EAIG Meeting |16 – 17 March 2016 , Greece Table of contents

• Athens 3 • Accommodation & Venue information 4-5 • How to reach the hotel by public transportation 6 • Map area around hotel 7 • General information 8-9 • Top 10 attractions 10-14 • Shopping 15 • Dining suggestions 16-19 • Nightlife 20 • Useful information 21 Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world, named after goddess Athena. Modern Athens is a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis, home to some 4.2 million people. The Athens metropolitan area is currently growing both northwards and eastwards across Attica and it constitutes the dominant centre of economic, financial, industrial, cultural and political life in Greece.

Ancient Athens was a powerful city-state and a renowned centre of learning, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. It is considered to have been the cradle of Western civilization, largely due to the immense impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 4th and 5th centuries BC on the rest of the then known European Continent. The heritage of the Athenian Enlightenment is still evident in the city, portrayed through a number of spectacular ancient monuments and artworks, the most famous of all being the Parthenon on the Acropolis ("high city"), nurtured by Ictinus, Callicrates and Phidias. The latter is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Classical Greek architecture, still standing as an epic legacy to the West and indeed to the rest of the world. Many of these cultural landmarks were renovated ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games.

Athens has been a popular tourist destination even since antiquity. Over the past decade, the infrastructure and social amenities of Athens have been radically following the city's successful bid to stage the 2004 Olympic Games. The Greek state, aided by the E.U., has poured money into major infrastructure projects such as the, state-of-the-art "Eleftherios Venizelos" International Airport, the massive expansion of the Metro system, and the Attiki Odos ring-road. Home to a vast number of 5 and 4 star hotels, the city is currently one of the most visited capitals in Europe. 3 Accommodation & Venue information

Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel Syngrou Avenue 89 – 93, Athens, 117 45 T: + 30 210 920 6000 F: + 30 210 920 6506 W: http://www.athenaeumintercontinentalathens.com/en/

4 ACCOMMODATION For accommodation reservations, please click the below link and choose one of the available types of rooms, which include breakfast. Link: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=14 506931

In case you wish to proceed to room booking excluding breakfast (20,00 EURO), or for any other reason, please send an email to [email protected] with the reference EAIG Athens 2016.

Plenary Meeting Venue

Will be held at hotel’s “Athenaeum Conference Center I,II,III” located at the lobby level.

Dinner on March 16 Acropolis Museum , 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens, 11742

 Private tour of the museum prior to dinner  Dinner starting about 8.30 pm

5 AIRPORT / LOCAL TRANSPORTATION – GETTING TO THE HOTEL

Athens is serviced by “Eleftherios Venizelos” International Airport. Taxi Just outside arrivals area (Exit door 3) there is a taxi “piazza” which is on a 24hours operation. From the airport it takes around 45 minutes to arrive by taxi to the hotel. The cost is approximately 35 Euro depending on traffic. Note that between 00.00h – 05.00h taxi transfer service, a double tariff will apply.

Metrorail Metro ticket from the airport to Athens Center costs 8 Euro.

Exiting the airport from the arrivals area and going up the escalators , you will reach the Airport Metro Station. Metro (blue line) will take you to Athens Center. Using the metro, there are various ways to reach the hotel:

• Get off at Syntagma Station, change and take (red line) towards “Ellinikon” and get off at Syngrou – Fix Station. Walking distance from the hotel is approx. 10 minutes, taking a taxi will cost the min. fare which is 3,20 Euro.

• Get off at Syntagma Station and take the tram. The tram station is located on the top of the Syntagma square (opposite the Greek Parliament). There are two lines, both of them passing by the hotel. Get off at “Kassomouli” stop, hotel is located just 20 meters away.

• Get off at Syntagma Station and take a taxi. Cost for the taxi is max 5 Euro.

Bus Bus ticket from the airport to Athens costs 5 Euro.

Just outside arrivals area (Exit door 4) is the bus terminal. Use bus X95 to Syntagma Square. From there, you can continue as per metro suggested ways above. 6 Map Around The Hotel

SYNTAGMA METRO STATION SYNTAGMA TRAM TERMINAL

SYNGROU-FIX METRO STATION

KASSOMOULI TRAM STOP

ATHENAEUM INTERCONTINENTAL 7 General Information

LANGUAGE

The official language is Greek. Nevertheless, almost all locals speak English.

CLIMATE

The climate in Athens is Mediterranean, with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and limited amount of rain. March begins with a mix of cloudy and sunny days, a slight chance of rain and an average temperature of 13 °C / 55 °F.

CURRENCY

Greece is in the Euro Zone. Banks operate Mon – Fri from 08.00 h – 14.00 h and currency exchange offices operate all days of the week at the city center.

8 Public Transportation

All public transportation (metro, tram, bus) operates between 05.00h – 00.00h, 7 days a week. The ticket costs 1,20 Euro and is valid for 70 consecutive minutes from the moment of validation. It can be combined for all means of public transportation and is validated only on the first mean used.

Taxis operate on a 24hours basis. There is the normal fare, a minimum charge for short distance use is 3,20 Euro, and the double tariff fare applies between 00.00h – 05.00h 9 Top 10 Attractions

1. ACROPOLIS

The Acropolis hill so called the "Sacred Rock" of Athens, is the most important site of the city and constitutes one of the most recognizable monuments of the world. It is the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture, as well as the symbol of the city of Athens itself as it represents the apogee of artistic development in the 5th century BC. During Perikles' Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.

The Propylaea are the monumental entrances to the sacred area dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of the city. Built by the architect Mnesicles with Pentelic marble, their design was avant- garde. To the south-west of the Propylaea, on a rampart protecting the main entrance to the Acropolis, is the Ionian temple of Apteros Nike, which is now being restored.

The first habitation remains on the Acropolis date from the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, the rocky hill was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area or both. The inscriptions on the numerous and precious offerings to the sanctuary of Athena (marble korai, bronze and clay statuettes and vases) indicate that the cult of the city's patron goddess was established as early as the Archaic period (650-480 B.C.).

Operating Hours: 08.00 am – 06.00 pm Entrance fee: 12 Euro per person Metro Station : Acropolis Station (Line 2)

10 2. NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Constructed on 2007, the new Acropolis Museum has a total area of 25,000 square meters, with exhibition space of over 14,000 square meters, ten times more than that of the old museum on the Hill of the Acropolis. The new Museum offers all the amenities expected in an international museum of the 21st century.

Operating Hours: Mon – Thu 09.00am – 05.00pm / Fri – Sat 09.00am – 08.00pm. Address: 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens, 11742 Metro Station : Acropolis Station (Line 2) T: +30 210 9000900 W: www.theacropolismuseum.gr 3. PANATHENAIC STADIUM

The Panathenaic Stadium is a classical cultural monument of Greece. Its history is directly connected to the Modern Olympic Games, from their revival in 1896. It is also the place from which the Olympic Flame is delivered to all the Olympic Games.

The goal of The Hellenic Olympic Committee is to make the Stadium a main tourist attraction and to promote the athletic spirit to the youth by organizing athletic and cultural events for children.

Operating Hours: 08.00am – 07.00pm Entrance fee: 3 Euro Address: Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue, Athens, 11635 T: +30 210 7522984-6 W: www.panathenaicstadium.gr 11 4. NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art.

It was founded at the end of the 19th century to house and protect antiquities from all over Greece, thus displaying their historical, cultural and artistic value.

Operating Hours: Tue – Sun 09.00am – 04.00pm Entrance fee: 7 Euro Address: 44 Patission Street, Athens, 10682 Metro Station: Victoria (Line 1) T: +30 213 2144800 W: www.namuseum.gr

5. PLAKA, MONASTIRAKI & THISSION AREA

Plaka is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the "Neighborhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites.

Combined with Monastiraki & Thission areas, it is the old historical triangle of Athens.

Metro Stations: Acropolis Station (Line 2), Monastiraki Station (Lines 1,3), Thission Station (Line 1)

12 6. SYNTAGMA SQUARE

Syntagma Square is the heart of modern Athens. Also known as Constitution Square, it is a huge public plaza stretching out in front of the Greek Parliament Building. The scene for many celebrations, the square has recently been refurbished as part of the development of the system.

Metro Station: Syntagma Station (Lines 2, 3)

7. ZAPPEION/TEMPLE OFM OLYMPIAN ZEUS

The Zappeion is one of the most important buildings of Athens next to the National Garden, its construction was financed by Evangelos Zappas. The neoclassical mansion is inherent with the modern history of Greece and now is used for public and private exhibitions and ceremonies. The Olympeion was the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus. Metro Stations: Acropolis Station (Line 2), Syntagma Station (Lines 2,3)

8. LYCABETTUS HILL

Twilight is the best time to venture up this abrupt peak. At 745 ft. (277 m), Lycabettus stands high above Athens, commanding a clear view across the Attica basin and the Aegean. Facing the viewing platform is Agios Georgios, the tiny white-stuccoed chapel of St. George. There is also a superb café, although prices match the altitude. To get there, hike up the path that starts at the end of Aristippou Street and winds upwards, or you can opt for the funicular which leaves from Ploutarchou and Aristippou Streets. Metro Station: Syntagma Station (Lines 2,3) 13 9. STOA OF ATTALOS (ANCIENT AGORA)

The Stoa, on the east side of the Ancient Agora, was the gift of Attalos II, King of Pergamon, as a fragmentary inscription on the epistyle of its lower colonnade shows: « King Attalos, son of Attalos and of Queen Apollonis ».

The building is 120 m wide and 20 m deep and had two floors with a second series of columns on the interior and 21 shops at the back of both floors. On the ground floor the exterior colonnade was Doric and the interior Ionic, without fluting. On the upper floor the exterior colonnade was Ionic, and the interior had capitals of a Pergamene type. The Stoa of Attalos was a place for Athenians to meet, walk, and to do business.

Operating Hours: 08.00am – 03.00pm Entrance fee: 4 Euro Address: 24 Adrianou Street, Athens, 10555 Metro Station: Monastiraki Station (Lines 1,3) T: +30 210 3210185

10. BYZANTINE MUSEUM

The Byzantine and Christian Museum, which is based in Athens, is one of Greece’s national museums. Its areas of competency are centred on – but not limited to – religious artefacts of the Early Christian, Byzantine, Medieval, post-Byzantine and later periods which it exhibits.

Operating Hours: 09.00am – 04.00pm Entrance fee: 4 Euro Address: 22 Vas. Sofias Ave., 106 75 Athens Metro Station: Syntagma Station (Lines 2, 3) T: +30 213 213 9500

14 Shopping

The main shopping area in Athens is the city centre, where you can find a variety of shops and brands.

Most famous shopping street is Ermou street, which starts from Syntagma Square and ends just before Monastiraki. Metro Station Syntagma (Lines 2,3).

Plaka area with a lot of small touristic shops for traditional Greek products . Ideal for purchasing souvenirs. Metro Station Acropolis (Line 2)

Kolonaki area for luxury purchases , filled with boutiques full of designers products. Metro Station Syntagma (Lines 2,3).

Monastiraki area with the flea market. Metro Station Monastiraki (Lines 1,3)

Attica Mall with a wide array of high-end designer brands, offers a complete sections of womenswear, menswear, chilldrenswear, sportswear, accessories, jewelry and traveler's items. Metro Station Synragma (Lines 2,3)

Shops are open Mon & Wed 09.00am – 03.00pm, Tue & Thu – Sat 09.00am – 09.00pm. On Sundays shops are closed except Plaka & Monastiraki areas.

15 Dining suggestions

Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, lemon juice, vegetables, and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork. The most commonly seen grain is wheat, however barley is also used. Also important are olives, cheese, eggplant, zucchini and yogurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.

Some of the most famous dishes are:

Moussaka Variations on moussaka are found throughout the Mediterranean and Balkans, but the iconic Greek baked dish is based on layering: sautéed aubergine, minced meat fried pureed tomato, onion, garlic and spices like cinnamon and allspice, a bit of potato, and then a final fluffy topping of cheese and béchamel sauce.

Dolmades Each region in Greece, in fact, each household, has its variation on the classic grape leaf-wrapped rice parcel. Eaten as a finger food, some stuffed vine leaves incorporate mincemeat with the long-grain rice, others, simply a heady combination of thyme, dill, fennel, oregano or pine nuts.

Grilled meat Greeks are master of charcoal-grilled and spit-roasted meats. Souvlaki is still Greece’s favourite fast food, both the gyros and skewered meat versions wrapped in pitta bread, with tomato, onion and lashings of tzatziki. At the taverna, local free-range lamb and pork dominate, though kid goat is also a favourite.

Greek salad Greek salad is known and loved all around the world. It is made with sliced tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, olives and feta cheese, with salt and oregano and dressed with extra virgin olive oil.

16 Below you can find some dining suggestions. For additional options, please contact the hotels’ concierge.

Dionysos Restaurant

Dionysos Zonar's is located in a prominent position on the outskirts of the Acropolis, having a panoramic view of the sacred rock of the Acropolis and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Herodion). It combines a prime location with stylish renovated space and the high quality of Greek modern cuisine.

Menu: from 50 Euro per person excluding drinks Address: 43 Rovertou Galli Street, Athens Metro Station: Acropolis Station (Line 2) T: +30 210 9231936 W: www.dionysoszonars.gr

The Old Tavern of Psaras (Fisherman’s Tavern)

Plaka’s oldest restaurant continues to receive connoisseurs of the finest that Greek traditional cuisine has to offer. The emphasis here is on top quality in the realms of taste and service.

For more than two decades, The Fisherman’s Taverna, has been living proof that the Plaka has much more to offer than the usual tourist traps.

Menu: from 30 Euro per person excluding drinks Address: 16 Erechtheos Street, Athens Metro Station: Acropolis Station (Line 2) T: +30 210 3218733 W: www.psaras-taverna.gr

17 Athinaikon Restaurant

Athinaikon restaurant has a long and interesting history. Location is on Mitropoleos street, close to Syntagma square. All the dishes are prepared exclusively with fresh, seasonal ingredients and the cuisine is Greek traditional. Popular specialties include meat dishes, seafood, fresh fish, a wide variety of appetizers and delicious desserts. Ancient remains under glass, inspired verses on the walls, sculptures and modern art make an attractive decor. The reasonable prices are a pleasant surprise.

Menu: from 25 Euro per person excluding drinks Address: 34 Mitropoleos Street, Athens Metro Station: Monastiraki Station (Lines 1,3) T: +210.3252688 W: www.athinaikon.gr

Thanasis Kebab

The most famous tavern serving original kebab, and not only, souvlaki is Thanasis in Monastiraki. Simple but real. Located just across the metro station.

Menu: from 7 Euro per person excluding drinks Address: 69 Mitropoleos Street, Athens Metro Station: Monastiraki Station (Lines 1,3) T: +30 210 3244705 W: www.othanasis.com

18 Tzitzikas & Mermigas

The restaurant is a popular and beloved culinary destination both for the refined flavors of the Greek traditional cuisine and the grocery style that it introduced as a trend in catering.With the Greek countryside’s pure raw materials being the basis of our culinary philosophy, as well as with gourmet creations that evolve Greek tradition, it has a menu of wide range with economic requirements.

Gruyere from Naxos, organic fava from Dilofo, smoked pork from Mani, mastelo cheese and mastic from Chios and mussels from Katerini, pecorino cheese from Amfilochia etc. are some of the products that reach us from different corners of Greece and find a place in our menu.

Menu: from 25 Euro per person excluding drinks Address: 12-14 Mitropoleos Street, Athens Metro Station: Acropolis Station (Line 2) T: +30 210 32 47607 W: www.tzitzikasmermigas.gr

19 Nightlife

Gazi A nice alternative for bars and restaurants Gazi situated just North/West of the Thisseo area is the area where the old gas factory used to be and now is home to many restaurants, bars, cafes and club. Gay nightlife has also moved to this area. Metro stop Kerameikos is smack in the middle of all the action. It used to be the most popular bar spot in Athens but not anymore.

Psiri area This is a picturesque area in the centre of the city very close to Monastiraki Square. Old traditional tavernas, most with live music, where you can see people standing up spontaneously to dance so you enjoy something so original .You can reach it either on foot from the Syntagma Square or from two metro station The theisseion or the Monastiraki metro station.

Plateia Karytsi Plateia Karytsi is a square between Syntagma and Psyri. It is the most blooming area currently in Athens for full with bars and restaurants. It is the most lively area and that is the place to be for both young and older people.

Kolonaki Greek Posh This is the most exclusive area of central Athens -the 'Kensington' and 'Chelsea' combined. As you would expect, it is filled with exclusive boutiques and swanky bars, centered around the eponymous Kolonaki Square and Skoufa street.

20 Useful Information

For any emergency, dial 166

Athens International Airport (www.aia.gr) : +30 210 353000

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