©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd ATHENS ZORA O’NEILL Plan Your Trip Welcome to Athens ............4 Top Sights ............................6 Eating .................................10 Drinking & Nightlife ..........12 Shopping ............................14 Arts & Entertainment.......16 Museums & History ..........18 Activities & Events........... 20 For Free ..............................21 LGBTIQ+ ........................... 22 For Kids ............................. 23 Four Perfect Days ............ 24 Need to Know ................... 26 Athens Neighbourhoods .............. 28 Temple of Olympian Zeus (p116) PEL_1971/GETTY IMAGES © Explore Survival Athens 31 Guide 173 Acropolis Before You Go .................174 Area ................................... 33 Arriving in Athens ...........175 Monastiraki Getting Around ...............176 & Psyrri ............................. 53 Essential Information .... 177 Syntagma & Plaka ...............................77 Language .........................182 Kolonaki ............................ 99 Index ................................ 184 Mets & Pangrati ........................ 115 Omonia Special Features & Exarhia ..........................127 Acropolis ........................... 34 Filopappou Hill, Acropolis Museum ...........40 Thisio & Petralona ..........147 Ancient Agora .................. 54 Gazi, Keramikos & Metaxourgio .................157 Benaki Museum of Greek Culture ................. 100 Temple of Worth a Trip Olympian Zeus ................ 116 Faliro .................................170 National Archaeological Museum .......................... 128 Filopappou Hill ............... 148 Kerameikos ..................... 158 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Welcome to Athens With equal measures of grunge and grace, Athens is a heady mix of history and edginess. Cultural and social life plays out amid, around and within ancient landmarks, and the magnificent Acropolis towers over all. There is crackling energy in galleries, political debates and street art. Go with a mind open to spontaneous discovery, and you will be rewarded. View from the Acropolis (p34) towards Lykavittos Hill (p103) ADRIENNE PITTS/LONELY PLANET © ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 6 Top Sights Acropolis An icon of Western civilisation. p34 Plan Trip Your S.BORISOV/SHUTTERSTOCK © S.BORISOV/SHUTTERSTOCK Top Sights Top 7 SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK © SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK Acropolis Museum The Parthenon at eye level. p40 Plan Trip Your Top Sights Top GEORGIOS TSICHLIS/SHUTTERSTOCK © TSICHLIS/SHUTTERSTOCK GEORGIOS Ancient Agora The heart of classi- cal Athens. p54 SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK © SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK Benaki Museum of Greek Culture Private mansion turned public treasure. p100 HERACLES KRITIKOS/SHUTTERSTOCK © MILANGONDA/GETTY IMAGES © p128 p158 Kerameikos ancient life. reveals cemetery A National Archaeological Museum treasures. classical finest Greece’s 8 Plan Your Trip Top Sights 9 Filopappou Hill Ancient history and green space. p148 SAIKO3P/GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES SAIKO3P/GETTY Plan Trip Your Top Sights Top JÚNIOR BRAZ/500PX © JÚNIOR BRAZ/500PX Temple of Olympian Zeus Emperor Hadrian’s biggest building project. p116 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 10 Eating Plan Trip Your Eating, drinking and talking is the main entertainment for Athenians. The cur- rent restaurant scene is vibrant, and some of the best cooking is found in just-slightly-modernised tavernas that Eating showcase fresh produce and regional ingredients. Add in a culture of con- vivial alfresco dining, and no wonder meals tend to last for hours. Restaurant meat skewers usually Best Traditional Types also do gyros (slivers Greek of meat cooked on a Pork chops, grilled by a Tavernas are neigh- vertical rotisserie). Telis bourhood anchors. master. (p68) A psarotaverna Diporto Agoras Legendary focuses on seafood; What Looks cheap lunch spot near the a hasapotaverna or Good central market. (p75) psistaria does meat. In summer, an empty I Kriti Super-rustic Cretan Also casual, a mayirio room doesn’t neces- specialities. (p139) specialises in home- sarily mean bad – it Palia Athina Checked style stews and baked could just be that tablecloths: check. Perfect dishes (mayirefta). everyone is on the calamari: check. (p87) More formal is the roof terrace or in the Kalderimi A taste of the estiatorio, with cloth courtyard. village downtown. (p86) on the tables. At mom-and-pop Atlantikos The freshest Casual ouzeries and places, it’s normal to seafood, simply prepared. mezedhopoleia both go into the kitchen to (p68) serve small plates see the day’s dishes. with drinks. Souv- For other tips on Best Mezedhes laki (aka kalamaki) ordering, see Menu Ivis Watch the Psyrri scene is Athens’ favourite Advice (p166). from a little table at this fast food; restaurants sweet corner bar-cafe. (p67) that do these grilled .