A week ago, just before the big fires, my boyfriend & I went to the capital of Greece to look for some new experiences (as clichéd as it sounds). If you have scrolled through your Insta feed in the last month or two, you may have noticed that all the bloggers are either somewhere in Italy or on some Greek island. Turns out Athens is a somewhat underestimated destination. But it has it all – the history, the busy boulevards, the narrow streets, the pretty houses, the plants, and of course, the sea and its beaches.
- Mount Lycabettus:
The highest one in Athens. Legend says that Athena – the goddess of war, put a big stone in the middle of the city and it became a hill. The best place to go there is before sunset – it’s really magical to see how big (and white!) Athens actually is (the photo abovr has no filter at all).
- Acropolis:
You can’t go to Athens and not visit the Acropolis! It really is an impressive place, especially when you imagine how it looked more than 2000 years ago. There are other sites to visit nearby (like the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, The Temple of Hephaestus, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Library, etc.). The price for everything is 30 euro, but for students (lucky us) is free! And you can use these tickets for 4 days!
- Anafiotika:
This is a small neighbourhood, just below the Acropolis. Its name comes from one of the Cycladic islands – Anafi. During the 19th century Anafian people were asked to create a place similar to their home. So they made a district looking quite like the Cycladic islands (e.g. Santorini or Mykonos) with their white houses and teeny tiny steets. Probably my favorite (and most Instagramable) place in Athens!
- Piraeus:
Approximately 12 km from the city centre (use the metro to go there) is the largest passenger port in Europe. It’s a hybrid of older and not so attractive buildings and ones like the ones above. The main street is full of shops we have all heard of, so it’s a nice place to have a walk.
- The National Park:
This little paradise is quite close to the Syntagma square. There are over 15 000 different plants, a mini zoo and a few small lakes with turtles and ducks. A perfect place to cool down after you’ve had a walk in the districts Plaka or Monastiraki located nearby. Oh, and definitely bring an insect repellent with you!
And last, but by no means least, just EXPLORE! It is a wonderful city and there are beautiful & picturesque places literally around evrey corner. So may your days be sunny and hopefully not 40-degree hot!
