Plaka
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.3 miles]
The heart of old Athens, Plaka has an authentic charm with winding lanes, shady squares and atmospheric Byzantine churches.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Best places to stay:
It takes chutzpah to call your hotel NEW – but this Design Hotel is still cutting-edge, although it opened in 2011. Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana were recruited to spruce up the Olympic Palace, a 1950s landmark on the edge of Plaka.
Renowned for their eco-ethos, the Campana brothers worked with local architecture students, upcycling the original fittings alongside bespoke pieces of their own creation. The result: edgy design at democratic prices.
Coupled with can-do service and the best breakfast in town, this is an ideal choice for design junkies and first-time visitors.
On a busy road, surrounded by typical Athenian apartment buildings, the view isn’t picturesque. But it’s only a block away from the serene National Garden in one direction, and the pretty old town of Plaka in the other.
The main archaeological sites are less than 10 minutes’ walk, and it’s just around the corner from the city’s main pedestrian high street, Ermou, with excellent little eateries in the surrounding backstreets, from sushi and ramen to burger and souvlaki joints.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.3 miles]
The heart of old Athens, Plaka has an authentic charm with winding lanes, shady squares and atmospheric Byzantine churches.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.7 miles]
A jaw-dropping array of antiquities – all the Acropolis’ treasures – in one very modern museum designed by starchitect Bernard Tschumi.
Best for ages: 15+ | £4
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.7 miles]
This dazzling ancient citadel, perched on a hilltop rising above the city, houses some of the most impressive ancient buildings in the world. The jewel in the crown is the Pantheon, a 2,500-year-old temple dating back to 438 BC.
Best for ages: 7+ | £9
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1.1 miles]
A unique and extraordinary 3km pedestrian promenade peppered with world-class antiquities – triumphant arches, ancient amphitheatres, Greek temples, and ‘Socrates’ Prison’.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 3 kilometres
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.3 miles]
On Kydathinaion Square, Cine Paris is one of the loveliest outdoor cinemas in Athens. If the film disappoints, you can just gaze at the Parthenon under the moonlight. Open May to October.
Best for ages: 10+ | £7 | 2 hours
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.3 miles]
Greece’s busiest square and scene of political demos, made famous by the world’s media during the Euro crisis. This is the frenetic, traffic-filled epicentre of Athens.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.3 miles]
Pop into Brettos, the oldest distillery in Athens, for a shot of ouzo or mastic liqueur. The cosy interior, lined with multi-coloured bottles and barrels, dates from 1909.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.4 miles]
Designed to honour Zeus, the head of the Olympian Gods, with the largest temple in Greece, construction started in 6th century BC. When it was finally finished (ca 131 AD) it comprised no fewer than 104 gigantic columns, although only a dozen or so remain today.
Best for ages: 13+ | £5
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Central Greece, Greece
Antiquities galore, contemporary culture, scintillating nightlife and fantastic food: there’s something for everyone in Greece’s cosmopolitan capital that’s continuously reinventing itself.