I went to Athens having never particularly wanted to go there and came away loving the city. I spent the best part of a year there, mostly on a Mon-Fri basis, but with several weekend stays.
The bad things first. The traffic is incredible. Forever busy, noisy and smelly. (You'll see many cars you thought had completely disappeared from the road. Wrong: Athens is the car retirement home of Europe.) But it is also highly entertaining. It somehow works. In all that time, including 90 mins a day spent in cabs, I saw not a single accident. Some of the driving manoeuvres are straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard, and the cabbies mostly think that they are Nigel Mansell. But it's part of the experience.
And the pollution. The pollution is almost entirely a result of the traffic. You'll need to hold your breath now and again. That's it.
So now the good things. Geography. Athens is spectacularly located in a basin, surrounded by many mountains and the sea. The Acropolis rises up above Plaka, near the centre of the city and provides an astounding backdrop to
much of city life, and is a sight of which you never tire. Lykabettus rises high to the northern edge of the centre and provides many of Athens best views (try to visit it at sunset, if you're not used to hills, take the funicular or a taxi).
History. Where to begin? The cradle of European civilisation. The sights of the Acropolis are an absolute must. The rock provides another great viewpoint, but the main attractions are the temples there, in particular the Parthenon. No visit to Athens is complete without it. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is also worth a visit, making sure you look at some of the tourist info there so you can get an idea of what it used to be like. Hadrian's Arch is less impressive, but worth catching as it's on the way between these two major attractions.
Food. Fresh olive oil. Mmmmmm. And if you're a seafood lover, you'll be in heaven. But aside from the obvious there are also great American, Chinese and Indian restaurants around. Jackson Hall, near Kolonaki Square, does the best burgers I've had in Europe. There's an Indian restaurant called Shalimar just up from the Hilton that does top quality food as well - a cut above most English curry houses.
Nightlife. Be warned, most clubs don't get going until around 4am. I know most continental cities are late starters compared with us in the UK, but in Athens clubs will be DEAD until about 4 or 5 in winter and not much earlier in summer. But, on the plus side, they are generally good, and the summer residences of the clubs are fantastic, down by the beach. There are many good bars near Kolonaki and Monastiraki. Plaka is better for al fresco dining rather than drinking. When it's reopened, the Hilton has a bar on the top floor affording great views of the city and a fine choice of cocktails. If you're nearby, it's another great place to see the sun go down. The best bars I went to though, I can't recommend. Because I have no idea where they were. We were shown them by friends and colleagues and the coolest bars are hidden in the least likely places - one was concealed in a yard full of old junk!!
The clincher for me with Athens was the character of the people. It's hard to define, but there are conflicting sides to them. They can be both grumpy and cheerful. Perhaps the bustle of Athens and its traffic in particular have an effect and remove some of the laid back Mediterranean vibes! I found the sense of humour to be good, and often similar to the British one, sharing a cynicism you don't find as much elsewhere! Overall, the people are very friendly, certainly in places such as bars and restaurants in any case. Most people, at least in tourist places, speak decent enough English. Indeed, if you're male many cabbies will start bending your ear about Liverpool or Man Yoo as soon as they know you're English! While on the subject of cabbies, get the meter running (check it's reset!) and don't be surprised if the cab stops to let one or two more on board if there's just one or two of you. And he'll charge you both full fare too if he can!! There are a few snide tricks such as replacing your 10,000 Drachma note with a 1,000 and claiming you still owe him some cash, but a) this may be trickier with Euros (the old 1,000 and 10,000 Drx were similar enough in colour) and b) this happened twice in the approx 1,000 cab journeys my colleagues and I made in our time there. Overall there's no more hassle than any European city, and certainly less than when dealing with minicabs in London!
Overall, most people just pass through Athens on their way to the islands, which is fair enough if you want a beach holiday. But if you enjoy a vibrant, lively city, Athens is well worth a look. (It may sound crazy, but the only other place I've been that quite captures the same feel is Bangkok.) Athens is a great place to work although as a pure tourist, you don't need more than a few days here and at a push the major sights can be done in a day.
Especially with EasyJet flying there, it makes a great weekend break. I'd recommend Mar-May and Sep-Nov, unless you're a fan of severe heat. At the times I mention, UK weather isn't great and Athens should be pleasantly sunny and warm. It's a great value place as well. You can eat well for a fiver and transport is cheap, as are the main tourist attractions.
One final point. As preparations gear up for Athens 2004, many things are being improved. The new metro line is fantastic, and as I left many new roads and pedestrian areas were being developed, including a wide path up to the Acropolis.
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Advantages: Centrally placed with reasonable room rates. Nice staff. Well furnished Disadvantages: Area never totally quiet - get a room at the back. No immediately obvious disabled facilities
BNibbles 28.10.2007 (30.11.2007)
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Review of Art Hotel, Athens
Oct 19th, 2002
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