Athens: Gateway to Greece
Enjoy the Capital Before Exploring the Greek Islands
Southern Europe Travel's correspondent in Greece leads a tour of Athens, from the Sound and Light show at the Acropolis to bouzouki players in the Plaka's tavernas.
I love everything about Greece … the cerulean blue sea, the whitewashed buildings that cling to the cliffsides, the turquoise window boxes and pink geraniums, and the people … oh, those warm, vibrant, handsome people. Do they ever sleep?
Certainly not at night! They’re too busy singing and dancing in the tavernas until the sun’s rays glint through the grape-vined trellises.
Your introduction to Greece will probably be through the stunning new Athens airport, completed in time for the 2004 Olympics. The highways into the city are broad and handsome, and the 45-minute taxi ride is an interesting introduction to this ancient city.
Towering above it and visible from almost any angle is the Acropolis with the recently revitalized Parthenon. Your hotel choice includes dazzling new hotels on the entry to the city center, or charming ancient hotels nestled in the Plaka district at the foot of the Acropolis or others around the two main squares, Syntagma or Omonia. Your budget will govern your choice.
The highlights of this capital city (pop. 3,103,000) are, of course, the Acropolis, the Olympic Stadium, the Archeological Museum and the Parliament with the changing of the Evzone guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Fun-seekers will head for the Plaka with its ubiquitous souvenir shops, quaint little churches, glittering gold jewelry shops, and tavernas with bearded bouzouki players entertaining until the wee small hours.
Shoppers will seek out Monastiraki Square and the Flea market on Pandrossou Street, while a restful afternoon can be spent in the National Garden with it swan lakes and duck ponds and terrace cafes with live orchestras.
Nighttime entertainment on a cultural level includes the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre, usually packaged with the Sound and Light Show at the Acropolis. Folk dances from villages throughout Greece are presented in costume.
If you’re in Athens in the summertime, nothing could be more exciting than to hear a concert at the Herod Atticus Theater on the south slope of the Acropolis. Recent performers have included the popular Greek performer, Yanni, as well as Andrea Boccelli and opera highlights with Jessye Norman.
Of course, Athens is just the gateway to the rest of the Greek mainland and Piraeus with its daily departure of dozens of cruise ships to the Greek Islands.
