Direct flights from Manchester to Athens take about 4 hours. December is quite a good time of year to go as the weather is still reasonable (by British standards). It can rain though, as I discovered on Christmas Eve – although that storm was unusual. Note that most things close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which seems odd given the huge captive audience of tourists. Public transport still runs, though, as do the hop on, hop off tourist buses…
Greece is an Orthodox Christian country but celebrates Christmas in line with the Gregorian calendar, not the Julian calendar…
Athens is the capital of Greece, or the Hellenic Republic as the Greeks know it. The country was conquered by the Romans in 146BC. In 324ad, Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, marking the start of what would become the Byzantine Empire. Greece remained part of the Byzantine Empire until the Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople in 1453, whereupon it became part of the Ottoman Empire. The Greek War of Independence began in 1821 and led to the formation of an independent state in 1830 (1830-1897). The period from 1897 to 1922 witnessed the territorial integration of the modern Greek state…
Note that the Acropolis is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day…
Views Up and Down:
The Acropolis of Athens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/404/Christmas Eve was wet and miserableThe steps and footpaths get slippery in the rain – the rain intensified and the accompanying strong winds soon had me drenched…The Acropolis is closed on the 25th and 26th of December – luckily, it was nice and sunny on the 27th and, as a consequence, very busy…You get great views over Athens on a sunny day…A fine view of Mount Lycabettus, or Lycabettus Hill. At 277 metres it is the highest point in central Athens. There is a funicular to take you to the top. See: https://www.lycabettushill.com/Looking down over the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch…
The Temples:
The Parthenon was built after the victory of the citizens of Athens over the Persians during the 5th century BC Greco-Persian wars and was a symbol of Athens’ freedom…The Morean War was fought between Venice and the Ottoman Empire from 1684 to 1699 as part of the wider Great Turkish War in an effort to free Athens from the Ottomans. The Ottomans used the Parthenon as a gunpowder store and, in 1687, Venetian cannon fire hit the Parthenon with inevitable, and terrible, consequences…The Temple of Athena Nike was built between 426 and 421 BC on a bastion at the southwestern edge of the Acropolis…One of several temple cats
The Acropolis Museum:
The Acropolis Museum is very good but there are long queues for tickets at peak times…The Acropolis Museum is worth visiting – anything missing is probably in the British Museum having been purloined by Lord Elgin see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/parthenon_debate_01.shtml
The Temple of Zeus:
Although the largest of the ancient Greek temples, there’s not much to see now and it is difficult to get a feel for what must have been a magnificent and awe inspiring temple…Hadrian’s ArchHadrian’s Arch
Syntagma Square:
Syntagma Square lit up with Christmas decorationsSyntagma means constitution in modern Greek…The Greek Parliament building. The soldiers are guarding the monument to the unknown soldier. The ceremonial changing of the guards takes place everday at 11.00
Vasillissis Sofias Avenue:
Turn right after the Parliament building down Vasillissis Avenue and there are four museums to see: the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Museum of Byzantine and Christian Art and the War Museum. Continue along the avenue and follow the road round and you’ll see signs for the National Gallery – which is huge, so you won’t miss it…
The National LibraryPart of the University of AthensThe Academy of Athens
Mitropoleos Square:
Walking away from Syntagma Square down Mitropoleos Panagía Kapnikaréa ChurchPanagía Kapnikaréa ChurchThe Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary (St Mary’s Cathedral)…The adjacent Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Gorgoepikoos and Saint EleutheriusThe adjacent Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Gorgoepikoos and Saint Eleutherius
Omonia Square:
Omonia Square dates from the 19th century and created as part of plans to develop a modern city. The redesigned square was unveiled in May 2020 and restored the iconic fountain, now with 188 jets and 177 underwater spotlights built with eco-friendly materials and cool pavement technologies (whatever they are)…Omonia is Greek for harmony, a moniker reflecting the informal political truce declared here in 1862 by the leaders of rival political parties in the wake of King Otto’s ousting…
Aiolo (Eolou):
Aiolo (Eolou) runs from Omonia Square and is lined with bars, cafes and shops – you can wander all the way along until you reach Mitropoleos, turn left and walk back up to Syntagma Square or explore the numerous side streets – it’s a great area to wander around…
The Holy Church of St IreneThe Holy Church of St IreneInside the Holy Church of St IreneIt’s the place to be…There’s even a Marks and Spencer…
Monastiraki Square:
The square is famous for its flea market and the remains of Hadrian’s LibraryThe Holy Church of the Virgin Mary…
Others:
The Old Parliament House – it founded in 1858 by Queen Amalia and the building was completed in 1875. In 1935, Parliament moved to the Former Palace on Syntagma Square, where it is still housed today. In 1962 it became the National Historical Museum…The Hellenic National Archaeological Museum (photobombed by a random pigeon) 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. See: https://www.namuseum.gr/en/ The National Reconciliation Monument was unveiled in 1989, when Klathmonos Square was officially renamed National Reconciliation Square…The Aga Triada Russian Orthodox Church – also known as the Holy Church of the Holy Trinity or Soteira Lykodemos. Dating from the early 11th century, it is one of eight churches in Athens that have survived in pretty much their original form. The church was granted to the Russian community in Athens in 1847. Several icons in the church were brought from Russia by migrants fleeing the 1917 revolution…The Aga Triada Russian Orthodox ChurchThe Aga Triada Russian Orthodox Church has a separate bell tower…St Paul’s Anglican Church was consecrated in 1843Lycabettus Hill looms over the city…Panathenaic Stadium – originally built around 330BC, it was renovated in 1896 for the first modern Olympic Games. See: https://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/en/home/
Choosing A Place To Stay:
I stayed in the Athens Novotel – it’s a 30-minute walk from Syntagma Square and about 10 minutes to Omonia Square. It wasn’t the distance that was the problem – it was the grim walk from Omonia Square to Michail Voda Street, where the hotel is. The hotel itself was fine but the area around it is grubby and run down; there’s nothing in the vicinity, either. So, try and pick a hotel in a reasonable area that has adjacent shops and restaurants. You will probably still be 20 to 30 minutes from Syntagma Square but at least you’ll have restaurants and shops nearby…
Central Athens is an easy city to walk around, with two landmarks to help get your bearings: The Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill. The pavements, by and large, aren’t in great condition – so it’s worth scanning ahead for trip hazards. Crossing the road at pedestrian crossings is straightforward and not as risky as you might imagine, given that most Athenians drive everywhere at top speed. Cross when you get the green signal but keep a beady eye. I didn’t use the buses but I did use the metro. The metro isn’t as extensive as London or Paris but it can be useful. It is easy to use and cheap, with a fare of €1.50 per journey (at time of writing). No need to buy tickets, just tap in and out with your debit card as you would in London. It is well used and so can get quite busy and the Athenians seem to enjoy playing sardines… See:https://www.stasy.gr/en/
I didn’t actually stay here but it was on the route to my hotel…As was this sad buildingThe view from the balcony in my room at the Novotel – yes, I paid extra for the balcony…At least I could sit out on the balcony and leave the sliding glass door open at night for fresh air – no one was going to climb up to the 5th floor to get in, so it was quite safe…
Athens – New Year 2013
These dreadful photos were taken when I went to Athens for New Year 2013 – I only stayed a couple of nights and didn’t see much of the city. My only previous visit to Greece was a holiday in Spetses, with a day trip to Hydra, back in 1980…
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