Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Focus on Athens

For history buffs, the Greek capital is a dream destination but, as Kathy Tzilivakis, reveals it’s also the place for fine dining, designer shopping and a dynamic nightlife

Blessed with diversity, Athens offers a wide variety of modern luxuries as well as ancient temples built during its golden age. Those seeking to immerse themselves in archaeology and ancient civilisation will feel very much at home.

The history and culture of Europe’s most ancient capital city spans 3,000 years. The first oil painting of Athens by French artist Jacques Carrey in 1674 reveals a settlement of small houses with red tile roofs clustered under the Acropolis, which is embraced by a lush green countryside.

Much has changed in the cradle of Western civilisation. The 2004 Olympics transformed Athens into a sprawling, modern city. Once infamous for its traffic and smog, Athens has blossomed into a buzzing, cosmopolitan city, while managing to retain much of its glorious past. You will easily find quiet corners where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the downtown commercial district and feel like you’ve travelled back through time.

The city’s ancient sites in the downtown area are connected by peaceful cobblestone streets and tree-lined pedestrian walkways. But a ride on the new metro is also well worth the cost of its €0.80 ticket.

In fact, the city’s underground rail system has literally turned public transportation into an art gallery. The Acropolis station is by far the most impressive, featuring a reproduction of the Elgin marbles – the friezes taken from the Parthenon nearly 200 years ago by Lord Elgin and which are today housed in London’s British Museum. The station also features larger-than-life statues of gods and goddesses from the Parthenon’s east pediment as well as displays of nearly a hundred historical objects unearthed during the construction of the station.

Plaka

The picturesque neighbourhood of Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis (an awe-inspiring site, despite the scaffolds). This is one of the city’s oldest quarters and one that has managed to evade Athens’ sprawling urbanisation. Its labyrinth of winding cobbled streets takes you on a journey through ancient ruins, medieval churches and neoclassical homes, but there’s also a mosque and Turkish bath built during Ottoman rule some 250 years ago.

The Roman Agora is worth a visit. It consists of a building that is 111 metres by 98 metres, and sits in a spacious courtyard. It has an east (Ionian) propylon and a west (Doric) propylon, known as the Gate of Athena Archegetis (Athena the Leader), which leads to the Tower of the Winds.

An inscription on the architrave of the monumental gate tells you that Julius Caesar and Augustus provided the funds for its construction in the first century BC. The Tower of the Winds is a tall, octagonal building east of the Roman Agora that was designed by famous astronomer Andronikos of Kyrrhos. It has a water clock on the inside, sundial on the outside and weather vane on top.

There are also several art galleries and museums worth visiting, in particular the Museum of Greek Folk Art (17 Kydathineon Street), the Jewish Museum (39 Nikis Street) and the Frissiras Museum of Contemporary Painting (3-7 Monis Asteriou).

Wandering through the lanes between the sleek new Syntagma and Monastiraki metro stations, you can spend the morning bargaining with countless souvenir and jewellery shop owners. In the afternoon, enjoy a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ouzo before treating yourself to some of the best seafood and Greek delicacies in town at old-fashioned vine-covered tavernas.

Check out Diogenis (3 Seley Street, Lysikratous Square, tel. 210 322 4845)

for traditional Greek cuisine, and Psarras (12 Erotokritou Street, tel. 210 321 8733) for fresh fish and live Greek music on an expansive terrace with a magnificent view of the Acropolis.

Psyrri

A short walk north of Plaka will bring you to Psyrri, the latest hub of the city’s nightlife. Once the heart of Athens’ red-light district, its narrow alleyways are now lined with trendy cafés, bars and traditional restaurants featuring live music and lots of dancing. Most of the restaurants serve mezedes – a Greek version of the Spanish tapas.

If you’re looking for a good party atmosphere, Psyrri is the place to go. It’s very lively on weeknights and from as early as noon on weekends – right up until sunrise. Check out Envy (3 Agios Eleousis and Kakourgiodikeiou Streets, tel. 210 331 7801), a fashionable mainstream club-restaurant that attracts Athens’ high society. A few blocks away, enjoy a more low-key New York-style vibe at Soul (65 Evripidou Street).

But if it’s a traditional Greek atmosphere you want, head to Lithos (17 Aisopou Street, tel. 210 324 7797) for free-flowing wine, mezedes and live Greek music.

Kolonaki

Welcome to the most upscale shopping district in the country. Not a place for the budget-conscious, here you’ll find names like Armani, Gucci, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Cartier and more.

Kolonaki, however, isn’t just about shopping. There’s the Benaki Museum (1 Koumbari Street and Vas Sofias Avenue) where you can inspect a dazzling collection of Mycenaean jewellery, Greek costumes and various historic items from the Greek Revolution in the 19th century. The Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art (4 Neofytou Douka) is also in the area.

Located just a few blocks from central Syntagma Square is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, at the foot of the parliament building. It’s a bas-relief sculpture that bears an inscription of the famous funeral oration delivered by ancient Greek statesman Pericles in 431 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. The real attraction are the Evzones (soldiers from the elite Greek infantry regiment known as the Presidential Guard) who keep vigil at the tomb. They wear the ancestral uniform of white pleated skirts and embroidered waistcoats for a ceremonial changing of the guard that takes place every hour on the hour. Don’t forget your camera.

Sounio

A day trip to Cape Sounio, 65km southeast of downtown Athens, should be included in your itinerary. Not only is the Cape of great historical significance, but it offers a breathtaking view of the Aegean.

It is home to the ruins of two temples that overlook the sea. One is dedicated to the goddess Athena and the other to the mighty sea god Poseidon. Apparently Lord Byron liked this spot so much that he carved his name on one of the columns.

Where to stay

• Periscope Hotel
  22 Haritos Street, Kolonaki, tel. 210 729 7200
• St George Lycabettus Hotel
  2 Kleomenous Street, Kolonaki, tel. 210 729 0711
• Plaka Hotel
  7 Kapnikareas and Mitropoleos Streets, Plaka, tel. 210 322 2096
• Hotel Magna Grecia Boutique
  54 Mitropoleos Street, Plaka, tel. 210 324 0314
• Hotel Arion
  18 Agios Dimitriou Street, Psyrri, tel. 210 324 0415
• Aegeon Hotel
  Sounio tel. 229 203 9200
• Grecotel Cape
  Sounio tel. 229 206 9700

Focus op Athene

Wat ooit de bakermat van onze beschaving was, is nu een moderne, bruisende, dichtbevolkte stad. Toch wist Athene veel van haar oude glorie te bewaren. Laat het hectische commerciële stadscentrum even voor wat het is en reis terug in de tijd.

De pittoreske wijk Plaka ligt aan de voet van de Akropolis. Als een van de oudste buurten is deze erin geslaagd gevrijwaard te blijven van Athenes allesveroverende urbanisatiegolf. Bezoek er antieke plekken als de Romeinse Agora en de Toren van de Wind. De vele kunstgalerieën en musea zijn een bezoek meer dan waard, vooral dan het Museum voor Griekse Volkskunst en het Frissiras Museum.

Of snuister de hele ochtend in de talloze souvenir- en juwelenwinkels, druk onderhandelend over de beste prijs, en proef daarna bij Diogenis van de traditionele Griekse keuken.

Vanuit Plaka brengt een korte wandeling je naar Psyrri, momenteel dé wijk voor een avondje stappen. Ontdek er Envy, een trendy club-restaurant, of snuif de relaxte sfeer op in Soul. Zin in typisch Griekse ambiance, dan is restaurant Lithos the place to be.

Kolonaki is het betere shoppingdistrict. Met namen als Armani, Gucci en Cartier neem je best je creditcard mee. Is je reisbudget hierop niet voorzien? Neem dan een cultuurbad in het Museum voor Cycladische Kunst. Of bezoek het Graf van de Onbekende soldaat, slechts enkele straten van het centrale Syntagmaplein verwijderd.

Regard sur Athènes

De nombreuses choses ont changé dans le berceau de l’ancienne civilisation. Avec son lot de transformations, la vie moderne n’a pas épargné Athènes devenue aujourd’hui une vaste cité peuplée. La ville a toutefois pu réussir à préserver une grande partie de son passé glorieux. En un minimum de temps, vous pouvez échapper à l’agitation et à la frénésie du quartier commercial du centre ville, et vous sentir transporté très loin en arrière, dans l’histoire des siècles passés.

Le quartier pittoresque de la Plaka s’étend au pied de l’Acropole. C’est l’une des plus anciennes parties de la ville et l’une des seules aussi à avoir échappé à l’urbanisation galopante. Ici, vous pouvez visiter les sites antiques de l’Agora romaine et la Tour des Vents. De nombreuses galeries d’art et de grands musées valent le détour, comme le Musée de l’Art populaire grec (Museum of Greek Folk Art) et le Musée Frissiras.

Si toutefois vous préférez passer la matinée à marchander, vous trouverez une variété infinie de boutiques de souvenirs et de bijoux. Et pour vous régaler de la cuisine traditionnelle grecque, passez à table chez Diogenis.

Une courte promenade au nord de la Plaka vous conduira à Psyrri, le dernier endroit branché de la vie nocturne athénienne. Foncez chez Envy, un club-restaurant à la pointe de la mode, mais vous apprécierez peut-être plus l’atmosphère discrète de Soul. Vous cherchez une ambiance grecque traditionnelle ? Alors faites un saut chez Lithos.

Kolonaki est une zone réservée au vrai shopping de luxe, où l’on ne bluffe pas avec les portefeuilles soi-disant griffés Armani, Gucci et Cartier. Si par contre, votre budget n’est pas tout à fait à la hauteur, vous pouvez toujours vous plonger dans un bain de culture. Les Musées de l’Art des Cyclades et d’Art Ancien se trouvent à quelques rues de la Place Centrale Syntagma. où vous pouvez voir aussi la Tombe du Soldat Inconnu.

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