Explore Athens like a local!
Exploring a city you haven’t been before — that’s a nice experience. Exploring it like a local — that’s an -even more- interesting one! How do people enjoy themselves, relax and have fun in their city? If you wish to know how the citizens of Athens do so, this post is for you! Athens is a city that never sleeps. You see people going out and having fun all day and night long. What do all these people do in that city and they’re always smiling?
An energizing morning walking tour in Athens
Monastiraki -and the whole area around the Acropolis- is a great place for a morning stroll. It’s mainly a pedestrian area in which the locals enjoy walking, both in daylight and in the evening. A very common route for those who want to stroll about while chattering with friends starts from Monastiraki square and points to Thissio either through Andrianou Street or through the flea market of Ifestou Street. If you choose to take Andrianou Street, you can admire the monumental temple of Hephaestus which is located on your left.
When one reaches Thissio there are two options; either to straight and walk the pedestrian footpath which leads to Kerameikos, or turn left and walk the most popular footpath of Athens — the one which connects Thissio with the Acropolis area. Kerameikos is a very popular place for the young people of Athens, as it is a place where a lot of bars and nightclubs have opened during the last few years. However, if you don’t intend to go to a nightclub, the footpath to the Acropolis is a much more beautiful route.
Apostolou Pavlou Street is a place where many stallholders sell hand-made jewelry and other beauteous handicrafts whilst the best thing about this route is that somewhere in the mid of it, there is an area with little rocks. If you climb it and walk for about 5 minutes, you will be in one of the most favorite places of Athens; it’s a site known as “vrahakia”, meaning little rocks in Greek. This place is unique and has a great panoramic view of the city. People of all ages go up there and hang out with their beloved with an ice-cream or a beer in their hand. Besides relaxing, you can take great pictures of the Parthenon; the temple which the ancient Greeks dedicated to goddess Athena, deemed as their patron.
According to mythology, Cecropas declared Athena as the winner of the contest for Athens, because her gift -an olive tree- was much more useful than Poseidon’s gift -sea water. It should be pointed out that if climbing is not your cup of tea, you can take another route and access vrahakia from the other side of the hill (walking some streets through the Roman Agora).
Do not forget: Even if you have a tight budget, there are still plenty of things to do in Athens.
What to eat in Athens; souvlaki and more
In case that you feel hungry but don’t want to spend time going to a restaurant, the renowned souvlaki is the best alternative for anyone who wants to keep exploring the city. When the sun goes down, if you feel like going to a tavern (traditional restaurant) to taste some authentic Greek food, choose a traditional one with live music. Some restaurants with live folk music have enough free space so that their customers can dance, too. If you are lucky enough to see people dancing don’t hesitate to join them, they will enjoy it as much as you. Dance is something the Greeks love and taverns, more often than not, have live music concerts on Friday and Saturday nights most of the times.
Of course, if you have some free time, you can always join a Greek cooking class, where you will team up with a trained chef to uncover the flavor combinations and cooking techniques that give Greek cuisine its delicious character.
Athens by night
Going out at a nightclub is not so popular as going for “rakomela” -warm raki with honey- at a “mezodopolio” (kind of small tavern which offers wine, ouzo, raki, tsipouro, rakomelo and other beverages accompanied with side dishes). People prefer small places where they can talk while eating and drinking rather than crowded places where they can only drink and dance — if there is enough space to do so. So, if you want to go out like a local, choose a traditional tavern or a mezedopolio. Psirri is an ideal neighborhood to go out during nighttime, if you look for places like the ones described above.
Joining a night walking tour in Athens is the best option if it’s your first visit. You will stroll through the streets of Athens after the sun goes down, admire the illuminated edifices of centuries-old ruins, looking for the pulse of the city’s nightlife, and listening to engaging commentary from your entertaining guide.
Athens is a warm place where travelers can easily mix with the locals. People are friendly and every single neighborhood of the city centre is of unique beauty. Exploring the secret places where the locals go out, along with the very well-known ones is something that you won’t regret. The beauty of a city is revealed when one walks streets most tourists don’t. Then, you can really know what being part of the city feels like!
This article was originally published on Big World Small Pockets travel blog
