed until 421 BC, based on plans by the architect Kallikrates. The cella of this fully Ionic temple housed a wooden cult statue of the goddess Athena, while the extant sections of the frieze represent an assembly of the Olympian gods and battles between the Athenians and other Greeks or foreigners. Several frieze blocks were looted by Lord Elgin and are currently in the British Museum.

Erechtheion

10. The newly restored and reconstructed temple of Athena Nike, built as a monument to Athenian military prowess, especially against the Persians.

he Acropolis, from the Greek words akron (edge) and polis (city), is Greece’s most emblematic monument, an ancient citadel on a flat-topped rock that rises 150 meters (490 ft) above sea level from the heart of the city. Extending 70 meters high, 300 meters long and 150 meters wide, it was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king. While the earliest artifacts on the Acropolis slopes date to the Middle Neolithic era, there have been documented habitations elsewhere in Attica from the Early Neolithic period (6th millennium BC). There is also evidence that a Mycenaean megaron stood atop the hill during the Late Bronze Age. So, as you make your way up to the Acropolis monuments, bear in mind that people have been ascending this outcrop for approximately 6,000 years – nearly 200,000 visitors made the climb in 2014 alone.

Interior of the Erechtheion.

The Erechtheion was burned by the Roman General Sulla in 86 BC, repaired under the Emperor Augustus, then later converted into a Christian church, before becoming a Frankish palace.

The eastern part, dedicated to Athena Polias, housed her sacred cult statue, which was draped with a freshly woven peplos during the annual Panathenaic Festival. The western part was reserved for other deities and local heroes. The temple was burned by the Roman General Sulla in 86 BC, repaired under the Emperor Augustus, then later converted into a Christian church, before becoming a Frankish palace. During the Ottoman period, it served as the residence of the Turkish governor’s harem.

Brauroneion, Chalkotheke, Athena Promachos The Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia was dedicated to the goddess as a divine protectress of women undergoing pregnancy and childbirth. The cella contained her wooden cult statue (xoanon), while a second statue of Artemis, carved by Praxiteles, was added in the mid-4th century BC. To the east of the Brauroneion was the Chalkotheke, a 4th century BC storehouse, used for

the safekeeping of bronze votive offerings, while to the north stood Pheidias’ gigantic bronze statue of Athena Promachos (467 BC).

Beule Gate Named after the French archaeologist, Charles Ernest Beule, who discovered it in 1852, this outer gateway was part of the fortifications built in the late 3rd century AD to protect the sacred precinct, possibly after the Herulians sacked Athens in AD 267.

Timeline A his tory of cons t ruc t ion, Des t ruc t ion, reuse a nd surv i va l

The caves on the slopes of The Rock were first inhabited in the Neolithic period.

Mycenaean period

The Bronze Age kings of Athens had their palace here and fortified the hill (in the 13th cent. BC) with a strong circuit wall 760 m in length.

8th century BC

The Mycenaean palace was replaced by a temple dedicated to Athena Polias.

6th-5th century BC

The religious importance of the Acropolis grew, with the erection of shrines dedicated to Pallas Athena.

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480 BC

Roman period

479 BC

Ottoman period

The sanctuary was completely destroyed by the Persians. Cimon prohibited any rebuilding, to remind the Athenians of the destruction wrought on their city by invaders and to prevent them from becoming complacent. After the Greek victory at Marathon, Pericles’ master plan for the reconstruction of the Acropolis was put into action. The Parthenon and the Propylaia were erected first, followed later, during the Peloponnesian War (between Sparta and Athens), by the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike.

The Acropolis acquired new votive offerings and statues, many of which were later destroyed by the early Christians. The Parthenon became a Christian cathedral and was re-named Panaghia Athiniotissa (Virgin of Athens). The Acropolis’ buildings were converted into mosques or torn down for material used to strengthen its fortifications.

1687

The Venetians, under Francesco Morosini, bombarded the Acropolis, causing an explosion that created the gap still to be seen today in

the south side of the Parthenon’s colonnade (the north side has been reconstructed). Further destruction was carried out by Britain’s Lord Elgin, who used a saw to cut up and remove (1801-1812) much of the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, including one Caryatid.

1833-1861

Greece’s first Curator of Antiquities, Kyriakos Pittakis, cleared the Acropolis of most of its post-Classical additions and launched the first restoration of modern times, of the Athena Nike temple, in 1835.

3500-3000 BC

Parthenon Keys p o i n t s t o p o n d e r w h i l e v i s i t i n g t h e g r e at t e m p l e horses and riders, sacrificial animals, musicians and members of Athenian society; while on the east end, the presentation of the sacred peplos, a scene attended by the 12 gods of Olympus.

The strikingly vivid rendering of the 360 figures depicted on the frieze, which had a total length of 160 meters and a height of just over 1 meter, reflects its creation as one of the proudest moments in the history of human art.

The aesthetic result is primarily due to two characteristics: evmetria (the perfectly balanced ratios of surfaces and volumes) and the use of architectural refinements.

harmonious proportions and an imposing appearance with the temple’s setting at an angle to the hill. The intentional absence of any straight lines endows the monument with grace and vitality.

The building’s architectural ratio of length-towidth is 9 to 4, a proportion that also appears throughout the temple in many of its lesser dimensions.

Optical refinements, particularly the curvature of horizontal and vertical surfaces, are at their most perfect in the Parthenon. They represent ingenious architectural solutions that result in the monument combining

The fact that each of the temple’s 92 metopes was decorated with relief sculpture was unprecedented at that time.

The frieze depicting the procession of the Greater Panathenaia is generally thought to represent the three stages of the most sacred procession of the Athenians: on the west end, the preparations; along the two long sides, a cavalcade of

There may be two processions shown in the frieze, the first representing the original (pre-Cleisthenes) division of Attica into four tribes and the second its later division into 10 tribes. The frieze would thus balance the older traditions of the city’s past with its democratic present, as expressed in Pericles’ Funeral Oration recorded by Thucydides.

Only on the Acropolis were mortals (especially the Athenians themselves) depicted interacting with gods—if the Parthenon’s frieze actually shows the Panathenaic Procession and if the Athena Nike temple’s

frieze shows historical, not mythical, battles.

The east pediment depicted the birth of Athena, while the west pediment illustrates the contest between the goddess and Poseidon. According to legend, Athena competed with the god of the sea for possession of the city of Athens. The central figures were larger-than-life, with Poseidon reaching a height of 3 meters.

The external appearance of the Parthenon was further enhanced by the polychromy of its sculptural decoration. The triglyphs were painted blue, as was also the background of the frieze, while the background of the metopes was white or red. In addition, all garments and objects were colored.

The Parthenon is such a sturdy construction that architect Manolis Korres, Greece’s leading scholar on the Acropolis, once remarked that it could support the entire weight of the aircraft carrier Nimitz, adding: “The ancients built for eternity.”

We advise you to begin your tour of ancient Athens at the Acropolis. Admission is €12, but this ticket also provides entrance to the other main archaeological sites. If you start somewhere else, you will pay separately for your admission there and then have to pay an additional €12 for the Acropolis.

When the sun is strong and temperatures are high, it’s better to go early in the morning, definitely not at midday.

No two structures on the Acropolis overlap, so each one has the appearance of a painting whose background consists entirely of the blue Attic sky.

Because your visit will involve a fair bit of walking, particularly uphill, and the marble stones can be quite slippery, it is advisable to wear a good pair of rubber-soled shoes.

I n f o : Acropolis • Tel. (+30) 210-321.4172 • A d m i s s i o n : Full: €12 • Reduced: €6 • Includes admission to all the main archaeological sites in the historical center. O p e n d a i ly: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (last admission at 7.30 p.m.)

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Don’t forget to take a look at the olive tree behind the Erechtheion, which according to legend can be traced back to the original sacred tree of the goddess Athena.

useful TIPS

Your personalized electronic guide to the Acropolis, now on air

A DV E R TO R I A L

Tailor your tours of museums, archaeological sites and cultural venues to your personal wants and needs, with the new smart electronic guide “Acropolis Rock.”

Before Acropolis Rock, informational displays and tour narratives were generally designed to address the average visitor. Now, this innovative electronic platform allows you to design your own specific tour, one that factors in your age, your mood and the pace at which you want to move, as well as things you are most interested in. The application identifies your exact location, knows what you’re looking at and thus can make comparisons between individual displays and recommend different routes. It also has a range of programs for different age groups. When recommendations are addressed to children, this convenient e-guide produces different descriptions than those for adults, using shorter sentences and simpler terms. The application also keeps track of all your tours to avoid any repetition. Acropolis Rock is already available for iOS phones, giving thousands of visitors to the ancient citadel the opportunity for a tailor-made experience.

FREE DOWNLOAD 1- 31.8.15

Download the app onto your phone and enjoy a full tour, with rich multimedia material (high-resolution photographs, videos and 3D reconstructions), adapted to your age, interests and preferences. You don’t need to read it either; you can just plug in your earphones and listen. It also offers useful information about sites, such as opening hours and ticket prices. At the end of the tour, the app recommends places to eat or enjoy a drink, while also offering directions on how to access different parts of the city, both online and offline. Acropolis Rock won an award from the National Bank of Greece in the 5th “i-bank Innovation & Technology” competition. The competition is part of the NBG Business Seeds program – launched by National Bank of Greece to promote innovative entrepreneurship and new innovative business ideas – which it helps develop by providing training, mentoring, financing and/or investing share capital.

THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Treasury of World Heritage Home to masterpieces of Archaic and Classical art that once belonged on the Sacred Rock, the museum is a place of learning and a symbol of Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a treasurer of world heritage. BY TA S S O U L A E P TA K I L I

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THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

A scene from Block E VI of the east frieze of the Parthenon, depicting Poseidon with Apollo (speaking to him) and Artemis (facing away). Left: Athena, Hephaistos. Right: Aphrodite, Eros, Eponymous Heroes. Ca. 440 BC.

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THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

The Caryatids, from the South Porch of the Erechtheion (421-406 BC). Possibly libation bearers and cult attendants of the mythical Athenian king Cecrops, whose shrine/tomb lay just below the porch.

The Chios Kore, ca. 520-510 BC, Late Archaic style, intentionally buried on the Acropolis after the Persian invasion and destruction of 480 BC. Unearthed in 1886 (head) and 1888 (body) south of the Parthenon.

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he opening of the Acropolis Museum at its new premises in the summer of 2009 marked more than the inauguration of an emblematic building to house the Greek capital’s most precious antiquities. It was both a declaration to the world that Greece was ready to embrace its role as a guardian of world heritage and a powerful argument to back its long-standing claim for the Parthenon Marbles to be returned from the British Museum. In the six years since its opening, the museum has now received 8 million visitors from around the world and has consolidated its ranking among the finest repositories of art in the world.

1. General view of the South Slopes Gallery. 2. The Dancer, 1st cent. BC, from the Sanctuary of Dionysus. Probably one the Horai, daughters of Zeus and Themis, who represented the seasons of the year. Perhaps from the triangular base of a dedicatory tripod. 3. Portrait of Alexander the Great, probably by the sculptor Leochares. 340-330 BC. 4. Parthenon Gallery, view of the west pedimental sculpture of the Parthenon (447-432 BC), depicting the contest between Athena and Poseidon to become the patron deity of Athens.

Just a stone’s throw from the Acropolis, it is a modern, architecturally simple yet imposing structure, designed by Bernard Tschumi and Michael Fotiadis to showcase its treasures and build a visual bridge that brings the ancient citadel almost within reach of the visitors inside. It is 10 times larger than its predecessor, with 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, and is both extremely visitor-friendly and innovative, making optimum use of technological advances and adopting solutions that break away from the stereotype of a traditional museum. The arrangement of the exhibits is also a departure from the usual

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5. The excavations below the entrance to the Acropolis Museum, where a late antique, early Byzantine neighborhood (7th-9th cents AD) has been revealed. The circular building was a tower/ hall (7th cent. AD) with a central well. 6. General view of the Archaic Gallery, with its unique collection of Archaic-era sculpture. 7. A cast of the Peplos Kore (ca. 530-525 BC), painted to represent the statue’s original colours detected and recreated by the Acropolis Museum’s Conservation Laboratory.

chronological museum set-up, allowing a meandering visit through galleries with different interconnected themes. In the Gallery of the Acropolis Slopes on the ground floor, for example, you can catch a glimpse of life in Ancient Athens through finds from the different historical periods of the settlement that grew on the slopes of the Sacred Rock: fragments of houses and workshops, streets and squares, wells and cemeteries, along with thousands of artifacts used in people’s daily lives. In the Archaic Gallery on the first floor, you can view the exhibits from all sides, just as they would have been seen by visitors ascending the Acropolis al-

The arrangement of the exhibits is a departure from the usual chronological museum set-up, allowing a meandering visit through galleries with different interconnected themes.

most 26 centuries ago. The focus here is one of the most important periods in Athenian history (7th century BC – 479 BC), defined by the development of the city-state and successive changes to the political system (by Solon, Peisistratos and Cleisthenes), which eventually led to democracy. In the stunning Parthenon Gallery on the third floor, walls of glass afford views of the temple and Athens. The Parthenon’s sculpted frieze and metopes are arranged in sequence so they can be viewed as they once were. By 450 BC, the Sacred Rock had been cleared of the debris from the Persian sack of Athens and was ready for

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THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

new edifices. Thus, in 447 BC, an unprecedented construction program was launched by Pericles, who aspired to build a new temple dedicated to Athena, opposite the entrance to the Acropolis sanctuary, in commemoration of the city’s victory in the Persian Wars. The temple was designed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptural decoration was the work of Pheidias and others under his supervision, including his students Agorakritos and Alkamenes. It was completed over the course of 15 years. The Parthenon’s exterior sculptures (metopes, frieze and pediments) were carved from Pentelic marble and further embellished with metal attachments and paint. As the subject of the frieze, many scholars believe, Pheidias chose the Procession of the Greater Panathenaia, a 12-day festival held every four years, which included special rites, sacrifices, athletic contests and musical competitions. The south frieze depicts the horsemen, chariots and sacrificial procession. On block No. 8 you will notice that there is only one rider and one horse,

while all the rest have at least two. What might this mean? Some experts speak of a “climax” of the work. According to this theory, it was either Pheidias himself being depicted (in self-portrait) or Pericles. Winding back down to the museum’s first floor brings you to the gallery dedicated to three important buildings: the Propylaia, a new monumental gateway to the sanctuary designed by the architect Mnesikles; the Temple of Athena Nike, completed in the 420s BC on plans by Kallikrates and dedicated to the goddess who had helped the Athenians in times of war; and lastly the Erechtheion. The Erechtheion was a marble building of complex design and an outstanding example of the Ionic order, erected between 421 and 406 BC, at the time of the Peloponnesian War, to replace the older temple of Athena Polias. On its south side, six female figures – the famous Caryatids – were used to support the roof of the porch. Many explanations have been offered for the Caryatids. One of the most commonly held ideas is that this porch served as

a monument for the tomb of Cecrops, legendary king of Athens, which lay beneath it, while the six maidens were libation bearers whose role it was to ritually honor the great ruler. Only five Caryatids are on display in the Acropolis Museum. The sixth was taken away by Lord Elgin and currently is in the British Museum.

Pericles aspired to build a new temple dedicated to Athena, opposite the entrance to the Acropolis sanctuary, in commemoration of the city’s victory in the Persian Wars.

Don’t miss

Clay spindle whorls These spinning weights were found in the 1950s to the south of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. They represent the most common offerings made by the women of ancient Athens at the Sanctuary of Nymphe (6th and 5th centuries BC).

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The friezes on the Temple of Athena Nike The east frieze represents an assembly of the Olympian Gods, the south frieze shows battles between Greeks and Persians, while the other two sides depict battles between Athenians and other Greeks.

The Triple-Bodied Monster From the pediment of the Archaic Parthenon (ca. 570 BC) or Hekatompedon (i.e. The 100-Foot Temple), the creature holds symbols representing the three elements of nature: water, fire and air.

The Persian Horseman The statue (520 BC) owes its name to the rider’s colorful, eastern-style attire, namely a short chiton and close-fitting trousers. The horse’s mane had green braids on a red background and its tail was also green.

THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Shops

The Antenor Kore The largest Kore (ca. 500 BC) on the Acropolis was the work of the great sculptor Antenor. The marble statue evidences the rise of a new social class, professional craftsmen, who began to acquire wealth and fame, as well as the ability to dedicate such remarkable works to the sanctuary.

The Peplos Kore An outstanding work made in an Attic workshop about 530 BC. The garment differs from those usually worn by Korai and the figure has a more naturalistic stance. Scholars surmise she may not represent a Kore, but a goddess, possibly Artemis. Next to the Peplos Kore stands her “twin sister”: an exact plaster copy that has been painted as the original 1.18 m-tall statue would have been, within the framework of the museum’s interesting “Archaic Colors” initiative.

The Kritios Boy A marble sculpture of a young boy (after 480 BC); it belongs to the “Severe” style (a transition between the Archaic and Classical styles) and is the first known ancient sculpture to use contrapposto (the weight of the body rests on the left leg, while the right leg is relaxed and bent at the knee; this stance influences the balance of the rest of the body).

There are two shops, one on the ground floor and another on the second floor, which sell certified replicas crafted in the museum’s workshops, as well as jewelry, stationery, handmade ceramics, men’s and ladies’ accessories, toys and dozens of other items at affordable prices.

Cafe-Restaurant On the second floor, one finds a 700 sq.m. terrace with a wonderful view of the Acropolis, where coffee, snacks and a selection of dishes are served, with a focus on traditional recipes based on seasonal ingredients. Visitors can also enjoy a typical Greek breakfast daily.

The Calf-Bearer One of the earliest dedications on the Acropolis, it is a work of exceptional quality (ca. 570 BC). The bearded young man carries a sacrificial calf. The inscription on the base reveals the name of the dedicant: “Rhombos, son of Palos, dedicated this statue.” 62

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Caryatids The different hairstyles and garment details suggest they were not created by a single sculptor, but by several artists.

Marble acroterion From the apex of the Parthenon’s pediment, this decoration is a stunning palmette – unusual because traditional Doric buildings were rarely crowned with a floral ornament – which gives the impression of moving in the wind.

Archaeologists and museum staff are on hand to answer visitors’ questions daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can recognize them by their round badges, which state their official capacity. The museum frequently organizes presentations and encourages families to learn about its exhibits through specially devised games.

Useful tips

THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Treasures of Samothrace t r a c e s o f a m y s t e r i o u s p a s t f r o m t h e s a n c t u a r y o f t h e gr e at g o d s

thrace, while this is also the celebrated spot where King Philip II of Macedonia first met and fell in love with Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus, whom he would later marry and give a son that would go on to change the course of world history: Alexander the Great. It was also on Samothrace that Perseus, the last king of Macedonia, sought shelter from Roman persecution in 168 BC. These and other chapters of the island’s rich history are the subject of the temporary exhibition “Samothrace: The Mysteries of the Great Gods” now at the Acropolis Museum, which is celebrating its sixth anniversary this year. Among the 254 objects that con-

stitute the exhibit, highlights include a reproduction of the splendid 2.75 m tall winged statue of Nike (Victory) of Samothrace; a frieze depicting women dancing; a 4th century BC golden lion from Persia; and a marble stele from the entrance of the Anaktoron forbidding entry to the uninitiated. The exhibition will run to September 30, 2015.

1. The Persian Lion, a gold foil ornament with inlaid stones, originally a garment decoration; probably a dedication offered by a soldier returning from Alexander’s army (4th cent. BC). 2. A museum conservator cleaning one of the four female akroteria (125-120 BC) from the roof of the Hieron in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods.

Info 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou • Tel. (+30) 210-900.0900 • www.theacropolismuseum.gr G e n e r a l a d m i s s i o n €5 • O p e n i n g h o u r s April 1 – October 31: Monday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Tuesday-Sunday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. November 1 – March 31: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. • Last admission is half an hour before closing.

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Described by Homer as a holy land, Samothrace is awe-inspiring not just for its stunning landscape, but also for its mystical aura. This small island in the northern Aegean has been associated with the little-known Cabeiri, a group of chthonic deities, and the cult of the Samothrace Mysteries, membership in which was believed to protect sailors and other travelers from the perils of the sea. Initiates, including mythical demigods and legendary heroes such as Hercules, Agamemnon and Odysseus, believed that if they ever revealed what went on during the mysteries they would be cursed for life. The royal family of Troy may have had their roots on the island of Samo-

The Athenian Agor a

Where it All Happened As the central square of the ancient city, the agora was where everyone crossed paths, from philosphers and politicians to peddlers, priests and prostitutes. BY John Leonard

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The Athenian Agor a

he Athenian (or Greek) Agora was the beating heart of ancient Athens, a crossroads in the middle of the city, pulsing with all the different people and ordinary activities that made up daily life in the age-old city of Athena. This large, low-lying area in the northern shadow of the Acropolis, by the time of Themistocles, Pericles and Socrates in the 5th century BC, already had a long history, once serving as a place for prehistoric and Iron Age settlement and burial, later as a focus of religious activities, a public gathering spot, a venue for commerce and currency-exchange, as well as a political, legislative and administrative

center for the often-challenged but resilient Athenian democracy. Today, the Athenian Agora is a quiet refuge within bustling modern Athens, an archaeological park that offers shady trees, winding paths, venerable ruins of profound historic significance for world history, a reconstructed Hellenistic-era stoa (a colonnaded walkway, with shops – now converted into a fascinating small museum) and one of the best preserved (not reconstructed!) ancient temples to be found anywhere in Greece. As you enter the Athenian Agora, you have a choice – head straight for the Stoa of Attalos Museum, where you

can orient yourself with maps, information panels and intriguing exhibits from the American School of Classical Studies’ archaeological excavations, ongoing since the 1930s, or begin exploring immediately, following one of many paths and making your own “new discoveries” at every turn. Entrance to the agora can be made either from the Acropolis side or from the opposite, northern side, not far from Monastiraki metro station. On its northern side, the ancient agora has been cut by a train track (late 19th century) and overbuilt by Adrianou Street and the Monastiraki neighborhood. If you look down into

Today, the Athenian Agora is a quiet refuge within bustling modern Athens, an archaeological park that offers shady trees, winding paths and venerable ruins of profound historic significance.

1. The Hephaisteion (449-444 BC), built by the same architect that designed and erected the temple of Poseidon at Sounio. 2. One of the Tritons (mermen) that once adorned the Odeon of Agrippa (ca. 15 BC), a music hall accommodating up to 1,000 people. 3. Stoa of Attalos (2nd cent. BC), a Hellenisticera “mall” with 42 shop spaces on two levels. Destroyed in AD 267 by the invading Herulians.

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The Athenian Agor a

the excavation area on the right-hand, northern side of Adrianou, you will see the stepped architectural remains of the famous Painted Stoa, where Zenon of Cyprus first introduced Athenians to Stoic philosophy. After entering the agora gate, you might turn right to the line of now-ruinous buildings once adorning the foot of the Kolonos Agoraios hill. Here was the governmental center of ancient Athens, including (R to L) the Royal Stoa (for administration of religious activities, laws), the Stoa of Zeus (possibly an administrative and dining center), the Metroon (official records hall), the Bouleuterion (council cham-

ber) and the Tholos (executive council’s lounge, for nourishment and rest). Socrates is known to have frequented the Stoa of Zeus; he also served on the executive council, used the Tholos and likely discussed philosophy with young Athenian men in the House of Simon the Shoemaker, opposite the Tholos. Among the agora’s many temples, altars and other shrines, dedicated to gods including Apollo, Rhea and Ares, there was especially the hilltop temple of Hephaistos and Athena. This mid5th century BC Doric temple, erected contemporaneously with the Parthenon, was particularly important to metal workers and other artisans, many of

whom had workshops nearby. In the Hephaisteion’s colorful later history, it was converted into a Christian church, a 19th century storehouse for antiquities and an execution ground during the Greek Civil War. Along the agora’s south side were the Heliaia (law courts), South Stoa and Mint. Commercial activities took place in the South Stoa, which also had dining rooms, and in the Stoa of Attalos. In the agora’s center, ancient visitors could read public announcements, seek the best rate at the money-changers’ tables or take in street performances by Thespis and other early actors, the progenitors of modern drama.

don’t miss

The State Prison If you enjoy getting off the beaten track, seek out this obscure ruin, where Socrates likely spent his final days. Located in the agora’s wild southwestern area, down a narrow path (Street of the Marble Workers), over a tiny bridge crossing a deep ancient drain, this building once featured a single gateway, guards’ quarters and a central corridor flanked by small cells.

Water Clock At the front of the Heliaia (law courts), this mechanism, once used for timing law suits and trials, consisted of a water reservoir with a drain, topped with a measuring device that indicated the falling water level and the passage of time. The tank had to be refilled after 17 hours. Lengths of trials varied (up to one day), but individual litigants’ speeches were closely timed.

The Panathenaic Way This preserved section of pavement, near the agora’s Acropolis entrance, marks the path of the Panathenaic Way, the avenue followed every four years by the celebrants of Athena’s great festival. The Way began at the Kerameikos’ Dipylon Gate, crossed Athens’ central square diagonally and led up to the Acropolis, now carrying on its worn stones traces of many ancient feet.

Stoa of Attalos The stoa, a gift from the King of Pergamon (2nd cent. BC), was reconstructed in the 1950s. Where once it had shops, now it houses the agora museum. Note the juror selection device, ceramic baby seat and pot-sherd ostracism ballots, scratched with “Themistocles.” Also, shoe nails and eyelets from the shoemaker’s shop and small vials, perhaps for poison.

Info Ancient Agora and museum, 24 Adrianou • Tel. (+30) 210-32.10.185 • T i c k e t s : Full: €4, Reduced: €2 • O p e n i n g h o u r s : Daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

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national archaeological Museum

A Panorama of Ancient Greece From marble Cycladic strummers to golden death masks, bronze thunder-hurling Olympians and even a shipwrecked ancient “computer,” it’s all here at the NAM. BY John Leonard

he National Archaeological Museum (NAM) is a “mustsee” destination for any visitor arriving in Athens. One of the world’s truly great museums, NAM has been around for more than 120 years and has stable, permanent exhibits that do not change much. Nevertheless, something new and fresh always seems to be happening these days behind NAM’s venerable walls or within the digital space of its impressively updated website – www.namuseum.gr/ index-en.html, currently under development. Located several city blocks from Omonia Square metro station, NAM can easily be reached by a short walk from there, or from the Victoria ISAP electric railway station just beyond the museum. NAM’s elegant neoclassical premises have their own interesting, sometimes dramatic history. Before NAM’s foundation stone was laid in 1866, Athens’ antiquities were being stored and viewed in a number of convenient empty buildings around the city, including an old Ottoman-era house on the Acropolis – really the first Acropolis Museum – the Hephaisteion (temple of Hephaistos and Athena) in the Athe-

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Jockey of Artemision (Hellenistic, circa 140 BC) This outstanding bronze statue has a height of 2.10 m. It was recovered in pieces from the seabed off Cape Artemision, northern Evia, in 1928 and 1937. The young rider, possibly African, would have held the reins of the galloping horse in his left hand and a whip in his right. The rendering of his puckered face reveals agitation and passion.

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nian Agora; and the Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora. Earlier, Greece’s very first archaeological museum had been established in 1829 and housed in an orphanage on Aegina island. By the late 1880s, however, the NAM had been erected and all the scattered artifacts were brought together under one roof, with the building originally being called the Central Archaeological Museum. Over subsequent decades, more wings were added and the museum flourished – until World War II caused NAM’s curators to take extraordinary measures to protect Greece’s irreplaceable heritage. Many of NAM’s most familiar exhibits, such as the great 72

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bronze Zeus/Poseidon figure throwing a thunderbolt/trident, were wrapped, boxed and buried in pits dug beneath the museum’s floors. Other objects were hidden elsewhere, even in caves and other secret places unknown to invading enemy forces. The Greek Civil War in the later 1940s also affected NAM, leaving it bombed and roofless. After 1950, the permanent exhibitions familiar to us today were established and the museum regained its former trajectory of success, accentuated and enhanced particularly during the recent progressive changes to its displays launched in the 1990s and completed in 2005.

1. The neoclassical facade of the National Archaeological Museum (NAM) central building, founded in 1866, was designed by German architect and devoted philhellene Ernst Ziller. 2. The Antikythera Mechanism, an astronomical/ calendrical device, lost in a shipwreck in the 1st century BC while being sent back to Rome, is now displayed at NAM using today’s own cuttingedge technology, including holographic imaging. 3. A black-figure krater (mixing bowl for wine), depicting Greek and Trojan warriors fighting over the body of perhaps Patroclus. Ca. 530 BC. 4. Marble, Hellenistic-era statue of a youth, recovered a century ago by sponge divers and archaeologists; now displayed in NAM’s Antikythera Wreck exhibition. The figure was damaged by the elements, due to its only partial burial beneath the protective sandy seabed.

A Classical bronze statue (ca. 460 BC) recovered in 1926-1928 from a shipwreck off the Evian coast. This iconic Zeus/Poseidon is transitional Severe Style and, if you look closely, offers an unperfected depiction of weight-shift (contrapposto).

Now, NAM offers six permanent exhibitions that include Prehistoric Antiquities, Sculpture (Greek, Roman), Metalwork, Vases and Minor Arts, Cypriot Antiquities and the often-overlooked but fascinating Egyptian Antiquities gallery (donated to NAM in 1890, first displayed a century later in 1994). Overall, NAM presents a unique panorama of Greek civilization from earliest prehistory to late antiquity. Of particular note is the so-called “temporary” exhibition of finds from the mid-first-century BC Antikythera Shipwreck, inaugurated in 2012, which has proven so popular among NAM’s visitors that it has been granted some-

thing of a permanent status. Let’s hope it continues that way, as this is one the most intriguing, well presented, visually stunning displays of artifacts from an ancient shipwreck that you will find anywhere in the world. Of particular note is the over-life-size bronze statue of the Antikythera Youth (ca. 340-330 BC), specially cleaned and gleaming for this exhibition; the encrusted and eroded stone statues once only partly protected beneath the sandy seabed; and the Antikythera Device – a sophisticated astronomical and planetary tracker, combined with several other calendrical functions, which essentially represents the world’s first computer.

As one enters the museum, straight ahead lie the prehistoric galleries, where you can see Heinrich Schliemann’s golden discoveries from Mycenae. It is advisable to begin there, then continue your diachronic tour through the sculpture gallery beginning at the lobby’s left. In following the circular path, one finds the Egyptian Antiquities and Antikythera Wreck exhibitions at the back of the building, while the remarkable vase collection, Cypriot antiquities and discoveries from the eruption-buried town of Akrotiri on Santorini island are all upstairs. The Blue Monkeys are waiting for you! G R E E C E IS

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national archaeological museum

Don’t miss

Mask of “Agamemnon” (16th c BC) Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann on November 30, 1876, in Grave Circle A at Mycenae. Whether authentic or a 19th century fake, this is truly an impressive face, complete with bushy eyebrows, handsome nose and handle-bar moustache. In the same gallery, also note the scale models of stoutly-walled Mycenae and Tiryns; the fine daggers inlaid with silver and gold; and the boar’s-tooth helmet.

The Lyre Player (2800-2300 BC) An engaging marble figurine of a seated musician (Early Cycladic II period), from the island of Keros, southeast of Naxos. The intricate carving is made from one piece. 74

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“Varvakeion Athena” (3rd cent. AD) Hard to find: ask one of the friendly guards. Standing a diminutive 1 m tall, this Roman version of the original gold-and-ivory Athena in the cella of the Parthenon (12 times larger) was discovered in central Athens in 1880 and represents “the most faithful and best preserved copy” of Pheidias’ now-lost cult statue erected in 438 BC.

Aphrodite, Pan and Eros (ca. 100 BC) A delightful group, discovered on Delos island, in the House of the Poseidoniasts, a brotherhood of businessmen from Beirut. It exhibits all the whimsical humor, elegance, sexual playfulness and mythological fascination that we so often associate with the ancient Greek world.

Dipylon Vase (760-750 BC) An imposing grave marker from the Geometric era, decorated by the Dipylon Painter and found at ancient Athens’ Kerameikos Cemetery. Note the funeral scene, with the deceased lying on a bier in the center, and mourners holding their hands on their heads or tearing at their hair in grief.

The Sounion Kouros (ca. 600 BC), Phrasikleia Kore (550-540 BC) Both discovered in Attica, they reveal the marked difference between early depictions of men and women in Greek sculpture. Note the Kouros’ bizarre ears, and the elegant “Archaic Smile” of the Kore, who holds a flower or fruit intended as a votive offering. Info: National Archaeological Museum • 44 Patission • Tel. (+30) 213-214.4800 Opening hours from April 1, 2015: Monday – Sunday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. A dmis sion: 7€ S p e c i a l t i c k e t pack age: Full: 12 € (valid for National Archaeological Museum, Byzantine & Christian Museum, Numismatic Museum and Epigraphic Museum.

tre a sure hunting

A Trail of Splendors Artistic expressions of Greece’s magnificent past wait to be “discovered” throughout Athens in the city’s inspiring museums.

Museum of Cycladic Art

Female figurine and “The Cup Bearer” (both 2800-2300 BC). The seated figure is believed to represent a male. It is interesting to note that both the figure and the stool have been sculpted from the same piece of marble. These are two of the best known Cycladic figurines, attesting to the unique prehistoric culture that flourished in the Aegean. Sculptures like these had a strong influence on modern art.

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Benaki Museum

Gold wreaths made in imitation of branches, leaves and flowers have been found primarily in royal graves and constitute exquisite examples of the goldsmith’s art during the Hellenistic period. This particular artifact dates to the late 2nd – early 1st century BC.

Byzantine & Christian Museum

This impressive icon was found on Corfu, but bears the signature of the Cretan artist Theodoros Poulakis (second half of the 17th century). It depicts the ascension of the Prophet Elias (Elijah) and scenes from his life. The vivid colors, the Baroque and Renaissance elements, the rendering of the buildings and clothing, as well as the lively gestures are considered hallmarks of the artist’s style.

Museum of Islamic Art

Ceramic bowl with colorful enamel decoration, a fine example of minai ware (Iran, 12th-13th century). The term “minai” (meaning glaze or enamel in Arabic) is used to describe the elaborate, multi-colored enamel painting and gilding on a white ground. Vessels created with this technique were not intended to be functional, but purely decorative.

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THE PIONEERS Meet the ancients who laid the foundations of Western democracy and philosophy, and the modern-day artists who embodied the Greek spirit. ANCIENT LEGENDS

Sophocles

He is considered the Father of Tragedy, only seven of whose estimated 70 to 90 plays have survived. “The Persians” is a rare, extant example of a Classical Greek tragedy that addresses contemporary history. Aeschylus, a native Eleusinian and a recognized war hero, wrote from his own experience as a veteran of the great Greek-Persian clashes at both Marathon and Salamis. Before he died, in Sicily (Magna Graecia), he requested that his epitaph commemorate his service at Marathon, rather than his success as a playwright.

A true Athenian, and the writer who created Oedipus and Antigone – two of the greatest characters in the history of theater – Sophocles accumulated a steady and distinguished record of service to his city. Born into a wealthy local family, he was highly educated and known for his grace and charm. He was well connected, a personal friend of Pericles and Kimon, and, as an Athenian patriot, was fortunate in many ways to have died before Athens’ final surrender to Sparta in 404 BC. Only seven of his plays survive.

ca 525 – 456 BC

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ca. 497 - 406 BC

PERIcLES

ca. 495 - 429 BC Athens’ great statesman and leader in the mid-5th century BC, Pericles rose to power in the 460s and was among the first to die from plague in 429 BC. His vision for Athens as first among equals led him to launch a building program that would give a new face to the Acropolis and promote the military, social and political achievements of his city. After transferring the Delian League’s treasury to Athens in 454 BC, he drew on allies’ funds to erect the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings, whose sculptural decoration glorified Classical Athens during its Golden Age.

Euripides

ca. 480 – 406 BC The third, and probably most popular, of the great triumvirate of ancient Greek tragedians, whose works were staged at the Acropolis’ Theater of Dionysus, Euripides is said to have written 95 plays, although only 18 survive. He created timeless dramatic characters, including Medea (who killed her children to avenge her husband’s infidelity), and today is celebrated for having challenged social norms and gender stereotypes. Reputedly a misanthrope, he often escaped the city to write his tragedies in a cave on the island of Salamis.

Aeschylus c.

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Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science while his student, Aristotle, is considered the original genuine scientist, the first to classify human knowledge.

Socrates

Aristophanes

One of the founders of Western philosophy, little else is known about this enigmatic figure other than what was written by his students Plato and Xenophon (the historian) and in the plays of Aristophanes. The best illustration of his character is contained in Plato’s famous dialogues: Apology (a masterpiece), Crito, Phaedo and Symposium. He died poor (having refused to take money for his teachings), executed by the democracy he had championed, after being accused of irreverence to the gods and of corrupting youth.

The greatest comic playwright of ancient Athens, he wrote 30 plays, 11 of which survive virtually complete. Also known as the Father of Comedy, Aristophanes recreated life in Ancient Athens as it really was, using his pen to defy the status quo. The power of his satire was feared (and still is) by the establishment. Aristophanes caricatured Socrates (in “Clouds”) and was particularly critical of populist leaders, especially Cleon, who profited from war. His plays continue to be widely performed, often adapted to satirize current affairs.

ca. 470 – 399 BC

ca. 446 – 386 BC

Plato

Aristotle

A student of Socrates, a philosopher and mathematician, Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most famous student, Aristotle (who later became Alexander the Great’s tutor), Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science. He came from a politically active Athenian family and his most famous work, The Republic, addresses justice and its relationship to happiness.

At age 18, Aistotle joined Plato’s Academy and remained there 19 years. His writings – on subjects including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy and reasoning. Considered the original genuine scientist, he was the first to classify human knowledge. Of perhaps 200 treatises, 31 survive, mainly due to a library established in Aristotle’s own philosophical school, the Lyceum.

ca 428 – 348 BC

384–322 BC

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MODERN GIANTS

George Seferis

Odysseas Elytis

He is one of the most important Greek poets of the 20th century, and the first Greek to win a Nobel Prize for Literature “for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture.” Seferis was born near Smyrna in Asia Minor, moving to Athens in 1914. He studied in Paris, witnessing from there the Greeks’ violent expulsion from Turkey. He did not visit Smyrna again until 1950, although the experience of being exiled from his homeland shaped much of Seferis’ poetry.

A celebrated poet and essayist, he was the country’s second Nobel laureate (1979), who is best known for his odes to the Aegean Sea. He came from an old family of industrialists from the island of Lesvos. From 1969 to 1972, during the 1967-1974 military dictatorship, Elytis exiled himself to Paris. His greatest and most popular poem, “Axion Esti,” which was set to music by Mikis Theodorakis, is a revered anthem sung by all Greeks in an expression of resistance against injustice.

La Divina, revered then as now for her wide-ranging soprano and emotive performances, who changed the way that opera was performed and understood in the 20th century. She was born in New York, received her musical education in Athens and established her career in Italy, performing all of the great female operatic roles. She was the quintessential tragic heroine, bringing to the stage the same passion with which she lived her life, ultimately dying alone and heartbroken in Paris at the age of 53.

Manos Hadjidakis

Mikis Theodorakis

Dimitri Mitropoulos

He is one of the two great composers of 20th century Greek music – the other being Mikis Theodorakis. His lofty circle of friends included poets Giorgos Seferis, Odysseas Elytis, Angelos Sikelianos and Nikos Gatsos, as well as painter Yannis Tsarouhis. A number of his songs gained international acclaim, he wrote music for ancient Greek drama, films and ballets, and received an Oscar in 1960 for his song “Never on Sunday.”

Mikis Theodoarkis, a living symbol of resistance against oppression, is viewed as Greece’s most famous musical artist and political activist – imprisoned, tortured and exiled for his beliefs. Theodorakis has penned over 1,000 songs and scores for films such as “Zorba the Greek,” “Z,” “Phaedra” and “Serpico.” He has also set to music the work of some of the most celebrated 20th-century poets including Odysseas Elytis, Giorgos Seferis, Yannis Ritsos, Pablo Neruda and Federico Garcia Lorca.

Hailed as one of the 20th century’s greatest conductors, Dimitri Mitropoulos was also a pianist and opera composer. He was known for his unique and passionate interpretation of the classical repertory, which he would spend endless hours studying. He made his US debut in 1936 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, going on to work with the New York Philharmonic in 1949. He is still considered one of that orchestra’s finest conductors. He died in Milan at age 64, while rehearsing Mahler’s Third Symphony.

1900-1971

1925-1994

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1911–1996

1925

Maria Callas 1923–1977

1896–1960

National Library

ARCHITECTURE

master builders

A tribute to the work of a handful of visionaries who helped shape the capital of the Greek state and endowed it with some of its greatest architectural landmarks.

The Academy of Athens (1859-1885)

Hans Christian Hansen (1803-1883)

A Danish architect and older brother of Theophil Hansen, he worked in Greece for 18 years, during which time he designed the original main building for the University of Athens.

National and Capodistrian University (1839-1864)

Theophil Hansen (1813-1891)

An outstanding representative of neoclassicism, the younger Hansen became particularly well known for his buildings in Vienna and the Greek capital, including the National Library and the Academy of Athens, widely considered the most beautiful neoclassical structure in the world, and for completing the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy” that had been started by his brother.

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s envisioned by its first architects and city planners, Stamatis Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert, Athens was to be a city with grand boulevards befitting its new independent status. Their plan set aside a large area around the Acropolis for archaeological excavations and respectfully took into consideration all of the surviving ancient and Byzantine monuments. It also anticipated the construction or restoration of churches, public buildings and shops. The Royal Palace was sited in the area of Omonia Square and was to be surrounded by a large green expanse, referred to by the architects as the “Garden of the People.” The entire concept for Athens was based on the principle of large city blocks with wide streets, squares and green areas, along with public buildings surrounded by free space. The plan was approved, but King Otto’s father, Ludwig I of Bavaria, had the extremely unfortunate idea of bringing in his court architect, Leo von Klenze, who, instead of envisaging a European capital of the future, believed he should create a medieval city of the past. Even worse was the disdain he showed for the city’s Byzantine monuments, many of which he planned to destroy. Thankfully, the entirety of his vision never came to fruition. However, neither did that of Kleanthis and Schaubert – an unfortunate development, as the absence of an ambitious plan capable of setting the foundations of the city and determining how it would evolve into the future is something that Athens is still suffering from today. Nevertheless, a number of great architects have been able to leave their mark.

Stamatis Kleanthis (Stamatiou) (1802-1862) & Eduard Schaubert (1804-1860)

An architect, town planner and entrepreneur, born in Ottoman-occupied western Macedonia, Stamatis Kleanthis studied in Berlin (under Karl Friedrich Schinkel and others), where his German friends and teachers admired his diligence and work ethic so much that they renamed him Kleanthis after the ancient Greek Stoic philosopher Cleanthes of Assos, a student of Zeno, who supported himself by working as a water carrier. Kleanthis graduated with highest honors, returning to Athens with his friend and colleague Eduard Schaubert, where they offered their services gratis to Greece’s new leader, Ioannis Kapodistrias. Together they designed the city plans for Athens, Piraeus and Eretria. They also went to Aegina, where Kapodistrias was then living, to erect warehouses and hospitals. In 1831, they built a small residence in Athens, the “Little Acropolis,” which so impressed Athenians that they chose it to initially accommodate the city’s university in 1837.

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ARCHITECTURE

National Technical University of Athens (1862-1878)

Lysandros Kaftantzoglou (1811-1885)

Born in Thessaloniki, Lysandros Kaftantzoglou studied in Rome where he received several prestigious awards. In 1833, he was among the winners of the Academy of Milan’s international architectural competition. He also studied, and distinguished himself, in France. Back home in Greece, he served as director of the Royal School of Arts, forerunner of the National Technical University of Athens, from 1844 until his resignation in 1862. Kaftantzoglou designed many magnificent neoclassical buildings, as well as the Arsakeion School, the churches of saints Irene, Constantine and Dionysios, and more than 15 private buildings in Athens.

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Athens City Hall, Kotzia Square (1874)

Panayiotis “Panayis” Kalkos (1810-1878)

A Greek neoclassical architect, his most important works include the first Acropolis Museum on the Sacred Rock, built between 1865 and 1874, the Amalieion Orphanage and Athens City Hall. His finest work, however, and certainly one of the city’s greatest architectural losses when it was demolished in 1956, was the Varvakeio Lyceum, founded between 1857 and 1859 under the patronage of Ioannis Varvakis, a wealthy member of the Greek community in Russia. The Varvakeio initially housed two high schools and later the Lyceum, which placed greater emphasis on practical and technical learning.

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Greek National Theater (1891)

Ernst Ziller (1837-1923)

The Saxon architect – later to became a Greek national – who arrived in Athens in 1861, at age 24, to supervise construction of the Academy of Athens, was also a painter and an avid scholar of ancient history. He studied architecture under Theophil Hansen and was intimately familiar with his work. Ziller went on to design over 900 buildings in the Greek capital. As an archaeological excavator, Ziller uncovered portions of the ancient stadium of Herodes Atticus, reconstructed in 1895 and known today as the Panathenaic Stadium. He also excavated and recorded the Theater of Dionysus. Ziller was among the first to notice that ancient buildings and sculptures were originally colored. Although he developed a highly personal style, it was based on neoclassicism, with evident Byzantine, Renaissance and northern European influences.

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Hilton Hotel (1958-1963)

Emmanouel Vourekas (1907-1992)

A prolific designer, well as one of the most controversial Greek architects of the 1960s, Emmanouel Vourekas is the man responsible, together with Prokopis Vassiliadis, Spyros Staikos and Antonis Georgiades, for the Athens Hilton Hotel. Conrad Hilton himself hailed the building as “the most beautiful Hilton hotel in the world,” when he attended its 1963 inauguration. This majestic example of ‘prestige architecture’ marked Greece as a future luxury tourist destination. Nevertheless, many contemporary Greek architects looked down their noses at Vourekas’ building, even though they appreciated the artwork presented on the facade by Yiannis Moralis. In the end, with more than 200 projects to his credit, Vourekas’ influence on Athens, and the impact of the modernization that transformed the city in the late 1950s and 1960s, is hard to deny.

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American Embassy (1959-1961)

Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (1883-1969)

A German who lived in the US for much of his life, Walter Gropius was the founder of the renowned Bauhaus School. As an architect, he is considered to be, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the pioneers of modern architecture. For Athens, Gropius is remembered as the architect who gave the city one of its greatest modern landmarks: the American Embassy, a collaboration with fellow architect Pericles A. Sakel-larios. The building has been granted protected status. Gropius’ design was typical of Bauhaus simplicity, inspired by the architecture of the Parthenon.

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Doxiadis Building (1957-1958)

Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis (1914–1975)

Doxiadis was one of Greece’s greatest pioneers of modern architecture and city planning. Among his many achievements that earned him an international reputation, was his preliminary plan for the new Pakistani capital of Islamabad in the 1960s. He was a thinker who held a deep respect for nature and applied his philosophical views to his art, something which is reflected in his buildings. He is also considered the father of Ekistics, a field of architecture that takes a scientific approach to how settlements are constructed. At the peak of his career in the 1960s, Doxiadis addressed the US Congress on the future of American cities; his portrait appeared on the cover of Time Magazine; and his company, Doxiadis Associates, had contracts in over 40 countries. In Athens, one of his most renowned buildings is the Doxiadis Building, formerly his company headquarters – now transformed into the One Athens Housing Estate by the architectural firm Divercity, which preserved the building’s outer shell and the basic elements of Doxiadis’ philosophy.

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explore G REE C E IS

ATH EN S

P U T ON YOUR WAL KIN G SH OES

In many respects, Athens is a gritty city, but if you look beyond the grime and graffiti, you will see that this is simply a part of its incredible vitality. Each neighborhood, from picturesque Plaka to chic Kolonaki, has singular charm and some very pleasant surprises. Detail from “A House in Plaka” (1963) by Cretan painter Georgios Manoussakis, Tempera on paper, 38x24 cm (Π.3198) (c) National Gallery - Al. Soutzos Museum, photo Stavros Psiroukis.

NEIGHBORHOODS | PL AK A

THE AGED LADY

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Ask anyone which is the prettiest part of Athens and they’re bound to say Plaka, with its stately homes, interesting churches, ancient monuments and colorful courtyards.

BY GEORGIa lemos

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NEIGHBORHOODS | PL AK A

f the heart of modern Athens beats in and around Syntagma Square, with its shops, banks and services, its soul resides in Plaka. Most descriptions of this picturesque quarter begin by saying it is the “oldest” neighborhood in Athens. Defining “old” can be a challenge, of course, especially when sitting on a slab of ancient marble from the 5th century BC, surrounded by 19th century neoclassical mansions and gazing upon the Roman Agora – built by Julius Caesar and Augustus – where also stands a medieval mosque (1456) and a 2nd century BC weather vane. The residential part of Plaka, as we see it today, first took shape in the 19th century, when heroes of Greece’s 1821 War of Independence and wealthy merchants who formed the still small but dynamic middle class built their homes in this privileged part of the city. Athens had become the capital of the newly liberated state and Plaka’s development by social elites was an expression of a changing society. Today, it is just as

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much of a privilege to have a Plaka address as it was for the 19th and early 20th century aristocracy, which grew out of Greece’s academic, political and mercantile classes. Efforts to preserve Plaka’s elegant structures have helped to salvage the neighborhood’s historical character, especially from the onslaught of mass tourism that began in the 1980s. Yet Plaka has also not forgotten its roots, as some of the quaint, smaller houses testify. For Athenians who seek a dose of grace in an otherwise rather graceless city, it is sheer pleasure to wander through Plaka’s snaking streets, discovering new aspects of the neighborhood at every turn and reconnecting with a bygone era. One cannot help but think, in gazing around Plaka, that this is what makes Athens so unique: Its history and visible layers of aesthetic heritage that surround us are not just exhibits to be seen in one of the city’s many museums; they are part of everyday life.

1. In Plaka, there always seems to be a quiet, out-of-the-way step or doorway where you can rest for a moment or plan your next move. 2. Like much of central Athens, Plaka has come alive with colorful buildings, a tradition that may have started with the 2004 Olympics when locals were urged by city leaders to apply fresh paint. 3. The square of the Lysicrates Monument is one of Plaka’s most charming. Lord Byron once rented a room here, in a convent now long gone. 4. Impromptu cafes spring up in Plaka anywhere there is a little free space, even on the district’s age-old stone staircases.

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Today, it is just as much of a privilege to have a Plaka address as it was for the city’s 19th and early 20th century aristocracy, which grew out of the newly founded state’s academic, political and mercantile classes.

DON’T MISS Roman Agora, Pelopidou & Aeolou, tel. (+30) 210-324.5220 Athenians in the late 1st century BC built a marketplace with donations from the wealthy Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Augustus. It consisted of a large rectangular area with an internal courtyard, surrounded by a colonnade (110 columns), shops and storage spaces. Of particular note are the Tower of the Winds (see next page) the Agoranomeion (the market inspector’s office and possibly the headquarters of the nobles who controlled the market), the “Vespasians” (public latrines) and the Fethiye Mosque or Mosque of the Conquest, built on the ruins of an Early Christian basilica in 1456 BC and dedicated to Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Opening hours are daily from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. G R E E C E IS

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DON’T MISS

Museum of Greek Folk Art Panos Street Building 22 Panos • Tel. (+30) 210-321.4972, (+30) 210-324.5957 • www.melt.gr This is where to learn how horses were shoed and fields were ploughed, as well as what tools were used before Greece’s industrial revolution, in the permanent exhibition “Men & Tools: Aspects of labor in a pre-industrial society.” Admission costs 2 euros; free for children, teenagers up to age 18 and students. Opening hours are Tuesdays-Sundays 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Museum of Greek Folk Art Bath House of the Winds 8 Kyrrhistou • Tel. (+30) 210324.4340 • www.melt.gr The so-called Hamam of Abid Efendi, sole survivor of three 19th century public baths in Athens, operated as a steam bath until 1965. It dates to the 15th century, the first period of Ottoman rule. Today, you can visit simply for the atmosphere or to attend an event or modern art exhibit. Admission costs 2 euros. Opening hours are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily except Tuesdays.

Museum of Greek Folk Art Greek Folk Musical Instruments 1-3 Diogenous • Tel. (+30) 210-325.0198 This remarkable collection of instruments is among the most important of its kind in Europe, housed in a typical Plaka mansion from the mid-1800s. The gift shop features an extensive collection of recordings and books. Admission is free of charge. Opening hours are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily, except Mondays. Tours are conducted by appointment only.

Frissiras Museum 3 & 7 Monis Asteriou • Tel. (+30) 210-323.4678 • www.frissirasmuseum.com This little-known but well-worth-visiting museum has a permanent collection of some 3,500 paintings and sculptures by Greek and foreign artists from the last 50 years, on the theme of the human figure. Admission costs 6 euros; 3 euros for students. Opening hours are Wednesdays-Fridays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturdays & Sundays 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Mondays & Tuesdays.

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The Tower of the Winds Also known as “Horologion of Andronicus Cyrrhus”, it is believed to have been built in the 2nd century BC. It was an octagonal marble tower topped by a bronze Triton that turned with the wind to indicate one of the eight winds depicted on each of its sides. It also contained sundials, while, inside, the mechanism for a water clock was housed. It is hailed as the world’s first weather station. Why was it built at the Roman Agora and not the port of Piraeus to help captains plan their routes? The reason may be simple: As the prices of goods traded at the Agora were determined by the quantity of the product brought in by ships, as well as by other modes of transport, traders had a distinct advantage in knowing which winds were favorable and adjusted their prices accordingly. For the public who frequented the Agora, the tower served as a convenient way to check on the hour while shopping.

PLAKA MUSEUMS

NEIGHBORHOODS | ANAFIOTIK A

Overnight wonder If Plaka is a treasure chest in the hodge-podge that is Athens, Anafiotika is its hidden jewel. The history of how this “little piece of the Cyclades” was created is one of the most fascinating in the city.

nafi, a small island located east of Santorini in the southern Aegean, has historically produced some of Greece’s best builders. In the 19th century, after the country’s liberation from Ottoman rule, the newly-arrived Bavarian King Otto summoned craftsmen from Anafi to build his palace – today the seat of the country’s Parliament overlooking Syntagma Square. These same craftsmen were commissioned by wealthy Greeks – many of them war heroes – to build the imposing mansions that we still see in Plaka today. The Anafi builders toiled to put roofs over the heads of many prominent Athenians, but it never occurred 98

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to anyone that they had nowhere to live themselves. It is said that the Oracle of Delphi had decreed centuries earlier that no construction should take place on the north side of the Acropolis, possibly to preserve the area’s sanctity. The first homes built there were those of two homeless Anafiots, who worked over the course of two nights so that authorities would not be wise to their activities. Many of their compatriots then followed suit, giving rise to the tiny neighborhood of Anafiotika (of the Anafiots). During the day, they built stately houses for the Athenian elite, while at night they constructed small yet functional residences for their families, with pretty gardens, narrow alleys

The Anafi builders toiled to put roofs over the heads of many prominent Athenians, but it never occurred to anyone that they had nowhere to live themselves.

BY Georgia Lemos

The Anafi builders worked quietly through the night to erect the first humble homes located right at the foot of the Acropolis.

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and broad steps, which reminded them of home. Their artistry, technical mastery and respect for the natural landscape was such that, had their homes not been painted a brilliant white, they would hardly stand out from a distance. There are still no individual names for the snarl of alleys that make up Anafiotika, stretching from Stratonos Street to the foot of the Acropolis, so houses are distinguished by the postal service as “Anafiotika 1,” “Anfiotika 2,”

etc. One of the prettiest among these is “Anafiotika 4,” with a beautiful garden of lemon trees and wild rose bushes. I always find a walk around Anafiotika calming, even though it lies in the middle of a noisy metropolis. So, enjoy a tranquil stroll through the narrow streets, lined with flowers planted in big oil or cheese drums; the colorful shutters contrasting with the white walls; and the ornate doorways – it is much like being in Anafi itself.

Anafiotika is worth exploring, not just for the fact that it makes you feel as though you’re on an island, but also because you get a couple of great views over the city.

Athens University History Museum 5 Tholou • Tel. (+30) 210-368.9500-10 • www.history-museum.uoa.gr This was home to the first university of free Greece, which operated from 1837-1841 in an Ottoman-era residence that had been renovated by Stamatis Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert for the headquarters of their architectural firm. Exhibits from the university’s first schools (medicine, law, philosophy) are presented in the halls of the old university, including rare books, manuscripts, letters, etc. Admission is free of charge and opening hours are Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.; Monday & Wednesday 9.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m. & 6-9 p.m. in the summer; and Monday-Friday 9.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m. in the winter.

fun fact Saint George of the Rocks is a tiny church on Stratonos Street that was built in the 17th century, and renovated in the 19th, by the Anafi builders who created the neighborhood. It is named thus because it is right at the base of the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis. 100

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Kanellopoulos Foundation Museum 12 Theorias • Tel. (+30) 210-331.8873 • www.pakanellopoulosfoundation.org The collection, donated to the Greek state in 1972 by Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulos, comprises 6,000 objects and works of art, dating from prehistoric to modern times, which trace the remarkable evolution of Greek art through the ages. Admission costs 2 euros; free for students. Opening hours are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily, except Monday.

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NEIGHBORHOODS | DIONYSIOU AREOPAGITOU & PHILOPAPPOS

Walk like an Athenian Let’s take a stroll along the city’s most popular pedestrian promenade – one of the most scenic in the world. BY IFIGENIA VIRVIDAKI

1. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus. 2. The fondly named “Mikri Polikatikia” (little block) by architect Vasilis Kouremenos (1930’s).

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3. Walking around the sites in the summer can be a daunting task. Several companies offer hop-on, hop-off tours on so-called “tourist trains.” 4. You can get around faster – and certainly in a more entertaining way – on a four-wheel bicycle, or by Segway.

5. The view from Philopappos stretches all the way to the Saronic Gulf – which shows that wherever you are in Athens, the sea is never far away.

From ABBA to Zorba, buskers on Dionysiou Aeropagitou play all kinds of music, while a variety of other performers, artists and vendors contribute to the festive atmosphere of the historic pedestrian road.

NEIGHBORHOODS | DIONYSIOU AREOPAGITOU & PHILOPAPPOS

the Philopappos Hill. Listed for preservation by UNESCO, this extensive project incorporated paved streets and footpaths, resting and viewing areas, as well as two important buildings: the cafe (which has been closed in the last few years) and the Church of Dimitrios Loumbardiaris. At the point where the promenade bends rightward into Apostolou Pavlou Street, you will see one of the main entrances to Philopappos Hill – a 70-hectare tree- and shrub-covered expanse, with scattered ancient ruins, which is home to some 130 species of birds. If you bring sandwiches and drinks, you can enjoy a picnic on one of the hill’s many wooden tables, or at the panoramic site of the ancient popular assembly (ekklesia).

The Church of Aghios (Saint) Dimitrios Loumbardiaris was restored by architect Dimitris Pikionis in 1955.

TIRED OF WALKING? Fun Bikes

Dionysiou Areopagitou & Hadjichristou • Tel. (+30) 210-922.7722, 6948469.749 Get around on a 4-seat or 2-seat bike. The rental rates for one hour are 16 and 10 euros respectively; and for half an hour, 11 and 17 euros. The bikes are equipped with electric motors in case you get tired. Open daily: 10.30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

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At he n s S e g way T o u r s

7 Aeschinou & Frynichou • Tel. (+30) 210-322.2500 • www.athenssegwaytours.com The standard 2-hour tour takes you around the Acropolis and the National Garden for 59 euros per person. The “Ultimate Acropolis Tour” includes a visit to the archaeological sites of central Athens and a guided tour of the Acropolis on foot. It lasts 3 hrs 30 mins and costs 97 euros.

DON’T MISS

Sanctuary and Theater of Dionysus The plays of the great Greek dramatists (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes) were first performed here. The theater in the Sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus initially consisted only of the orchestra: a flat, circular area for dancing. In the 5th century BC, a permanent stone structure with a few “thrones” for VIPs was added, but many of the seats, the stage and the stage building were still wood.

Sanctuary of Asclepius Asclepius was the god of medicinal healing and his sanctuaries were basically hospitals. The Asclepeion of Athens consisted of a temple with an altar and three galleries, one of which housed the patients who believed the god would visit them in their dreams with the power to heal even the deadliest diseases. The sanctuary was destroyed by invaders in AD 267.

The Stoa of Eumenes To the west of the Theater of Dionysus was a stoa (colonnaded walkway), probably a donation by the King of Pergamon, Eumenes II (197-159 BC). Theater-goers could take shelter there from sun or rain. Archaeologists have discovered this was the Acropolis area where races originally were held for the Panatheniac Games, before the festival’s athletic contests were moved to the Panathenaic Stadium.

I N F O : D i o n y s u s A r c h a e o l o g i c al S i t e Dionysiou Areopagitou & Thrasylou • Tel. (+30) 210-322.4625 • Open daily 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

undreds of locals and visitors avail themselves of sunny days to walk along the pedestrian street of Dionysiou Areopagitou at the bottom of the Acropolis, passing emblematic archaeological sites and museums, but also keeping an eye on the neoclassical and modern architecture that flanks the left-hand side of the promenade as you head toward Thiseio. The building at number 17 is an exquisite example of art deco style, designed in 1930 by Vassilis Kouremenos, which, since 1988, has been classified as a protected work of art. Of particular note is the often-overlooked artistry of the celebrated architect and academic Dimitris Pikionis, who, in the 1950s, landscaped the entire site around the Acropolis and

NEIGHBORHOODS | THISEIO

Centuries-old elegance Long a place of clamour, historic clashes and neo-classical charm, Thiseio’s streets are still abuzz – now with cafes and restaurants that pack tables even onto their rooftops for the spectacular Acropolis view.

hiseio got its name accidentally: city planners once believed that the nearby ancient temple (449444 BC) overlooking the Athenian Agora was dedicated to Theseus, and so they named the neighborhood after him. Later, archaeologists revealed the temple had actually been dedicated to Hephaistos and Athena Ergane. The area is also home to the Pnyx, the site of ancient Athens’ popular assembly (ekklesia), where citizens would gather to

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listen to their leaders before important decisions were made. It was here that Themistocles convinced the Athenians to strengthen the city’s fortifications and Pericles argued for the construction of the Parthenon, with funds from Athens’ Delian League allies. The corner of Eptachalkou and Ifestou is another important site, though visible traces of the past have now vanished. It was here that soldiers of the Roman General Sulla found a

1. Apostolou Pavlou street, where vehicle traffic is banned and the historic houses and shops have been revitalized to create a lovely area for strolling, people-watching and panoramic dining. 2. Thiseio has wide open areas with unobstructed views to the Acropolis, where you can find shade under a street peddler’s umbrella and try local snacks or admire handmade crafts. 3. One of Thiseio’s best features are its shady cafes, where you can relax after a day of walking in the sun. In the evening, try the area’s tavernas, known for their excellent grilled meat dishes.

BY marina douni

NEIGHBORHOODS | THISEIO

crack in Athens’ defenses, invading and pillaging the city in 86 BC. The historian Plutarch describes the resulting bloodshed. In more recent times, the area experienced an economic and construction boom sometime around 1860. The three-story neoclassical mansions that have been preserved and restored along Apostolou Pavlou and Eptachalkou streets give us a rare glimpse into the architectural styles of that era and help us to visualize what life was like. Besides fascinating ancient and later monuments, Pnyx Hill is also the site of the National Observatory and the Dorides Telescope. According to lore, this spot was chosen because it was close to the astrological observatory – the heliotrope – of the 5th century BC astronomer Meton of Athens. On the

Hill of the Nymphs, there is a church built in 1927, dedicated to Aghia Marina. It was constructed around an older Byzantine church dug into the rock in the 11th or 12th century, so you have to enter the new church to see the older one. Just as in ancient times, when the nymphs were worshipped for their healing powers, so in early modern times it was believed that the icon of Aghia Marina could help sick children and women preparing for childbirth. Nearby, archaeologists discovered traces of a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus Hypsistos, while downslope lay a smooth stretch of rock that pregnant Athenian women used to slide down, believing this would ensure them a painless labor. In Greece, there always seems to be a link between the centuries.

It was here that Themistocles convinced the Athenians to strengthen the city’s fortifications and Pericles argued for the construction of the Parthenon, with funds from Athens’ allies.

The National Observatory of Athens (1842), on the Hill of the Nymphs; also home to the Museum of Geoastrophysics (tours by appointment only; tel. +30 210-349.0157).

Melina Mercouri City of Athens Cultural Center 66 Irakleidon & Thessalonikis • Tel. +30 210-345.2150 Housed in a late-19th century hat factory owned by Elias Poulopoulos. Two permanent exhibitions on the historic Karagiozis shadow-puppet theater and Athens’ 19th and 20th century business culture. Daily 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 5 - 9 p.m. (Sundays, closes at 1 p.m.). 108

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Bernier/Eliades 11 Eptachalkou • Tel. +30 210341.3936 • www.bernier-eliades.gr This has been one of the city’s foremost contemporary art galleries since 1999. It overlooks a rocky outcrop topped by a lovely little post-Byzantine church.

Herakleidon Art Museum 16 Irakleidon • Tel. +30 210-346.1918 • www.herakleidon-art.gr Science is made fun and easy with interactive exhibitions and activities for children and adults, as well as fascinating temporary exhibitions.

don’t miss

NEIGHBORHOODS | GA ZI

Beneath the imposing iron structures of Athens’ old natural gas plant is a venue hosting cultural events all year round. The area of Gazi, named after the factory, has evolved around it, becoming a major entertainment hub. BY Marina douni

iding up the escalator of the Kerameikos metro station brings you into one of the largest public squares in Athens, often frequented by throngs of locals who are heading to one of the area’s dozens of bars and restaurants or are content simply to hang out on a park bench, sipping a cold beer from the kiosk and watching the world go by. The most emblematic structure in Gazi and the area’s namesake is the mid-19th century gas (gazi 110

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in Greek) factory, which dominates the skyline with its imposing iron structures and stone chimneys. The factory was instrumental in the development of this relatively poor yet vibrant working-class neighborhood. Persefonis was Gazi’s first and most popular street, the point at which the transformation of the area into part of the urban fabric began. Today it is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants. I counted 15 eateries serving every-

thing from souvlaki and hamburgers to Greek home-style dishes and crepes. A row of small, time-worn houses on Persefonis and Dekeleon streets represent the last traces of the village that grew up around the gas plant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It began as a collection of makeshift huts, humble homes and narrow streets built by the factory workers. Today these relics of the past have become a favorite hangout for the capital’s young people.

Industrial goes pop

NEIGHBORHOODS | GA ZI

1. The historic gas factory looms over the Gazi district. For a scenic route there, take Ermou Street all the way to this small park at its end.

3. The Industrial Gas Museum is among only a handful in Europe that showcase 19th century industrial design, technology and architecture.

5. The Benaki Museum’s Pireos Street Annex, has added 3000 square meters of exhibition space to that of its main building in Kolonaki.

2. Quite a few traditional one-storey and twostorey houses still survive in Gazi today, taken over by fun cafes and meze restaurants.

4. Gazi has gained hugely in popularity during the past few years, attracting the party crowd from every corner of Athens.

6. The tour of the Industrial Gas Museum includes a video with interviews of former workers and neighborhood residents.

GAZI MUSEUMS Technopolis – Industrial Gas Museum 100 Pireos • Tel. (+30) 210-347.5518 • www.techonoplis-athens.com The former gas factory operates as a cultural center, Technopolis, hosting concerts, art exhibits, lectures, performances, etc. The Industrial Gas Museum, also here, is Greece’s only surviving gas plant and among a handful in Europe that showcases 19th century industrial technology and architecture. Museum open Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (summer) and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (winter). Its great gift shop has creations by well-known designers, English-

language books, toys, jewelry, photographs, etc) and an open-air cafe-snack bar.

Temporary exhibitions: €4 to €6. All-inclusive: 20% discount on total cost of tickets for all exhibitions on day of visit. O p e n : Thursday & Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

B ENA K I M USEU M – PIREOS S T REE T B UILDIN G 138 Pireos & Andronikou • Tel: +30 210 34.53.111 • www.benaki.gr Some of the biggest names in contemporary art have been featured at the Benaki Museum annex since its opening in 2004. Exhibits represent a broad spectrum of mediums, by artists of the caliber of Yannis Tsarouchis, Sean Scully and John Galliano. In addition to hosting live performances, the annex also has a café-restaurant and shop. T i c k e t s :

Greek Film Archive 48 Iera Odos & Megalou Alexandrou • Tel. (+30) 210-360.9695 • www.tainiothiki.gr A treasury of cinema art, the Greek Film Archive has both an indoor and open-air theater, featuring tributes to great filmmakers and pioneering work (original language, with Greek subtitles), as well as temporary exhibitions.

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NEIGHBORHOODS | ATHINA S S TRE ET

A Modern-day Bazaar Pedestrians and motorists jostle each other on this bustling thoroughfare, as smells of fresh fish and meat waft from the market past rows of neoclassical buildings juxtaposed with crumbling edifices, reminders of Athinas’ durability.

f Athinas were a woman, she would be raucous, hard-working, neurotic and exotic, jovial and sly, perfumed with spices and herbs, flogging everything from fish and meat to kitchenwares, construction materials and overalls. In some sections, the hardworn street still reflects the passage of two centuries; in others, it has been given a facelift, with the renovations of several neoclassical buildings mocking in their grandeur the rough-and-tumble life of a neighborhood that did not

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suddenly appear like some miraculous offspring from Zeus’ head, but evolved through the day-to-life of the city’s residents. Although its name, from the goddess Athena, denotes wisdom rather than commerce, Athinas Street has always been a key commercial hub, linking Omonia Square to City Hall, the Plaka, the Roman and Athenian Agoras and Monastiraki. Athinas earned its nickname as the Street of Miracles because it once

formed a bridge between the city’s gentrified, Western European quarters and its exotic, Oriental bazaars. Although Athinas was never aristocratic, renowned architects like Panayis Kalkos and Ernst Ziller endowed the street with a number of stately buildings. Yet, the lifeblood of Athinas always was, and continues to be, the humble traders that preside over their shops there, carrying on in the footsteps of fathers and grandfathers who bequeathed them the family business.

BY GEORGIA LEMOS

NEIGHBORHOODS | ATHINA S S TRE ET

fun facts • It was one of the first streets to be laid out in Athens, in 1834. • In 1853, it was embellished with an ornate fountain, wooden signposts and lanterns. • City Hall, originally two stories high, was built in 1874. • Until the late 20th century, or thereabouts, it was the street with the greatest number of small, cheap hotels, which welcomed Greeks from the provinces, as well as immigrants from every corner of the world. 6

The heart of this area beats in the Varvakeios Market, the Greek capital’s first covered municipal emporium. Built on a plot beside the Varvakeios High School, both were named after a wealthy benefactor who endowed several important projects at the time. In 1884, after a large fire razed all of the stalls of the older market, which dated from the Ottoman occupation, the new market was opened in 1886 and has operated ever since without interruption. No place for the faint-hearted

(some visitors are put off by the sight of animal carcasses hanging on hooks), Athenians come here regularly to do their weekly shopping, often stopping for a bite to eat afterwards at one of the area’s many good tavernas. The eateries within the market itself are also famous for serving hangover-friendly food to Athenian party animals well into the wee hours. Despite the loss of much of its architectural legacy during the 20th century, Athinas still has one foot firmly planted in Ottoman-era Athens.

1-3. The late 19th century Varvakeios Market, still Athens’ go-to place for fresh fish and meat. Surrounding shops sell everything from wine beakers to ecclesiastical incense burners. 4-6. Athens’ Old City Hall (1871-1874), with its Doric entrance; freshly restored architectural details just overhead; and a breathtaking view of the Acropolis: all to be had on Athinas Street. 7. The area is home to many local craftsmen and artisans – of course you can buy sandals too.

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NEIGHBORHOODS | PSYRRI

The art of transition From a working-class neighborhood of artisans and craftsmen in the 19th and 20th centuries, to a popular hangout in the 1980s and ‘90s, Psyrri is now evolving into a “boho” haunt for young artists.

syrri was the name Ottoman Turks gave to people from the island of Psara, many of whom had settled here. It used to be a neighborhood of cobblers, leather workers, ruffians and skilled craftsmen. In the 1990s, it began to change and acquired a vivid nightlife, centered on live music venues playing mostly Greek folk, as well as a few quality theaters, clubs and, of course, sundry bars, restaurants and original meze joints. In the 2000s, the daytime crowd started to disappear and the groundfloor shops emptied of workshops and

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skilled laborers. Psyrri went through a bad patch, but many of its original charms have remained intact: its originality, sense of fun, good music, a young crowd that hasn’t given up on it, Athens’s only female cobbler – Mrs Eleni – and, unbelievably, the Bohemian crowd. I found a group of them squashed together at the small tables of a classic Greek kafeneio (cafe) in the middle of the day, drinking coffee and beer, listening to bouzouki, live and unplugged. If you’re there at night, it’s likely you’ll come across an elderly sesame

ring (koulouri) peddler, who playfully shoots at patrons with a plastic gun, if they fail to make a purchase! And if you go to the kiosk on Ermou Street (close to Pittaki Street) and hear reggae playing on the stereo, then it’s probably Stelios serving you, one of the sons of the family that owns the business. His middle-aged dad prefers old-school rock and roll, his mom always plays Greek pop and his eclectic brother likes a bit of everything. Kiosk owners DJing in the middle of the street is one of the best concepts I’ve come across in the city in a while.

BY Georgia Lemos

Evening revelers enjoying cooler temperatures and great conversation beneath the vines in a Psyrri cafe.

fun fact In the last quarter of the 19th century Psyrri was taken over by the so-called “koutsavakides” – tough guys on the wrong side of the law, always ready for a scrap, who wore a broad red belt (under which they could hide a gun) and who carried their jacket over their left arm (so they could throw it off fast).

DON’T MISS

Armenian Metropolitan Church 10 Kriezi • Tel. (+30) 210325.2067 Dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator, this is an impressive, oddly beautiful church, built in 1935, to replace an earlier wooden chapel, by Armenians from Cilicia in Asia Minor.

Greek Gastronomy Museum 13 Aghiou Dimitriou • Tel. (+30) 210-321.1311 • www.gastronomymuseum.gr An historical, artistic showcase of Greek food. Local dishes, coffee, drinks served in a cool courtyard. Museum: Tues.-Sun., from 11 a.m.; eatery: Wed.-Sun., from 5 p.m.

Museum of Islamic Art 22 Aghion Asomaton & 12 Dipylou • Tel. (+30) 210325.1311 • www.benaki.gr A beautiful historic mansion, with one of the most comprehensive collections of art from the Islamic world, featuring an array of exquisitly crafted objects. Open Thurs.Sun., 9 am – 5 p.m.

Ηammam Βaths 17 Aghion Asomaton • Tel. +30 210-323.1073 • www.hammam.gr Athens’ only surviving Turkish steam baths; great atmosphere, experienced therapists. Many options. Ali Mama treatment (45 euros) includes exfoliation and massage. Bring your bathing suit.

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There’s always something lively and unusual to see in Monastiraki.

NEIGHBORHOODS | MONA S TIR AKI

The go-to place Athenians always say you can buy anything here. To see if that’s true, we searched every nook and cranny and discovered they’re right: in this crazy neighborhood, you can find just about everything under the sun.

androssou is a relatively broad street linking Mitropoleos – named after the imposing Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral – and Monastiraki Square. At the top end of the street, you may see idle shopkeepers whiling away the hours over cups of coffee, lamenting the drop in their business. Further down, a hodgepodge of commercial establishments sells furs, elegant gifts, knock-off soccer jerseys, plenty of tchotchkes and the predictable tacky souvenirs. At the lower end of Pandrossou, one usually finds Monastiraki Square in a state of bedlam, with crowds of people waiting to meet their friends or just hanging around, while

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the odd drum circle or group of Peruvian flute players adds to the din. Monastiraki offers an excellent demonstration of the fact that old and new live hand-in-hand in Athens. The square itself is home to an historic train station built in 1895 that now accommodates the metro system, a mosque from 1795, a small Christian church dating from the 9th-11th centuries and the remains of the Roman emperor Hadrian’s 2nd century AD library or forum. As much as we like to complain about our changing world, Ifestou Street – named after Hephaistos, the god of metalworkers – and Avyssinias Square still have something of their

BY Georgia Lemos

Monastiraki Square is a meeting point of different eras and cultures, from ancient Greek to modern, from Roman to Byzantine and Ottoman.

What is the attraction of Monastiraki? The shops, of course, but also the food, the hubbub, the smells and, especially, the people. Try a “koulouri” – a favorite Athenian snack – either with or without sesame.

Corinthian columns mark the western end of the Library of Hadrian (2nd cent. AD), once a large public forum, with strolling paths, decorative statues in niches, a library and two lecture halls.

old mystique. The shops may no longer sell beautiful antiques, but the new objects have their own charm and the reproductions of old furniture are quite good. Tiny side-streets like Kynetou and Normanou, meanwhile, offer small pockets of tranquility that appear to belong to more innocent times. Ifestou seems narrow because of the masses of merchandise displayed on both sides of this street, which represents the heart of the so-called Monastiraki Flea Market. Athenians have always said that you can find anything you want here and this may well be true. We spotted the following incongruous items: beads, sportswear, handmade soaps, hats, sandals, military uniforms, bicycles, furniture, dinner sets, old buttons, hardware, works of art, Karagiozi shadow-theater figures, vinyl records, decorative items, toys, knick-knacks and

much, much more. We even saw a man selling canaries. We asked around for a shop that sells handmade tsarouchi clogs – the red shoes with pom-poms, today worn by Greece’s Presidential Guard but historically by 19th century Greek soldiers – and were told about Dino, the best craftsman in town. Soon we found him in a small basement at 26 Ifestou and had a fascinating chat about his usual and not-so-usual products. At Avyssinias Square – once a center for antique auctions, first organized by a Greek Jew from Asia Minor in 1910 – you no longer find an abundance of antiques; but, with patience and a good eye, you may spot an attractive souvenir. In recent years, the square – likely named after the area’s former Ethiopian (Abyssinian) community – has become more a center of leisure, with two cafe-bar-restaurants already in place.

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NEIGHBORHOODS | MONA S TIR AKI

fun fact The old station, today used by the ISAP electric railway, marked the first steam-train link between Pireaus and central Athens. It was instrumental in boosting commerce by getting merchandise to and from the port fast.

Day or night, Monastiraki always has something interesting to offer; food, drink, shopping, ancient ruins, Acropolis views and colorful people from around the world.

If you’re tired of souvenirs, check out the area’s cafes and eateries, especially the topranked kebab shops that the Athenians themselves flock to.

Church of Panaghia Pantanassa Ermou & Athinas Monastiraki was named after this church, a barrel-vaulted basilica from the 9th-11th centuries. A Patriarchal sigillium from 1678 refers to it as a “Big Monastery,” an annex of the Monastery of Kaisariani; after 1821, it became known as the “small convent,” or monastiraki. It has a very pleasant atmosphere inside as well as a good collection of pretty icons, wood sculpture and other ornamentation. 120

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Center of Hellenic Tradition 59 Mitropoleos Stoa & 36 Pandrossou • Tel. (+30) 210-321.3023 • www.kelp.gr Showcasing artists whose works are inspired by Greece’s folk traditions, this venue also hosts a number of shops selling folk art, furniture, decorative items and much, much more. There is also a lovely cafe on the first floor, serving light meals and thirst-quenching refreshments.

Mosque of the Lower Fountain 1 Areos • Tel. (+30) 210324.2066 • www.melt.gr Also known as the Mosque of Tzisdarakis, it was built in the 18th century by the then-governor of Ottoman-ruled Athens, who called it the Mosque of the Lower Fountain after a public fountain that once existed nearby. Today it serves as an annex of the Museum of Greek Folk Art, showcasing its 20th century pottery collection.

Hadrian’s Library 3 Areos & Andrianou, Plaka • Tel. (+30) 210-324.9350 On the right of the mosque, you will see the Corinthian columns that used to surround Hadrian’s Library (2nd cent. AD). “That Hadrian really loved Athens,” sighed a woman standing beside us, as she looked at the ruins in awe. This large building once had an internal courtyard, a pool and fountains, its walls decorated with murals, gilding and statues, according to Pausanias, who visited soon after it had been completed.

DON’T MISS

NEIGHBORHOODS | E RMOU

Traders’ lane Ermou Street derives its name from Hermes, the ancient Greek god later equated with the Romans’ Mercury – the protector of traders; indeed, this is Athens’ most popular commercial strip.

arly 20th century descriptions of the area between Syntagma and Monastiraki squares speak of a bustling commercial hub, where the city’s residents went to purchase their everyday essentials, as well as small luxuries including fabric for a new frock or an item of jewelry for a special occasion. They describe the district’s transition from a simple market for the working class to a high street for the capital’s aristocracy and burgeoning middle class that was just beginning to be able to afford European finery. This 1,300 m-long stretch of Ermou was once abuzz with a vast array of migrant peddlers, well-dressed clerks, movie stars and theater divas, barrel-organ players, tourists, ladies’ maids, members of the Greek nobil-

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ity and Bavarian court, young seamstresses rushing to find a piece of lace to finish an evening gown, chestnut and sesame-ring sellers, wealthy merchants and real estate developers, craftsmen, artists and elegant young saleswomen working in fancy European boutiques. Before the street was finally paved (between 1910 and 1920) it was constantly beset by a cloud of dust, kicked up by the horse-drawn carriages of society ladies, dancing bears (a practice long since outlawed) and the shuffling of feet clad in every imaginable kind of shoe: from Turkish silk slippers to stiletto heels, and from patent-leather men’s shoes to traditional tsarouchi clogs. Before it was pedestrianized in the 1990s, Ermou also came to be clogged with cars, delivery vans and buses.

Today, Ermou can be described as a 21st century version of what it once was a century ago. Besides the ordinary goods of the ever-present street peddlers, you will find everything that a satisfying shopping spree might require, from a huge selection of footwear and clothing to eye glasses, housewares and numerous other useful items. You will notice that the farther you get away from Syntagma and the closer to Monastiraki, the more prices tend to drop, a reflection of the strip’s westwardly diminishing property values. At Athinas Street, the pedestrian zone ends and Ermou street enters Monastiraki. Here, the cars return and the dignified high street begins to take on the atmosphere a lively old-world marketplace.

BY GEORGIA LEMOS

1. Visitors and Athenians alike come to Ermou Street, stretching from Syntagma Square into Monastiraki, one of the longest, most diverse shopping avenues in Athens.

2. Find the latest trends at Ermou Street’s Pyrros Stoa, where the historic atmosphere combines architectural grace with modern-day chic.

3. Ermou street offers a great shopping experience, from the cool elegance of a European high street to the charm of a lively old-world marketplace.

4. Besides a huge selection of designer and brand name goods, don’t forget to try a “koulouri” – a tasty sesame-ring pretzel – or some other local delicacy.

Architectural highlights fun factS

Kapnikarea The small Byzantine (11th century) church halfway down Ermou Street is dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Panaghia), built on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Athena or Demeter. Most of its icons are the work of the respected, well-known painter Fotis Kontoglou. Its former name, Kamouharea, may have come from the area’s gold-embroidered textiles.

Koniari – Mela Stoa 54 Ermou & 10 Kapnikarea Square The 1883 demolition of an old house on the NW corner of Kapnikarea Square made way for the stately mansion of Vassilis Melas, a wealthy merchant. The first such mansion in Athens, it featured a ground-floor gallery (stoa) for shops. Similar stoas, in neoclassical and modern style, can now be seen all over Athens.

Pyrros Stoa 56 Ermou The Pyrros Stoa is a three-story neoclassical mansion named after Loukas Pyrros, owner of the original house on this spot, which was replaced in 1885 with the present elegant edifice. This local landmark is also remembered as one of the earliest modern commercial galleries in Athens, now home to H&M.

• Stop at the low wall surrounding the Byzantine Church of Kapnikarea for a breather and some people-watching. There is a plethora of food and snack choices in the surrounding side streets and often live Greek music on the weekends. • Ariston (Voulis 10) makes arguably the most delicious cheese pie (tyropita) in town – a must when you need a quick, tasty snack. • This is also the area to buy a hat. Men should try Kanellos (9 Kolokotroni) and women Karfil (12 Aghia Irinis). You will find everything from cool, handmade Panama hats and wool caps to straw sun hats.

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SEEK AND YOU shall FIND Splashing out on Ermou Street. BY S A N DY T S A N TA K I

Korres

(Ermou & 10 Voulis) For environmentally conscious shoppers, The Body Shop offers a range of cosmetics and beauty care products, from hair treatment products to body creams and bath salts, with its newest line inspired by the minty Mojito drink. Everything is packaged in a paper bag – never plastic.

(4 Ermou & Nikis) Both the packaging and the contents are inspired by nature for this organic cosmetics line that has become worldrenowned for its high quality and ingenious use of fresh Greek products.

Swarovski

Folli Follie

(18 Ermou) Sparkle from head to toe with Swarovski’s signature crystal necklaces, bracelets, cell phone covers and earrings, offered in a rainbow of colors. The miniatures also make great gifts, as do the tiaras – especially if you want your loved one to feel like a princess.

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(37 Ermou) Jewelry that stands out without being ostentatious, for all times of day. Also, watches, handbags and accessories that you simply must have or would like to offer as the perfect gift.

H&M

(54 Ermou & 1 Kapnikarea) Based on a minimalist concept, there is always something for everyone in women’s and men’s wear, as well as children’s clothing, and the collections are always being refreshed with new arrivals, fresh colors and fun displays. You’ll find bikinis and one-piece bathing suits featured by famous models, an array of leggings, tasseled t-shirts, jeans, sportswear, wedges and t-shirts with clever prints.

the Body Shop

shopping

BSB

Toi & Moi

Marks & Spencer

(33-35 Ermou) With original collections, a broad selection of apparel for men and women and highquality underwear and sleepwear, Marks & Spencer is the place for both everyday basics and evening wear. It is also a gourmet’s paradise with an excellent food hall. So, will it be wasabi chips or a little black dress trimmed with lace?

Prêt-à-exporter Did you know that Greece is home to affordable, high-quality fashion brands? See for yourself. At Toi & Moi (75 Ermou), in a beautiful neoclassical building, you will find casual and elegant designer clothes expressive of the brand’s two main lines: maxi dresses, knits and tunics, boleros, kimonos and more. Have you heard of BSB (43 Ermou & Evaggelistrias)? Here you can find anything from basic tops and prints to see-through lace, while many of the items are made of 100% organic cotton. The company has a strong presence in 12 countries and has recently expanded into accessories, footwear, underwear and bathing suits. If you are a sports fashionista, Body Talk (69 Ermou), sponsor of the National Volleyball Team, already exports to 36 countries, offering high quality, colorful, stylish, athletic and casual apparel for all tastes. At Med (17 Ermou), it’s mostly about lingerie, but also Mediterranean lifestyle swimwear, delicate dresses, sexy animal prints and vibrant floral motifs.

PUBLIC

Alexandrakis

(27 Ermou) A family-run enterprise, offering “quality, elegance and an eclectic mix of fashion and tradition to its discerning clientele,” since 1860. A visit to their boutique, housed in a Bauhaus-inspired building, is a genuine Athenian shopping experience.

(1 Karageorgi Servias) Just a stone’s throw away from Ermou street, overlooking Syntagma Square, this main branch of the biggest entertainment retail chain in Greece sells everything from books to flat screen TVs. The 104-year-old, completely refurbished building, known as the “Pallis Mansion,” is worth seeing in its own right. Designed by architect Anastasios Metaxas, it is a typical example of late neoclassicism, combining strong eclectic features and somewhat heavy, elaborate decorations. Visitors can also now enjoy a drink and snack in the terrace coffee shop, with a fine view of the Parliament building and the National Garden.

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NEIGHBORHOODS | KOLONAKI

It’s not trendy, it’s a classic While it may not be the Upper East Side or Belgravia, Kolonaki, despite its cracked sidewalks and pot-holed, traffic-packed streets, is the Athenian version of an upscale neighborhood, thanks to the people who created it.

Chic boutiques line the streets of Kolonaki, where one can also find plenty of cafes and restaurants in what may be Athens’ most sociable and sophisticated district.

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BY GEORGIA LEMOS

olonaki (named after a marble column (“kolona”) dating from the Middle Ages that was discovered in Dexameni square on the foot of Lycabettus Hill) became the absolute Place to Be after the first royal residences were built on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, in 1836-1842. The neighborhood has managed to retain much of its sense of glamour even today. As the elegant edifices of the newly installed Bavarian court appeared, wealthy Athenians raced to build their own “palaces” – exquisite samples of neoclassical architecture – just across the street. Some of these wonderful buildings have been preserved and today either accommodate foreign diplomatic missions or have been turned into important museums. Politicians and magnates could walk to their offices at Parliament or Syntagma Square, on Kolonaki’s southwestern edge, well-coiffed ladies could keep abreast of the latest fashions from Paris and Milan, and nannies could take the children out for their afternoon walks at the conveniently located National Garden. Kolonaki was a symbol of Athens’ passage from a Balkan city into a member of the exclusive club of Europe’s West. Athens’ most “aristocratic” neighborhood continued to

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Dexameni Square is favorite gathering place for local residents and vistors alike, where you can also catch a film at the open-air cinema or another glimpse of ancient Athens: the park’s Roman-era ruins mark Hadrian’s aqueduct, which brought water to the city until the 1930s.

expand through the 20th century, as a Kolonaki address became a sign of success for the upwardly-mobile middle class. Although many affluent city-dwellers started moving from central Athens to the outskirts during the 1980s, very few of these suburban areas can boast such a long history, which makes a casual stroll through Kolonaki’s architectural heritage fascinating. On the other hand, Lycabettus Hill was little more than a grazing ground for shepherds during the 19th century, earning adjacent Kolonaki the wry reputation as a “neighborhood of goats.” Karl Fix, the Bavarian royals’ favorite beer maker, set up his ice-making shop on the hill’s slopes at that time. The neighborhood grew rapidly, attracting the sophisticated and the wealthy, and eventually engulfed Lycabettus during the building boom of the 1960s. With its high-end boutiques, art galleries, fashionable cafes and restaurants, as well as bars and tavernas that have been around for decades, Kolonaki is a place to socialize, to see and be seen, where trendy young hipsters and ladies meeting for lunch rub elbows with well-dressed old gentlemen leisurely reading newspapers and discussing politics.

Historic, architecturally distinctive buildings, many of them recently renovated, add memorable color to the Kolonaki cityscape. Inside, traditional details can include painted-tile floors and kitchen fixtures crafted from white Pentelic marble.

NEIGHBORHOODS | KOLONAKI

Kolonaki a la mode BY S A N DY T S A N TA K I

Nota

For decades when we wanted to meet for a shopping spree we’d just say: “See you at the square?” and our friends knew we were talking about Kolonaki Square. This was the pre-mall, pre-crisis era, when every rented square meter there was gold, when Greek designers, fashion representatives, international chains and jewelers set up tasteful windows that were nothing like we’d seen before, creating a microcosm that made us think of Knightsbridge, Sloane Street and Saint-Germain-des-Pres. On Kolonaki’s streets, Patriarchou Ioakeim, Anagnostopoulou, Tsakaloff, Haritos, Skoufa, especially on a Saturday at midday, we knew we’d run into friends and acquaintances – this was before cell phones made their appearance. We’d see the ladies with hair coiffed in a ‘60s style, smelling of hairspray, carrying their toy poodles, dressed in skirt suits and high heels with matching purses, stepping out of Angelos Coiffures (14 Kolonaki Square), ordering

Atelier Loukia

Callista Crafts

Apivita

ballerina pumps in all the different hues from Lemisios (6 Lykavitou) or tailor-made evening dresses from Atelier Loukia (24 Kanari) and shirts with embroidered cufflinks for their husbands from Christakis (5 Kriezotou). Today, all these establishments have thankfully survived – not to say that Kolonaki hasn’t changed. It has become more openminded, less elitist. Jewelry stores like Apriati (29 Pindarou) and Ileana Makri (13-15 Patriarchou Ioakeim) have appeared alongside all-time favorites like Fanourakis (23 Patriarchou Ioakeim). In Ileana Makri, you can also buy the much talked about hand-crafted leather bags by Callista Crafts. You will also find everyday wear and accessories at boutiques that bring together different brands to create their own individual identity, such as Free Shop (50 Voukourestiou & Tsakaloff), carrying everything from Balenciaga to ancient Greek sandals. Designers’ work is flown straight

Yiorgos Eleftheriades

from Paris, Milan, New York and London to Luisa (15 Skoufa), Sotris Boutique (41 Voukourestiou & Tsakaloff) and Μah Jong (14 Kanari). If it’s global brands you’re after, you’ll find those too: Chanel at Linea Piu (6 Sekeri), Prada (17 Voukourestiou) and Tod’s (13 Voukourestiou). Made-in-Greece beauty and spa products are sold by Apivita (6 Solonos) and at Graffito (34-36 Solonos), and great gift items at Philos Athens (32 Solonos). And let’s not forget the Greek designers doing amazing work: Αtelier Dassios (35 Vassilisis Sofias), Deux Hommes (18 Kanari), Vassilis Zoulias (4 Academias) and Yiorgos Eleftheriades (29 Tsakaloff & Voukourestiou). Last but not least, there are the shops of the Museum of Cycladic Art (4 Neofytou Douka) and the Benaki Museum (1 Koumbari & Vassilisis Sofias), for inspired t-shirts, jewelry and gift items that just shout “Greece.” Or maybe they’re whispering: “See you at the square?”

Μah Jong

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NEIGHBORHOODS | KOLONAKI

Museums

Gallery Browsing B Y margarita p o u rnara

Museum of Byzantine & Christian Art 22 Vassilissis Sofias • Tel. (+30) 213-213.9500 • www.byzantinemuseum.gr This is one of the most important museums in the world, dedicated to Byzantine and post-Byzantine art and culture. Its collections comprise 25,000 artifacts from the 3rd century AD to the 20th century.

S tat h at o s M a n s i o n 1 Irodotou • Tel. (+30) 210-722.8321 The Museum of Cycladic Art usually holds its temporary exhibitions here. The building, designed by 19th century German architect Ernst Ziller, is without doubt one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture to be seen anywhere in Athens.

Museum of Cycl adic Art 4 Neofytou Douka (main building) • Tel. (+30) 210-722.8321-3 • www.cycladic.gr The influence of Cycladic art still resonates today: it might be 5,200 years old, but it’s still modern. Scholars attribute this to its anthropocentric character, reflected in the perfection and proportions of its forms, as well as to its simplicity and sense of austerity conveyed by the materials used. Cycladic art is believed to have inspired 20th century modern art. Enjoy a wonderful coffee at the museum’s atrium café after your visit.

Τ Η Ε F O r e i g n S c h oo l s of Archaeology The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) (54 Souidias • Tel. (+03) 213-00.02.400, www. ascsa.edu.gr ) and the British School at Athens (52 Souidias • Tel.(+030) 210-72.10.674, www.bsa.ac.uk), with their internationally respected scholarly libraries, are located in beautiful complexes surrounded by lush gardens on Souidias street. The ASCSA’a Gennadius Library (61 Souidias), an architectural gem and a trove of information, is open to the public.

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Benaki Museum (Main building) 1 Koumbari & Vassilissis Sofias • Tel. (+30) 210-367.1000 • www.benaki.gr The original neoclassical building that houses the museum was built in 1895 and donated to the Greek state by Antonis Benakis in 1931, along with his collections. Here visitors can see 40,000 works of art that record the history of the Hellenic world in a spectacular panorama.

Besides the museums that give this neighborhood its particular cultural vibe, Kolonaki’s galleries also make it the heart of the Athenian art market. The first major galleries opened here a few decades ago and are still in business today: Zoumboulakis (20 Kolonaki Square) opened in 1973 and has since shown the works of some of the country’s greatest artists, including Yiannis Moralis and Alekos Fassianos. Equally influential, The Athens Art Gallery (4 Glykonos) moved into the area at around the same time and has showcased the work of Greek artists from the diaspora, including Marios Prassinos and John Christoforou. Kolonaki’s reputation as a hub of the arts was enhanced in 1981 by the Skoufa Gallery (4 Skoufa), as well as Gallery 7 (20 Solonos) and the nearby Kalfayan Galleries (11 Haritos), located in an elegant modern building, which has represented great foreign names. The latest impressive addition has been the gallery Evripidis (10 Irakleitou). Housed in a beautiful mansion from 1930, it is expected to host both established and upand-coming artists.

Cafe Society B Y ale x is gaglias

Kolonaki has always been what could be described as the geopolitical center of Athenian life, in part thanks to its innumerable cafes. More political agreements have probably been struck at one of its coffee tables than in the Parliament itself. The area is also defined by the hundreds of city folk, artists, actors, journalists, TV stars and other personalities who come to meet friends or to see and be seen. Each clique has its own favorite place. It was also here that proper Italian espresso and cappuccino first made their appearance in Greece, and where the Greek art of iced coffee was perfected – ideal during a hot day on the town. With the exception of Brazilian, a legendary haunt for Athens’ 20th century intelligentsia, and JK, a meeting place for politicians, almost all of Kolonaki’s emblematic cafes still stand in the spots where they first opened. Filion (34 Skoufa), mainly attracting an eclectic crowd of theater directors and writers, and Da Capo (1 Tsakaloff), the de rigueur place to be seen since 1990, are probably the best known among them. At Jimmy’s Coffee Shop (7 Valaoritou) journalists push tables together so they can wrangle over politics and scoops, and at Pit (1 Kanari & Milioni) politicians like to sit out on the pedestrian stretch to have a more relaxed chat with their peers. Nearby, at relative newcomer Flocafe (7 Milioni), it is definitely all about coffee... with an amazing selection of beans and blends from all over the world – though its mixed set of patrons also frequently succumb to the temptation of its cocktails, snacks and pastries on offer. The lawyers working at nearby banks and businesses gravitate toward Brasserie (15 Valaoritou), where they wind down after a day at work or argue over an out-of-court settlement, while the intellectuals that gather at Vivliothiki (18 Kolonaki Square) tend to be old-school Athenians, split by politics but joined in custom. Last but not least, Dexameni (on the square of the same name) was a favorite haunt for writers and artists from the start of the 20th century; today you can see still clever types tapping away at their laptops. Whether they’re writing poetry, preparing job applications or simply social-networking is anyone’s guess.

TEMPTATION street If it’s luxury goods you’re after, Voukourestiou is where you need to be. BY S A N DY T S A N TA K I

Chopard-Κassis Boutiques

Ora Kessaris

Longchamp

Attica

(2 Stadiou & Voukourestiou) Happy diamonds? Happy watches? Happy faces. It all began in Switzerland in 1860. Jewelry and watches that stand out for their fine craftsmanship and elegance, combining tradition and technology in a family environment. Happy diamonds. Key words: freedom, happiness, vitality.

(6 Voukourestiou) Still haven’t decided what travel bag you will need next weekend? Thinking that you should have brought (at least) one more bag on your trip? Longchamp has the solution in the form of smart, multipurpose bags in all colors and surprise collaborations with designers who are not afraid to experiment with motifs ideal for any occasion. 132

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(8 Voukourestiou) When you’re seriously thinking about buying a watch, you want to be able to choose from the most classic as well as the very latest pieces on the market. Bulgari, Panerai, Rolex, IWC, De Grisogono, Harry Winston, Jaeger-LeCoultre… No fashion here. Just instinct and values.

(9 Panepistimiou) Very little time to spare and you want to buy a gift or something for yourself? Ascend the escalators or use the elevator and enter heaven. Here you will find everything from sunglasses, cosmetics and children’s clothing to lingerie, men’s sandals and suits. Even if you don’t make a purchase, just looking around will enhance your mood. And your day.

Louis Vuitton

(19 Voukourestiou) It has always been hard to resist anything bearing the logo of Louis Vuitton, which has had a habit of making fashion history with each new collection, even before the highly talented Nicolas Ghesquiere was appointed as the legendary house’s creative director. From key rings and purses to bags, footwear and dresses, the true fashionista knows where to shop. Who knows what next season will bring?

shopping

Franck Muller-Kassis Boutiques

Omega Boutique

ATHINA ORA (BREITLING)

Rolex

(21 Voukourestiou) Geneva, late 1980s. That’s when it really began, though the official date of establishment is 1991. Watches for people with a passion for… watches, who are not interested in superficialities and see themselves as collectors with personal preferences and style.

(6 Voukourestiou) Since 1884, watches that stand out for their precision, reliability and superb craftsmanship. The chronometers are bestsellers. One of only a few Swiss haute horlogerie companies that have chosen to remain independent. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Breitling had linked its name to world aviation. Preferred by pilots ever since…

(2 Voukourestiou) I don’t know how long Cindy Crawford has been the company’s model. But it certainly says something. Consistency, vision, evolution, confidence. What will you find? Chronographs, diamonds, items that have stood the test of time and others that have not yet been put through their paces. Just waiting to come alive on your wrist.

City Link

(Voukourestiou & 4 Stadiou) A world unto itself, filled with luxury items for the most demanding customer. Choose from jewelry, clothing and accessories from acclaimed, talented designers and leading brands. Think Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Liana Vourakis, Nak, Tous, Links of London, Replay and Salvatore Ferragamo. There is also plenty of choice when it comes to a reinvigorating after-shopping coffee, relaxing drink or tasty snack. With The Upper House, City Bistro, Clemente, Pasaji, Zonar’s and Zonar’s Chocolaterie, you simply can’t go wrong. You will be forgiven for forgetting you are in Athens, as the experience is more akin to something you usually find in one of the world’s international fashion hubs. Here, however, with a Greek flavor.

(5 Valaoritou) At the third stroke, it will be six o’ clock exactly. Do you remember Sylvie Guillem telling the time with her legs? Classic watches, timeless pieces, for men and women, worn on the right, on the left, a precious gift, and a keepsake passed down from generation to generation.

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Passion for Shoes

ON LINE BOUTIQUE www.dimitrasarridou.gr

taste GREECE IS

ATH EN S

B RIN G YOUR APPETITE

From award-winning restaurants to quality street food, Athens offers a diverse culinary experience. And as for nightlife, it is still the city that never sleeps, as evidenced by the throngs of fun-loving young people sipping mojitos or quaffing beer inside and outside its numerous bars and cafés. “Taverna” by Georgios Manoussakis, Oil on canvas, 40x50 cm (Π.3199) (c) National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, photo Stavros Psiroukis.

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BACK TO THE BASICS Any cook worth his or her salt knows that food is all about what you build it with. In Athens, you can still find shops that live for the ABCs of flavor.

espite the signs of urban decline that are so pronounced in the area around Omonia Square, a number of establishments are defying the crisis and keeping alive traditions that are at risk of being lost in today’s steamroller of mass production. Any foodie would be remiss not to tour these historical gastronomic gems that have withstood the test of time and go back to the basics of cooking. A good starting point would be Stani, a dairy dating from 1931, a time when fresh produce and other products were delivered to the city’s neighborhoods by donkey-drawn carts. Stani makes and serves fresh yoghurt, butter and kaymak, as well as traditional sweets that have remained unchanged for almost a century. Close by is another legend, the loukouma-maker Ktistakis, founded in 1912 in Hania, Crete. Loukoumades are fried dough balls or rings that are usually doused in honey, with a sprinkling of cinnamon and walnuts – a simple treat that has been made in Greece for hundreds of years. At Ktistakis’, however, a closely-guarded family recipe captures the honey inside the crispy fried balls so that it escapes in a burst of sweet pleasure at the first bite. Skip the coffee there, because Mokka, one of the oldest coffee roasters of Athens, is nearby at 44 Athinas Street. Established in 1922, it serves different blends of exquisite Greek coffee – referred to as “Turkish coffee” until the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, at which point, for political reasons, the Greeks, who consume twice as much of the stuff as Turks,

decided to rename their coffee “Greek.” Now in the hands of the fourth generation, Mokka was one of the first coffee stores to import specialty coffees and micro lots. Around the corner from Mokka is Evripidou Street, host to an array of spice stores and charcuteries (delicatessans) that carry us back to the time of Ottoman-era bazaars. On Saturday there is usually an amazingly long line of customers waiting to be served at Bahar, probably the finest spice store in Athens, with a 75-year history. You don’t really have to wait, though, as the street is filled with the pungent aromas of several such stores, all of which offer products of excellent quality. Evripidou is also well known for its “pastourmadika,” a local equivalent of charcuteries. Two arch-rival pastourma-makers and sellers, Miran and Arapian, both with roots in Armenia and both established in 1922, stand side-by-side, fiercely competing for customers’ attention. If you call Miran in advance, you can reserve the tasting-table at the back of the shop. Bring your own glasses, wine and some fresh bread from the bakery across the street, and enjoy an impromptu taste expedition into Greece’s finest cheeses and cured meats. If you want something more substantial, have lunch or dinner at the Karamanlidika tou Fani, a charcuterie-restaurant inspired by similar eateries that flourished in Byzantine times. If the whole thing seems a bit daunting, book a walk with Culinary Backstreets, a knowledgeable group of local foodies.

Info S ta n i 10 Marika Kotopouli, Omonia • Tel. (+30) 210-523.3637. K t i s ta k i s , 59 Socratous • Tel. (+30) 210-524.0891. M o kk a S p e c i a lt y C o f f e e 44 Athinas • Tel. (+30) 210-321.6892. B a H a r 31 Evripidou • Tel. (+30) 210-321.7225. M i r a n 45 Evripidou • Tel. (+30) 210-321.7187. A r a p i a n 41 Evripidou • Tel. (+30) 210-321.7238. K a r a m a n l i d i k a t o u F a n i 52 Evripidou • CULINARY B AC K S TREET S Tel. (+30) 210-325.4184 • www.culinarybackstreets.com

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BY nena dimitriou

TA S TE WALK

Flavors to Take Back Home Ta s t y t r e at s i n s t e a d o f s o u v e n i r s

Arethas 10 Kydathinaion & Sotiros, Plaka • Tel. (+30) 210323.3687 Yiannis Tiniakos and Irini Vassileiou run this pretty store near the Church of Aghias Sotiras, where they sell spices, herbs, teas, coffees, pulses, crackers and rusks, pasta, honey, biscuits, cosmetics made with donkey’s milk and more great products from different parts of Greece. Arkefthos 83 Tritis Septemvriou, Victoria Square • Tel. (+30) 210-883.8082 Let the staff guide you in your search for hot boukovo chili, Greek saffron and dozens more spices and herbs at affordable prices, just one stop from the Omonia metro station.

Elixir 41 Evripidou, Omonia • Tel. (+30) 210-321.5141 • www.elixir.com.gr One of the loveliest shops on Evripidou; it has been at the same spot for the past 90 years, selling spices, herbs, essential oils, organic products and natural cures, while also producing its own fragrant olive-oil soap in the back room. 138

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To Livykon 18-20 Tositsa, Exarchia • Tel. (+30) 210-381.5236 Choice products, mainly from Crete, include a variety of savory biscuits, cheeses and honeys, as well as delicious frozen pastry foods produced in this family-run business’ own small workshop next door. Ellinika Kaloudia (Greek Goodies) 8 Hadzichristou, Acropolis • Tel. (+30) 210-922.4060 • www.ellinikakaloudia.gr Ninety small-scale producers from around the country supply the store with olive oil (organic and non-organic), vinegar, honey, rusks, cracked wheat and packaged treats, among many other products. Hadjigeorgiou Bros. 37 Evripidou, Omonia • Tel. (+30) 210-325.0434 & 17 Amerikis, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210-325.0434 • www.evripidou.gr Two brothers from Smyrna (Izmir) in Asia Minor are keeping a family business started in 1937 going strong. Other than top-quality spices, herbs and teas, the shop also offers excellent pulses, nuts, pasta, products made with truffles, ingredients for desserts and health foods. Herbal Treasures 3 Karageorgi Servias, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210-323.5774 • www.herbaltreasures.gr Spices, herbs, organic products and organic cosmetics are sold at great weekly discounts, both in the shop and on its website.

Mastiha shop Panepistimiou & 6 Kriezotou, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210-363.2750 • www.mastihashop.com Showcases an array of products made with natural mastic gum: from sesame snaps and sweet fondant to “spoon sweets” scented with roses and peppermint. Moiropoulos 2 Gravias, Exarchia • Tel. (+30) 210-381.8846 This old-school grocery store specializes in products from Mani in the southern Peloponnese, such as savory biscuits made with sourdough, tangy feta aged for 12 months, excellent olive oil, cured meats and sausages, thyme honey and pure rock salt, among others.

To Pandopoleio tis Mesogiakis Diatrofis (Mediterranean Diet Grocery Store) 1 Sophocleous & 11 Aristeidou • Tel. (+30) 210-362.8738 More than 2,000 Greek products and 200 producers are represented at this store, awarded by the prestigious “Gastronomos” food magazine. New arrivals and classic staples include wines, different types of olive oil, cheeses, cold meats, pasta, pulses, savory biscuits and ready-made treats. Peri Lesvou 27 Athinas, Monastiraki • Tel. (+30) 210-323.3227 The island of Lesvos is renowned for its amazing products – such as ladotyri cheese, salted sardines from Kalloni, honeys and amazing ouzo – and you can find most of them here. O Synteknos 88 Evripidou, Omonia • Tel. (+30) 210-321.0232 Located near Koumoundourou Square, this grocery shop, run by Antonis Zacharioudakis from Iraklio in Crete, brings excellent cheeses, olive oil, honey and other products from the island.

ADVE RTORIAL

Karamanlidika

Grocery · Restaurant · Fromagerie · Charcuterie “Karamanlidika by Fanis” brings you the traditional tastes of Byzantium & Cappadocia, right to your table. Our menu includes aperitifs, salads, cheese & ham varieties, hot & cold dishes and dessert, accompanied by a selection of distilled beverages and wines of local grape varieties. Fish lovers will enjoy Greek cured or smoked fish of high quality, such as anchovy, sardine, eel, trout, salmon and sturgeon. Specialties include traditionally cured, seasoned and aged ham, pastirma, sujuk, prosciutto, sausages, pastrami... You may choose from our carefully selected collection of aged Greek cheeses. Extra virgin olive oil, air-aged cold-cuts, olives and noodles are among the various selected delicacies, of small scale production, you can buy at Karamanlidika Grocery – either to offer a tasty delight as a gift or to take home, in vacuum packaging, as a culinary souvenir from Greece.

Dining options: Dinner, lunch; alcohol served; waitstaff or takeout; climate-controlled; free Wifi. Outdoor seating available. Mastercard & Visa accpeted. Kitchen: 12:00-23:00 | Mediterranean, Greek, Delicatessen Dinner Reservations: Monday to Saturday, (+30) 210 3254184, English, French, German & Spanish spoken.

FOR SHOPPING & EATING

FOR SHOPPING

• 1 Sokratous str, Athens Center • TripAdvisor: Karamanlidika • www.karamanlidika.gr

• Charcuterie Arapian • Pastirma, sujuk since 1922 • 41 Evripidou str, Athens Center • Tel. (+30) 210 3217238

RE S TAUR ANTS

CULINARY ADVENTURES B Y n e n a d i m i t r i o u , y IOU L I E P TA K I L I , A G G E L O S RENTOU L A S

As a truly diverse, multi-ethnic culinary metropolis, Athens has something for everyone, from world-class restaurants to charming meze eateries and quality street food. We hope this list makes your choices easier. 140

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Acropolis - Plaka and Environs the old heart of the cit y Acropolis Museum Restaurant

Acropolis Museum Restaurant 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou • Τel. (+30) 210-900.0915 Quite unique, it is located just a hair’s breadth from the Acropolis. Serves traditional Greek dishes that change according to the day’s fresh ingredients: fresh fish, home-style pasta, Greek cheeses and cold meats, olive oil-based vegetable casseroles, salads and desserts, as well as authentic Greek breakfast, till 12 noon. ΑthensWas 5, Dionysiou Areopagitou • Τel. (+30) 210-924.9954 This brand-new luxury-design hotel, houses Modern Restaurant, which offers a different, contemporary and light approach to Greek cuisine, for lunch or dinner. Also features a great rooftop bar-restaurant, with amazing views of the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill and the entire city. Daphne’s 4 Lysikratous, Plaka • Τel. (+30) 210-322.7971 A Plaka classic, with a lovely courtyard. Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including a wide selection of dishes, both meat and fish. In the guest book,

you will see the signatures of Hillary Clinton, Queen Rania of Jordan and many other notables from around the world. Dionysos 43 P. Ralli • Τel. (+30) 210-92.31.936 A favorite among those visiting Athens for the first time, since it combines a wonderful view of the Acropolis and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus with contemporary Greek cuisine in an elegant environment. Try to be there at sunset… the colors in the sky are a sight to behold. Recommended as a perfect dining venue after watching a performance at the Odeon. Electra Roof Garden 18 Nikodimou • Τel. (+30) 210-337.0000 Award-winning roof garden restaurant on the top floor of the Electra Palace Hotel. Contemporary Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, live music events and stunning views of the Acropolis. To Kafeneio 1 Epicharmou & Tripodon • Τel. (+30) 210-324.6916 In the same building since

Strofi

To Kafeneio

AthensWas

Dionysos

1836, below the Acropolis. Sit at one of the small sidewalk tables and enjoy delicious Greek meze dishes, prepared with love and imagination: Crispy fried meatballs, handmade pies, spicy pastourma pie, fried pork chunks, a wide selection of salads, and for dessert... chocolate log cake. Stamatopoulos 26 Lysiou • Τel. (+30) 210-322.8722 Historic eatery that first opened in 1822, with a lovely veranda. Classic Greek dishes, from tzatziki and eggplant salad to stuffed vine leaves, moussaka, souvlaki and white grouper fricassee. Strofi 25 Rovertou Galli • Τel. (+30) 210-921.4130 In the shadow of the Acropolis; an extraordinary view from the terrace and popular Greek fare. The traditional dishes are a particular treat: rooster in tomato and wine sauce with village-style pasta, roast lamb with rosemary and potatoes, baked kid goat, veal with vegetables in a clay pot. Plus plenty of sweet temptations...

TIP!

Most restaurants and tavernas accept credit cards and reservations, but it’s probably best to check beforehand by phoning. Around 15 August, the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin, the city empties and many venues are closed. Lunchtime is generally considered after 2 p.m., while most Greeks sit down for dinner around 10 p.m.

:editor’s pick!

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Petralona - Thiseio

Kerameikos & Metaxourgeio

W HERE HI S TORY M EET S e at e r i e

Kuzina

Oikonomou

FRO M DERELICT TO HA P P E N I N G Aleria 57 Megalou Alexandrou • Τel. (+30) 210-522.2633 Outstanding Mediterranean cuisine with creative twists on classic recipes (deconstructed pastitsio, bourdeto with squid) and a value-for-money degustation menu, in an attractive neoclassical courtyard building. Excellent wine list, with rare Greek varieties and selected international labels.

Xrysa Xrysa

Athiri Athiri

Xrysa Xrysa Kallisthenous & 40 Aioleon • Τel. (+30) 213-035.6879 Greece’s answer to the gastropub. Simple cuisine, ramped up a notch by the gourmet instincts of Xrysa Protopappa. Stylish, with Greek soul and international flair: spit-roasted chicken, squid and breaded courgettes with balsamic syrup, traditional pasta twists with tomato and basil, mussels in a wine and lemon sauce... served with tasty fries.

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Kuzina 9 Adrianou • Τel. (+30) 210-324.0133 Possibly the finest restaurant in the area, under the creative direction of acclaimed chef Aris Tsanaklidis. Tasteful decor, relaxed atmosphere, attention to detail, service of the highest standard. Carefully selected ingredients from small producers in Greece, cooked with skill and pride, fusion leanings and exotic touches. There are also tables outside and on the terrace, with an amazing view of the Temple of Hephaistos. Oikonomou 41 Troon & Kydantidon • Τel. 210-346.7555 Eatery with a long history; haunt of intellectuals, artists and writers, serving traditional Greek fare since 1930: stuffed vegetables, lamb with potatoes, rooster in red sauce with macaroni, rabbit stew, greens, okra and other olive-oil based casseroles. Highlights include the strong feta and the feisty kefalotyri cheese. Tables on the pavement in summer.

Rendez Vous 85 Kallisthenou, Mercouri Square • Τel. 210-347.7961 At the bohemian Mercouri Square, “alternative” Athenians gather at the handful of tables on the pavement to savor the value-formoney small dishes of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine: crispy falafel, barley rusks topped with Seychelles tomatoes, cheese and other goodies, tabbouleh, homemade hot cheese dip, spicy omelette with soutzouki sausage and pastourma. Washed down with tsipouro or ouzo. Combine your visit, before or after, with a stop at Braziliana across the road for beer and attractively priced drinks. To steki tou Ilia 5 Eptachalkou • Τel. (+30) 210-345.8052 Classic taverna with a covered courtyard, popular with locals who rave about the perfectly grilled, tender lamb chops. Typical yet delicious fare: fried eggplant, courgettes and potatoes, Greek salad, tasty tzatziki dip, fried kefalotyri cheese, eggplant salad, and those succulent chops.

Athiri 15 Plataion • Τel. (+30) 210-346.2983 Contemporary Greek regional dishes, with the finest ingredients from local producers. Try the traditional pasta, such as petoules from Messinia, fresh fish stew and kid goat in red sauce. Awardwinning wine list; lovely garden. Funky Gourmet 13 Paramythias & Salaminos • Τel. (+30) 210-524.2727 Trailblazers of Greek gastronomy, Georgianna Hiliadaki and Nick Roussos, awarded two Michelin stars, offer spectacle and substance, transforming even a “simple” Greek salad into something “funky.” Perfect for memorable private functions. Tamarind 51 Kerameikou • Τel. (+30) 210-522.5945 • www.tamarindathens.gr Lively atmosphere, fairly loud music. Authentic Thai cuisine, abundantly spicy yet refreshing; something for everyone. Generous portions, perfect for sharing.

Aster 48 Troon • Τel. (+30) 210-341.6668 Alternative Cretan meze-style taverna that attracts a young crowd, in the basement of a neoclassical building with vintage decor and tables outside. Kaltsounia (small sweet pies with fresh cheese), apaki (seasoned, cured pork), soft and tangy xigalo cheese from Siteia, perfectly fried potatoes, as well as eggplant with xinochontro (a type of Greek couscous) are just some of the Cretan delicacies on the menu.

RE S TAUR ANTS

Kolonaki - Embassy District w h o ’ s THE P O S HE S T OF THE M ALL . . .?

Balthazar- Freud Oriental 27 Tsocha, Mavili Square • Τel. (+30) 210-644.1215 • www.balthazar.gr This wonderful garden of an historic neoclassical building has been, for the past 14 years, THE summer dining venue in Athens. This year, the cuisine has reached a new level of perfection, with celebrity chef Christoforos Peskias at the helm in the kitchen, offering diners a diverse, imaginative menu with exotic touches. In its own space, the Japanese restaurant Freud Oriental prepares exceptional sushi. Or, if you like, you can stop in just for a cocktail, at one of the foremost “see and be seen” venues in the city.

Benaki Museum Cafe - Restaurant 1 Koumbari • Τel. (+30) 210-367.1000 Great for a relaxing stop in the city center, on a beautiful balcony with a view from the top floor of the museum. Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. If their stuffed vine leaves “yalantzi” or Smyrna meatballs are on the menu, be sure to try them.

standard, with Greek ingredients and Mediterranean flair, from talented chef Alex Tsiotini. Attractive, uncluttered, minimalist decor. The plates are true works of art, by acclaimed marble sculptor Grigoris Kouskouris. Ideal for a romantic dinner. Small selection of à la carte dishes; two menus (choose eight or five dishes); at reasonable prices, considering the excellent food.

Cookoovaya 2Α Hadziyianni Mexi, Hilton • Τel. (+30) 210-723.5005 • www.cookoovaya.gr The most ambitious new arrival of recent years. Five talented chefs join forces to offer culinary wonders, rare dishes and seemingly odd combinations, using only the finest ingredients. An impressive dining area with an open kitchen, so you can watch all the action, as well as an inviting courtyard. We unreservedly recommend it for a regal lunch. In the evening, it gets a bit loud, so if you seek somewhere lively, you can’t go wrong here. Extensive wine list, great cocktails.

Fuga Vasilissis Sofias & 1 Kokkali • Τel. (+30) 210-724.2979 • www.fugarestaurant.com An elegant, sophisticated restaurant, set in the gardens of the Athens Concert Hall, with a panoramic view of the city. Awarded two Michelin stars, consulting chef Andrea Berton proposes a menu rooted in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, with signature dishes including risotto alla Milanese, lamb with aubergines and tomato mayonnaise, and a light tiramisu. The wine list offers reasonably priced Italian labels, many of them unavailable elsewhere in Greece.

CTC 14 Oublianis & 27 Diocharous, Ilisia • Τel. (+30) 210-722.8812 Creative French cuisine of a high

Galaxy Restaurant and Bar Hilton Hotel Athens, 46 Vasilissis Sofias • Τel. (+30) 210-728.1402

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• www.hiltonathens.gr One of the world’s top-10 rooftop bars, according to Premier Traveler magazine, the Hilton Hotel’s crown jewel offers arguably the best view in the city. Mediterranean cuisine with an international flair, premium meat cuts, wide variety of sushi and inspired cocktails. It 29 Skoufa, Kolonaki • Τel. (+30) 210-363.5773 • www.itrestaurant.gr/ All-day hangout, laid back, friendly, good music and cuisine, with a focus on healthy eating. Go in the morning for coffee, fresh juices and sandwiches, or head over for lunch or dinner, choosing from a selection of tasty salads, light dishes with chicken, beef tagliata, tuna, salmon, etc. Brunch is served every Sunday. Kalamaki Kolonaki Patriarchou Ioakeim & 32 Ploutarchou, Kolonaki • Τel. (+30) 210-721.8800 It’s souvlaki time. Take a seat at one of the tables on the sidewalk and order a succulent skewer of grilled pork, chicken or beef, tasty fries, pita bread perfectly toasted over the coals, feta cheese and one of their refreshing salads.

Fuga

Galaxy Restaurant and Bar

Aubrevoir 51 Xenokratous • Τel. (+30) 210-722.9106-9061 • www.abreuvoir.gr Athens’ much-loved French restaurant celebrates its 50th anniversary, continuing to keep the quality-bar high with classics such as Chateaubriand, filet mignon and tournedos Rossini. Exceptional wine list with emblematic French labels. Interesting new 30-euro menu. A lush green garden available in the summer months.

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Pangrati - Mets

Cookoovaya

ARO U N D t h e k a l l i m a r m a r o n Mavro Provato 31 Arrianou • Τel. (+30) 210-722.3466 Very popular taverna, in a residential neighborhood near the Panathenaic Stadium that has changed little in the past 30 years. Metal tables are packed closely together on the sidewalk to accommodate the large numbers of diners. Efficient, willing waiters, delicious meat dishes, soups and surprise specials that depend on the mood and inspiration of the chef. Reservations required.

MCA Cafe 4 Neofytou Douka, Kolonaki • Τel. (+30) 210-722.8321-3 A small city-center oasis in the recently remodelled courtyard of the Museum of Cycladic Art. The menu is Greek fare, from traditional pasta and souvlaki to milk-fed veal, prepared with fine ingredients and a philosophy of simplicity in both flavor and presentation. Milos (Hilton Hotel) 46 Vassilissis Sofias • Τel. (+30) 210-728.1000 The apotheosis of simple, tasty Greek cuisine. Here you will enjoy delicious fresh fish and seafood, as well as locally sourced seasonal greens. Balanced dishes, with a sprinkling of quality olive. A good choice for the diet-conscious; and for the rest of us, try the Widow’s feta: rich, buttery, nutritious, with the sweet smell of fresh milk. You will immediately understand the difference between genuine Greek feta and the product sold as “feta cheese” abroad. This is a world-famous brand name, known in New York City, Montreal, Las Vegas, Miami and, as of this summer, London. Spacious dining room on the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel, with a garden for memorable summer evenings.

Spiros & Vasilis 5 Lachitos, Kolonaki • Τel. (+30) 210-723.7575 • www.spirosvasilis.gr Honoring the art of fine French cooking for the past 40 years. The quality remains consistently high and the dishes are eminently classic, with only a few slight additions and tweaks. Here you will find entrecote Cafe de Paris in its authentic version, snails of Bourgogne, pâté maison, steak tartare, crêpe suzette, and much more. Also, an extensive wine list. “Formidable�” Vlassis 15 Maiandrou, Kolonaki • Τel. (+30) 210-725.6335 A favorite haunt of artists, many of whose paintings adorn the tastefully decorated dining room. Vlassis has a long history, going back 30 years, and now the family’s younger generations have taken over. The cuisine could be described as urban Greek. Try the olive oil-based vegetable stews, the meat in red sauce, the tasty pies; and inquire about the fish of the day. Very good quality house wine, and a choice of bottles from Greek vineyards.

Spondi 5 Pyrronos • Τel. (+30) 210-756.4021 A true one-of-a-kind in Athens, and Michelin-starred. Creative urban French cuisine, exemplary service, elegant art de la table and a comprehensive wine list. Lovely garden, where you can enjoy a candlelight dinner of duck, farm pigeon and veal sweetbread. Extraordinary textures, sublime sauces. Two menus, one with

four dishes and the other with six. You will probably feel more comfortable in formal attire. Trapezaria 13 Eforionos & Eratosthenous • Τel. (+30) 210-756.6008 It is definitely worth trying to get one of the tables on the sidewalk where it’s cooler. Delicious Greek cuisine from a tenacious, selftaught chef, with many vegetarian dishes, pulses, fish of the day and mouth-watering desserts. Extensive list of Greek wines at affordable prices. Vyrinis 11 Archimidous • Τel. (+30) 210-701.2153 Popular neighborhood taverna right behind the Panathenaic Stadium, with cult appeal, wine barrels for decoration and a very attractive courtyard. Excellent value for money. If you don’t like crowds, go during the week, or early for lunch.

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Syntagma

ASIA IN ATHENS

Kentrikon

GB Roof Garden

GB Roof Garden Hotel Grande Bretagne • Τel. (+30) 210-333.0766 Amazing views of Syntagma Square, Lycabettus Hill and the Acropolis, with food to match, on the roof garden of Athens’ landmark hotel. Excellent wine list and super cocktails, which you can enjoy in the open-air bar during the summer months.

Kentrikon 3 Kolokotroni • Τel. (+30) 210-32.32.482 One of the city’s most historic restaurants, in the same location for more than seven decades, Kentrikon serves urban Greek cuisine. The word “classic” is very apt here, not only in terms of style and professional service, but also the food itself. Over 15 dishes to choose from daily.

New Taste

New Taste 16 Filellinon, New Hotel • Τel. (+30) 210-327.3000 This stylish boutique hotel’s ground-floor bar-restaurant offers highly innovative Mediterranean cuisine, locally sourced organic products and the finest, freshest ingredients. Tasteful decor by the Campana Brothers. On the hotel’s top floor, the Art Lounge offers more of the same, but with a view.

Wine Bars

By the Glass

ATHE N IA N S LO V E THEIR W I N E S

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A trend that looks set to continue, possibly reflecting the upturn in Greek wine production. Syntagma Square has become something of a hub for the city’s growing population of oenophiles. One of the longest established wine bars in the area is Oinoscent (45-47 Voulis • Τel. +30 210-322.9374), which serves a number of Greek gems along with popular labels from around the world. Just a short walk away, on a pedestrian-only street next to the Orthodox Metropolitan Church, is the tiny, atmospheric Heteroclito (2 Fokionos & 30 Petraki • Τel. +30 210-323.9406) with exclusively Greek offerings, including the exceptional organic Melissokipos from the Paterianakis Estate, the highly recommended Santorini from the Sigalas Winery and the memorable Limniona from the Zafeirakis Estate. An incredible selection of Greek wines can also be found at By the Glass

(G. Souri & Filellinon • Τel. +30 210-323.2560), perhaps the city’s most stylish wine bar, inside the Ralli Arcade. Some 150 wines, 20 of which are served by the glass, with a menu that would do any restaurant proud: exotic salmon tartar; beef fillet perfectly cooked in red wine sauce; and sea bass burger with salmon roe and citrus sauce. At Makriyianni, near the Acropolis Museum, is Wine Point (Athanasiou Diakou & 2 Porinou • Τel. +30 210-922.7050), offering outstanding wines from small and large Greek producers, plus tasting with a smile, for novices and tourists. A few blocks away in Koukaki, BoBo (36 Anastasiou Zinni • Τel. +30 210-924.4244) is a new arrival, serving around 70 labels, 20 of which are by the glass, paired with delectable snacks featuring Greek products, in a tastefully decorated space with attitude.

At Furin Kazan (2 Apollonos St • Τel. +30 210-322.9170) One often sees a few Japanese having a meal here – a promising sign. Book a table, or you may have to wait. Koi (15 Nikis, +30 210-321.1099) also flirts with Japanese cuisine – maki, nigiri and great salads – and gets popular acclaim on account of its very reasonable prices. Dosirak (33 Voulis • Τel. +30 210-323.3330) strikes a balance between Korean and Japanese cuisine. Apart from the classics, you will find kimchi, a traditional Korean dish, quite spicy; and chap chae, made from sweet potato noodles stir-fried with vegetables. Fancy an Indian? In the same neighborhood you will find Indian Kitchen (6B Apollonos • Τel. +30 210-323.7720), with its small, cozy dining room, serving delicious chicken tikka masala and many other dishes, from fairly hot to blazing. If you yearn for sweet-and-sour, crispy Peking duck and spicy Szechuan beef, try East Pearl (2 Apollonos & Nikis • Τel. +30 210-321.1218). In addition to Chinese favorites, including wonderful hot-and-sour soup, Attic Moon (10-12 Xenofontos • Τel. +30 210-322.7095) also offers a choice of Thai dishes, while Jing (13 Nikis • Τel. +30 211-215.9352) gives the impression of being two restaurants in one: The ground floor is modern and sparse, while upstairs the decor is traditional Chinese. The menu offers a wide selection, from fried or steamed dumplings to duck in orange sauce. Koi

THE HEART OF THE CITY

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Piraeus S EAFOOD CITY Corks & Forks

Yperokeanio

Varoulko Seaside

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Filippas 11 Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Τel. (+30) 210-453.3657 Here, the frying pan has pride of place, from which come the small, crispy fish that pair so well with ouzo. But you will also find large fish, waiting to be grilled to suit your palate. Giannis 107 Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Τel. (+30) 210-418.0160 Unpretentious, family seafood taverna, with loyal patrons. Here you will enjoy properly cooked fresh fish, refreshing seasonal salads, char-grilled octopus, delicious Symi shrimps and crispy fried squid. Don’t forget the sea urchin salad, a true Greek experience; it brings all the flavor of the sea right to your table. Margaro 126 Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Τel. (+30) 210-451.4226 An eatery with quite a unique concept, since there are just three dishes to choose from. The Greek salad with feta cheese was one of the tastiest I have ever eaten, crispy fried shrimp, thankfully devoid of the usual excess oil, and fried fresh fish, red mullet or striped red mullet – depending on what’s available in the market that day. Simple and delicious, which

is probably why the tables are always full. Papaioannou 42 Akti Koumoundourou, Mikrolimano • Τel. (+30) 210-422.5059 Attractive fish taverna with gourmet flair and a view of the yachts moored in Mikrolimano harbor. Expert grilling and careful, gentle frying keep all the freshness and tastiness of the Greek fish and seafood intact. A case in point are the fragile fillets of red mullet, which spend only a few moments on the grill, so they retain all their juiciness and sea flavor. Dishes you won’t soon forget include the langoustine carpaccio with seaweed; cuttlefish fried with its ink and chili; the exceptional seafood pasta dishes; and the marvellous fish roe salad. Varoulko Seaside 52 Akti Koumoundourou, Mikrolimano • Τel. (+30) 210-522.8400 Gourmet restaurant on Mikrolimano harbor, from the seafood master himself, Michelin-starred Lefteris Lazarou. Attractively presented dishes, prepared with consummate technique, using only the finest quality fish and seafood, ordered by the chef himself from local

fishermen. Dishes that showcase Lazarou’s incomparable expertise, with a Mediterranean leaning, but also a skillful rendering of international trends. Very good service and an excellent wine list. Open from midday with a simpler, more affordable menu. Vassilenas 72 Aetolikou & Vitolion • Τel. (+30) 210-461.2457 Since 1920, in the same (recently refurbished) building near the port of Piraeus, with a lush green terrace for summer dining. Creative, award-winning Greek cuisine with Mediterranean touches, featuring a good choice of fish and meat dishes. Famous fish roe salad, outstanding fava bean purée. The sommelier will help you choose from the admirable wine list. Yperokeanio 48 M. Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Τel. (+30) 210-418.0030 From the mosaic floor and cafe-style chairs to the old advertisements and tourism posters, it feels like you have traveled back in time. Delicious food, with a great choice of meze dishes: char-grilled sardines, marinated anchovies, fried mussels, fresh fish for frying. The crispy courgette sticks are a must.

Βelle Amie 11 Metaxa, Pasalimani • Τel. (+30) 210-417.5740 • www.belleamie.gr Piraeus’ finest “gastro-ouzeri” is housed in a splendid, recently refurbished, neoclassical building, with a view of Pasalimani harbor. The chef-proprietor, Christos Tzieras, successfully combines the tradition of the meze with the technical skills of contemporary cuisine: herring salad à la Constantinople, twisted cheese pie à la Skopelos, spicy cheese dip à la Macedonia, eggs with staka roux, round barley rusks with xinotyri cheese... and much more. Open from the morning, for coffee and snacks, until late at night, for cocktails. Corks & Forks Akti Themistokleous & 1 Pargas • Τel. (+30) 215-515.9792 • www.corksandforks.gr Wine pub with a view of Zea Marina and good food. Standout dishes include the salad with rare greens from Crete, the perfectly cooked salmon fillet with goat cheese and the juicy beef burger. In addition, risotto, steaks, various bruschettas and macaroni dishes, all equally well prepared. The wine selection pays homage to Greek vineyards, with labels from the big names, but also small-scale producers.

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Southern Coast d i n i ng a l o ng t h e at h e ns r i v i e r a

Inbi

Cape Sounio

Matsuhisa

1903 Aghiou Ioannou & Filikis Etaireias, Glyfada • Τel. (+30) 210-894.2177 A small restaurant, majestically decorated, serving emblematic dishes that honor the cuisine of Smyrna; serving both meat and seafood, very well prepared. Kebabs, kavourmas (pork confit) with eggs, stuffed mussels, herring salad and much more. Cape Sounio 67th km Athens-Sounio Highway, Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort • Τel. (+30) 22920-697.00 A 90-minute ride, but well worth it, for the immensely enjoyable coastal scenery, the enchanting location, the glorious sea views and the energy emanating from the Temple of Poseidon. Mediterranean cuisine, with a wide choice of dishes for all tastes, plus many ingredients freshly picked from their own vegetable garden. 150

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Inbi 26 Lazaraki, Glyfada • Τel. (+30) 210-894.4982 Spacious courtyard, contemporary Japanese and fusion cuisine from three talented chefs, one of whom is Japanese. Cocktails with exotic Asian ingredients, mixed by experienced bartenders, either before or after your meal. Kiku Seaside 2 Orfeos, Vouliagmeni • Τel. (+30) 210-967.1866 Posh environment with wonderful lighting and sea views; the summer version of the restaurant that established sushi in Greece. Sit at the counter for direct contact with the Japanese chef. The other chef, who is Greek, prepares some intriguing combinations of Greek and Japanese cuisine. Matsuhisa Athens by Nobu 40 Apollonos, Vouliagmeni • Τel. (+30) 210-890.2000

In terms of location – on the pine-covered private peninsula of the Astir Palace resort, with unobstructed sea views – this Athenian member of the Nobuyuki Matsuhisa family is perhaps the most beautiful. Omakase and à la carte menus, with all the signature dishes, including black cod and octopus with mushrooms. Get there early in the evening and enjoy the fabulous sunset, as you sip cool sake.

Sardelaki 15 Foivis, Glyfada • Τel. (+30) 211-402.1195 A new generation fish taverna, with fresh seafood at prices that won’t empty your bank account. They don’t accept reservations, so it may be a good idea to get there early for dinner, around 8 p.m., and preferably not on Saturday. We recommend the delicately fried small fish, the smoked eggplant salad and the grilled sardines.

Prokomenes 7 Alsous, Glyfada • Τel. (+30) 210-898.5996 Simple, everyday fare with seasonal ingredients, just as a housewife would prepare in her own kitchen. Try classic Greek dishes such as the olive-oil based casseroles, briam (mixed roast vegetables), stuffed vegetables, kid goat, artichokes with peas and meat cuts made to order. Portions are generous and prices low, especially at lunchtime.

Tartare 52 Panagouli, Glyfada • Τel. (+30) 210-968.0320 Bistro-style restaurant, offering classic French cuisine in a smart environment, with attractive art de la table, crystal glasses and very professional service. Good quality meat from several breeds, properly matured for extra flavor. Particularly recommended for a romantic dinner or a special occasion.

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Street Food Ins ta n t g r at i f i c at i o n Falafellas

Metropolis

Kostas

Food Street

What better way to start the day than with a traditional pie and fresh vegetables? At Meliartos (65 Ermou & Aiolou • Τel. +30 0 210-70.03.113) they serve savory and sweet fare all day, including delicious, oven-fresh pies made with quality olive oil and the finest, seasonal ingredients. There are plenty of souvlaki joints all over Athens, but Kostas is perhaps the best in the city center (Mitropoleos & 5 Pentelis, Syntagma Square • Τel. +30 210-322.8502, lunch only), a place with historical roots and know-how passed down from grandfather to son to grandson. Its motto is “no stress” and its offerings are indeed well worth the wait. For sandwiches made on the spot, Metropolis (11 Voulis, Syntagma Square • Τel. +30 210-322.2122) is a good choice. The ingredients are mainly Greek, with five different types of bread and some amazing combinations (rib-eye in country-style bread with smoked Metsovo cheese). 152

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You can sit in their inviting space on the pavement or continue your walk, sandwich in hand. As you make your way closer to the Acropolis, in the Koukaki district, Guarantee (41 Veikou • Τel. +30 210-922.6924) has been pleasing palates in the same spot for the past 30 years, with dozens of choices of cold cuts and cheeses, from all over the world, and homemade sauces, which you can wash down with fresh vegetable or fruit juice. May be crowded on Saturdays. Pie Works in Kolonaki (16Α Amerikis • Τel. +30 211-184.7595) continues the long Greek tradition of homemade pies, but with some welcome twists, such as the cuttlefish and greens pie. Plenty of choice for vegetarians, including the open pie with yogurt and herbs; and spinach pie with Eggs Florentine. Shop opening hours. Ιn the hip neighborhood of the Panathenaic Stadium (“Kallimarmaro”), you should pay a visit to Tortuga (1 Archimidous,

Feyrouz

Mets • Τel. +30 213-030.7520), a food bar specializing in fresh, handmade tortillas, stuffed with marinated chicken, tender beef or vegetables in imaginative combinations. The menu changes almost weekly. You can carry on to the stadium, tortilla in hand, and enjoy your food in a quiet corner with a contrasting view of the busy avenue, or take a seat at the bar next door and pair it with a suitable cocktail. Μoving on to Middle Eastern flavors, Falafellas (51 Aiolou, Monastiraki • Τel. +30 210-323.9809) makes the tastiest falafel in the city, wrapped in gorgeous pita bread (two sizes), along with refreshing salads, tabbouleh and hummus. Feyrouz (23 Karori & Aiolou, Monastiraki • Τel. +30 213031.8060) makes lachmatzoun to die for, with handmade dough topped by delicious mince meat, or try the equally tasty vegetarian version; also, marvelous peinirli and aromatic rice with chicken curry. Another popular eatery

in Monastiraki is Food Street (14 Kalamiotou • Τel. +30 210-321.1003), which offers an unbeatable combination of all-time favorites... burgers, hot dogs and fish ‘n chips. Open from noon till dawn, it is understandably a hit with nighttime revelers emerging from the local bars. Quick service in a buzzing atmosphere. The burger buns are a very pleasant surprise, as are the quality meat patties inside, while the tasty pork dogs are enhanced with a divine sauce. Or if your sweet tooth is acting up, in the same neighborhood visit Lukumades (21 Aiolou & Ag. Irinis, Monastiraki • Τel. +30 210321.0880) for... loukoumades, of course, the Greek version of churros – balls of fluffy dough, deep fried and drenched in honey, with a sprinkling of cinnamon and almonds. In addition to the classic variety, you can also try their exciting new versions filled with mastiha cream, lemon cream or chocolate praline.

Guarantee

ATTIC MOON RESTAURANT

This tastefully decorated restaurant in the center of Athens has been open since 1937. It owes its name to the “Kentrikon” theater, which stood in the same location till 1969. Thanks to its well executed cuisine and courteous staff, the restaurant has remained for decades a popular meeting spot for Athenians. 3, Kolokotroni & Stadiou Str., (in the arcade) , 105 62 Athens Reservation: Tel.: 210 3232 482, 3235 623 • Fax: 210 3225 767 E-mail: info@estiatorio-kentrikon.gr

Τhe most talked-about and impressive Chinese restaurant in the center of Athens nowadays. It’s a convenient, cozy place, where you can enjoy your meal while listening to soft, relaxing Chinese music. Our two storeys can accommodate up to 100 people for big events and special occasions. For tour groups, we offer 10 euro per person, plus complimentary meals for the guides. Service is quick and easy. Chefs are highly experienced, offering delicious menus: YUXIANG PORK, SICHUAN BEEF, BEEF SATAY, PECKING DUCK, AND SEA FOOD SPECIALTIES (sweet and sour fish, boiled fish and spicy shrimp). We are open daily from 11:30 A.M to 11:30 P.M Xenofontos 10-12 • Syntagma, Athens • Tel.: (0030) 210 3227095 www.atticmoon.com

MAVRO PROVATO (BLACK SHEEP)

In one of central Athens’ liveliest neighborhoods, Mavro Provato is popular for its multifaceted menu based on creative Greek cuisine. Using select ingredients, the chef gives a contemporary twist to traditional flavors that reference the local cuisines of different parts of the country. You can taste trademark urban and rustic dishes in a space that is relaxed and unpretentious, where friendly service and good quality are the mantra. Fish, meat and pasta dishes are accompanied by local wines, ouzo or raki, with meals ending on a sweet note with a dessert of the day. The restaurant also has an outdoor seating area on the sidewalk, as well as a second location in the northern Athenian suburb of Melissia. Open daily 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Mama Roux

On one of Athens’ most central pedestrian streets, with an exciting atmosphere that transports you to the biggest cities in the world, you will find a menu of eclectic ethnic cuisine with a street-food feel, along with great cocktails. The ideal spot for brunch every Sunday from 12.30 p.m. And if you find yourself in the southern coastal Print to PDF without this message by purchasing novaPDF (http://www.novapdf.com/) suburbs, try also their new venue in Glyfada.

31 Arrianou • Pangrati • Tel. 210.722.3466 Socratous & 2 Zaimi • Melissia • Tel. 210.810.2466 www.facebook.com/TomavroprovatotouPressCafe www.twitter.com/ToMavroProvato • #mavroprovato

48 Aiolou • Tel. 21 3004 8382 • Open daily: 9 a.m. - 12.30 a.m. Opening in September: Glyfada branch, 26 Lazaraki

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“Pame gia potAKI?”* On the coffee-and-drinks front, the selection is just as wide and varied. B Y G E O R G I A L E M O S , n e n a d imi t rio u , A L E X I S G A G L I A S , M A R I A K O R A C H A I

9 9 Kolokotroni Great music of all genres, in a space arranged to look like home. Known for imaginative cocktails. 42 3 Kolokotroni, Syntagma The first on the modern Athenian bar scene to adopt an all-time classic theme. The interior looks like the bar room of a luxury mega-yacht, with wood décor and subdued lighting. Premium spirits and intriguing cocktails. Efficient, low profile service and good music. Abariza 14 Lekka (in the arcade) A small space with a huge wall of booze, a perfect long wooden bar and high stools for serious 154

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drinkers. Also has an outdoor area serving coffee, drinks, beverages and a few simple dishes. Baba au Rum 6 Kleitiou One-of-a-kind cocktails made with seasonal ingredients, fresh juices, homemade liqueurs and syrups, etc. On the list of the World’s Fifty Best Bars, it also boasts the country’s largest variety of rums. The Bank Job 13 Kolokotroni Before it became a café-bar it was the counting-house of Geniki Bank. The huge safe is proof enough. The menu includes great cocktails and the music is all about funk and soul. Atmosphere not to be missed.

Barley Cargo 6 Kolokotroni A lesson in geography, this beer bar has a list of 200 bottled labels, artisanal brews from monasteries, and non-alcoholic and draft beers, hailing from the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Argentina, Spain, the USA and other parts of the world.

spot a few business meetings going on.

Βooze Cooperativa 57 Kolokotroni A multi-purpose, multi-level venue that has achieved cult status for its powerful music choices, the cerebral chess matches that occasionally take place and the cutting-edge performances and exhibitions it hosts. In the main seating area on the ground floor, serving special breakfasts at big communal tables, you may even

The Dude 14 Kalamiotou Inspired by the Coen brothers’ cult film “The Big Lebowsky,” this is an honest little watering-hole with simple drinks and a friendly, laidback atmosphere, featuring rock, funk and soul music.

Drunk Sinatra 16 Thiseos A happy little place with old Blue Eyes himself playing the role of maitre d’. Vintage music from the ‘50s and ‘60s, together with great cocktails and drinks.

Galaxy Bar 10 Stadiou (in the arcade) Classic bar with loyal patrons,

Center

nights out

Booze Cooperativa

The Clumsies

open since 1972. Honest drinks in a haunt that is popular with artist types and journalists. Consistent quality, polite service. Gin Joint 1 Christou Lada, Karytsi Square Cosy little bar on Ch. Lada street, with an interesting and wide choice of cocktails. More than 60 gin labels from all over the world. Huge 10 Lekka Tiny drinking den with an attractive wooden bar, serving great cocktails (some quite imaginative) to the sounds of good jazz, blues and freestyle. Noël 59B Kolokotroni, Kourtaki Arcade A new arrival on the city’s nighttime lounge scene. Signature cocktails, great pizzas and salads with Italian flair in a friendly, modern space with excellent service. Οsterman 10 Aghias Eirinis Square Spacious interior dominated by

Throubi

an enormous bar, frequented by a cool crowd. Food, drinks, coffee and pastries served. Six D.O.G.S. 6-8 Avramiotou Serving drinks and coffee, this place is famous for its multi-level courtyard garden and music. A multi-purpose venue: bar, art gallery and concert space. Among the musts of the “new” city centre. Spollati 27Α Aeolou, Aghias Eirinis Square Housed in a splendid, early 20th century art nouveau building, this all-day bar has a mix & match style. Coffee and herbal infusions, four different menus, featuring funky Mediterranean cuisine and standout signature cocktails with homemade syrups and blends. Τailor Made 2 Aghias Eirinis Square Passersby are often drawn in by the fragrant aroma of coffee. Here, the proprietors know their coffee like sommeliers know quality wine. Also, desserts, made on the spot.

Taf Coffee Shop

Τailor Made

Barley Cargo

The Clumsies 30 Praxitelous Inviting, hip, all-day bar that gives the impression of a multi-purpose venue and attracts all ages. Exceptional cocktails and premium spirits. If you’re feeling peckish, the tasty, unpretentious dishes are another plus. Taf Coffee Shop 7-9 Emmanouil Benaki Serving what is probably the best coffee in Athens. To do this, however, they visit farms all over the world, carefully selecting only the finest beans and purchasing directly from producers, much to the benefit of local communities. Here, your coffee is made by one of the internationally awarded baristas. And feel free to ask for their recommendations. Τhroubi 1 Vasilikis & Aghias Eirinis Square Good selection of drinks, cocktails and coffee in a cozy, attractively decorated space with attitude. A great blend of traditional and progressive, Spetses style.

Τοy Café 10 Karytsi It was from this small café bar, with its excellent music, great cocktails and fragrant coffee that the “Karytsi street scene” began in 1997. Classic venue playing jazz and funk. Zonar’s 9 Voukourestiou An historic café and pastry shop, for many years the haunt of artists, theatergoers, intellectuals, the bourgeoisie and members of Athenian society. A classy venue in the heart of Athens, decorated with finesse, recently refurbished with respect for the past. You will find delicious coffee, handmade pastries, light meals at lunchtime. Great for a drink after the theater.

* How about a drinkie?

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Tiki Bar

Fresko Yogurt Bar 3 Dionysiou Areopagitou

Fresh Greek yogurt served straight up, with fruit or Greek “spoonsweets.” You can eat it at the wooden benches or take it to go.

Gelatopoli 8 Dionysiou Areopagitou Handmade ice-cream using the freshest ingredients. The bitter chocolate is delicious. Lotte Cafe-Bistrot 2 Tsami Karatasou Enjoy an excellent cappuccino or glass of wine at the counter or seated at one of the small sidewalk tables, watching the world go by. Indoors, the decor is inspired by the 1930s.

Monastiraki - Psyrri

Pulp 5 Veikou Large menu of beers, focused on Czech brands, and sausage platters; served at sidewalk tables. Tiki Bar 15 Falirou Cocktails are this exotic bar’s strong (very strong) point and there are no less than 38 on its list. Often hosts live music performances.

360° cocktail bar 2 Ifestou Very strong on cocktails (around 70 to choose from), good music and a view of the Acropolis, next to Monastiraki metro station. Attracts a young crowd. Accompany your drink with a well-made burger, club sandwich or pizza. For those with bigger appetites, there is a creative, though somewhat pricey, menu. A For Athens 2 Miaouli Young crowd, enchanting view of the Acropolis and Monastiraki square, on the sixth floor of the hotel of the same name. One of the most popular cocktail stops in the city. Tasty snacks in the morning. Beer Time 1 Iroon Square Extensive selection of beers, accompanied by a suitable selection of tasty food. Good for people-watching. Open daily, except Monday. Cantina Social 6-8 Leokoriou Cafe-bar with tons of personality, located in a small courtyard between a cluster of tall apartment blocks, where it adjoins a carpenter and a metalworker. Open all day and practically all night, shifting its musical moods between the two, though keeping it mainly alternative and electronic.

Fresko

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Couleur Locale 3 Normanou Attracts a mainly younger crowd, with great cocktails on a chill-

out veranda, Greek spirits and value-for-money finger food (mini burgers, savoury pancakes, tortillas). The amazing view of the Acropolis is a definite plus. Death Disco 15 Ogygou & Lepeniotou A bar with a distinctive atmosphere created by new wave, dark, electro sounds. Also a venue for frequent, intimate live events. For discerning visitors seeking a different experience in Athens. Harvest 64 Aiolou & Evripidou On the corner, this relaxing wine tapas bar offers around 100 labels from Greece and abroad, along with delectable Spanish tapas. In the summer, customers are packed tightly at the handful of tables on the pavement of Aiolou. Loukoumi Avyssinias Square, Monastiraki Urban hangout with a view of the Acropolis that attracts a youngish clientele. Combination of warm, natural and retro lighting. Pastries, snacks, cocktails and fine music. Frequent theme nights, mini movie festivals and live performances. Go early to grab a table on the balcony. Transistor Cafe-Bistrotheque 10 Protogenous For a cocktail or a glass of potent tsipouro, as well as snacks or coffee, this is a great, friendly hangout that is best known for its weekend parties.

Acropolis - Makriyianni

Cantina Social

Gazi

Thiseio

Βios 84 Pireos Not just a watering hole. Bios, housed in an intriguing Bauhaus building, is actually an avantgarde, multi-level venue with a lively bar, a basement club, art house cinema and roof garden. Also, regular art exhibitions and live performances.

Kafeneio 6 21 Trion Ierarchon Enjoy a coffee, soft drink or beer over a game of chess at the specially designed tables.

GazArte 32-34 Voutadon Enjoy a drink with a view of the illuminated gasworks, on the glass-enclosed terrace in winter, or on the rooftop in summer; also check out its program of live music, film screenings and other events (www.gazarte.gr). Open daily 7 p.m. – 3 a.m. Hoxton 42 Voutadon One of the oldest cafe-bars in the area, ideal for a relaxed coffee and a snack in the morning or cocktails and drinks at night. Ypovrixio 17 Stratonikis Located in an old residence, built in 1897, with a chequered black-andwhite floor, it is an intrinsic part of the neighborhood’s history and has operated for decades as a classic Greek kafeneio – serving coffee, meze and drinks. Flamme Rouge 26 Triptolemou Dedicated to cycling, this cafe-bar is named after the Tour de France’s red flag. Chill out on the sofas and hammocks in the pretty garden.

Kafeneio Thissio 2 Akamantos One of the longest established coffee shops in the area, popular with visitors and locals of all ages. Loux 9 Thessalonikis Great for a classic Greek chill-out, with coffee and Greek “spoonsweets,” or a glass of raki with a meze side dish.

ΔΙΑΦΗΜΙΣΗ

Root Artspace 10 Iraklidon The building was constructed in 1845 to house the stables of King Otto. Now, the ultra-modern and eco-friendly space brings together an art gallery, art shop, vinyl record store, screening room and a cafe-restaurant, with an interesting Paleo-friendly menu and innovative cocktails. Underdog 8 Iraklidon Discover the secrets of specialty coffees by trying one or two of the different varieties, roasted on the spot. Underdog also offers an impressive selection of beers, including quality Greek and foreign craft brews. The exceptional cocktail menu has been devised by one of the city’s top mixologists, Christos Houseas, of “42” bar.

Hoxton

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Plaka Amaltheia 16 Tripodon Coffee and homemade pastries, just like Mum makes, in a lovely atmosphere with polite service.

Tziz

Blue Bird 4 Ipitou Toasted sandwiches, coffee, drinks and cocktails. A truly inviting little bar on a pedestrian street that fills up with tables. Good music, great atmosphere, reasonable prices. Kimolia 5 Iperidou Delicious coffee, comfort food and cocktails in an attractive “Art Café” with a mellow vibe that is

completely in harmony with the positive energy of the area. Klepsydra 9 Thrasyvoulou & Klepsydra Set in an environment typical of the historic Plaka district, you will find delicious coffee and pastries, but also a good selection of snacks that you can enjoy in the cool breeze that wafts down from the Acropolis. Yiasemi 23 Mnisikleous Very attractive, bohemianfeel cafe, on steps below the Acropolis. Cushions and wicker chairs, homemade desserts, youngsters, ouzo. Life is good.

Petite Fleur

Tsai

Tziz 12 Navarinou Post-modern with an industrial feel and retro elements. Open from early in the day for coffee and light meals. Nice mix of funk, jazz, indie and rock. Sunday brunch (you are advised to make a reservation).

get peckish, there is a fine choice of Mediterranean and international cuisine. Petite Fleur 44 Omirou A pretty, non-smoking establishment serving hot chocolate, teas, coffees and desserts. The house specialty is the Valrhona chocolate drink, served in a large porcelain cup; it is worth the 10-minute wait.

La Esquina 43 Haritos, Kolonaki All-day bar that gave a new lease on life to pedestrian-only Haritos Street. Open just one year and already a popular choice for cocktails and burgers in a partylike atmosphere. Recommended for all ages.

Stinking Bishop 36 Loukianou It started out as a tiny space that barely accommodated four tables, but has since moved to a more comfortable address. A good wine list, as well as a selection of cheeses and charcuterie from Greece and abroad, plus a small menu of hot dishes. Several new cocktails have recently been added.

Minnie The Moocher 6 Tsakakalof, Kolonaki Tucked away in an arcade, reminiscent of a Prohibition-era bar. Interesting atmosphere, Chesterfield-style furnishings, properly mixed drinks. And if you

Tsai (Tea) Lykavittou & 19 Soutsou As the name suggests, it serves 80 different kinds of tea, but also homemade sweets and cakes, along with delicious soups and quiches.

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Klepsydra

Kimolia

Cinco 50 Skoufa Tapas bar with Japanese and Barcelonan influences. Delicious, well prepared dishes, good music and cocktails.

Pagrati Skyfall

Arbaroriza

Arbaroriza 10 Plastira Square Long balcony with tables that fill up every night, above the bustle of Eratosthenous street. Customers of different ages; cocktails from €4.50; also snacks. Pet friendly. Aerostato Ktisiou & 4 Ptolemaiou, Proskopon Square Bustling hangout that looks like an American bar from the ‘60s. Coffee and croissants in the morning, pleasant jazz music and good choice of drinks in the evening. Chelsea Hotel 1 Archimidous & Proklou, Plastira Square Romantic yet lively bar; no one seems to sit still. Inexpensive drinks, Cretan raki, artistic types, groups of friends and a young crowd in general, which often spills onto the street.

Small 8

Mint 30 Archelaou A new arrival in what is becoming one of Athens’ new hot districts, Mint is an all-day bar and bistro serving classic cocktails and delectable snacks. It is also among a handful of bars that respects the no-smoking-indoors rule. Skyfall 1 Markou Mousourou In the Mets district, one of Athens’ hidden charms, with a great terrace and view of the Acropolis, for hip and chic dining. Gourmet menu and interesting cocktails. Small 8 8 Archelaou Inviting, friendly and cosy, all-day cafe-bar with industrial design. Inspired cocktails and delicious coffee.

FACTS & FIGURE S

athens IN NUMBERS 664,046, the population of the

1,413 meters, the altitude of Parnitha,

Municipality of Athens, according to the last census in 2011.

the highest of the mountains ringing the city of Athens.

3,752,973, the population of the entire

1,398,000: Passengers using

metropolitan area (excl. the nearby islands). (Τhat’s approx. 37,5% of the population of Greece, living in under 3% of the country’s total area.)

15,196,463 travelers passed

through Athens International Airport in 2014. 33 kilometers, the distance from the city center

to Athens International Airport. 35 euros: standard taxi fare, 5 a.m. - midnight (50 euros night fare).

257.40 €, the average monthly rent for

a one-bedroom apartment in the city center.

35°C, the average

temperature of Athens’s hottest day during the past 21 years. -1°C, The average temperature of Athens’s coldest day during the past 21 years.

1,200 new permits for food, coffee and drink

establishments in Athens, from January to October 2013, compared to 762 in 2011.

3.06 euros, the average cost of

a cappuccino (regular).

70 kilometers, the length

of the Attiki Odos ring road. 160

GREECE-is.com

Lines 1, 2 and 3 of the Attiko Metro on a daily basis. 1.20 euros, the cost of a one-way ticket

on Athens’ public transport.

50,000 ancient objects unearthed during construction works by the Attiko Metro, from a total excavation area of 79,000 square meters (the biggest “dig” ever in Greece).

2.13 days: Average duration

of a visitor’s stay in 2011.

25 kilometers, the coastline of Southern Attica

stretching from the Port of Piraeus to the seaside town of Varkiza.

394 cruise ships expected

to dock in the Piraeus Port in 2015.

102 Hotels registered with the Attica Hoteliers’ Association

2 million: Total book capacity of the new National Library of Greece, designed by Renzo Piano, in the nearly finished Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center – which also includes the new Greek National Opera, with a 1400 - seat main auditorium and a 42-acre park.

greece is experience culture, gastronomy & more

ATHENS edition

ATHE NS

SUMMER 2015

10 - 41

45 - 90

91 - 134

EXPER I EN CE

D I S COV ER

EXPLO R E

135 - 160 TA S T E

From the top of Lykavitos hill to the beaches of the southern suburbs, we propose a number of authentic Athenian experiences that will bring you closer to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul.

Become familiar with the Acropolis and its new, internationally acclaimed museum, the Athenian Agora, the repositories of Greek culture and the architectural gems that lend character to Athens.

The neighborhoods of Athens invite visitors to stray from the tourist trail and explore their streets, feel their changes in atmosphere and share the daily lives of their residents.

Compiled by experts and conveniently arranged by district, our list of restaurants, cafĂŠs and bars is your starting point for an unforgettable adventure of culinary delight and fun.