Athens
Ancient temples, world-class museums and a hedonistic nightlife
Take flights to Athens for taverna dining, late-night partying and more than 2000 years of history.
Things to do
The cradle of western civilisation, birthplace of philosophers and homeland of the Gods, ancient Agora is like a three-dimensional history book. Slip back in time among its Doric pillars and crumbling temples in the shadow of the Parthenon.
Shopping
Monastiraki's mazy lanes brim with antique and bric-a-brac markets, selling everything from fake Greek statues to philosophy paperbacks. Tread in the footsteps of Socrates and The Beatles on your Athens city break with a pair of poet shoe-maker Stavros Melissonos' famous mythology-inspired sandals.
Restaurants
The Acropolis glowing gold on the hillside creates a theatrical backdrop for dining in Plaka, where the lantern-lit lanes are packed with tavernas. Take a seat on a pavement terrace to enjoy authentic meze, ouzo and bouzouki strumming after flights to Athens.
Nightlife
Party Athenian style in the bohemian Psirri neighbourhood on your Athens holiday. Here former tanning workshops have been transformed into leafy courtyards, convivial meze bars and clubs where some of Athens' best DJs play.
When to go
KLM has frequent flights to Athens. Time your Athens city break to catch Apokries carnival in February, or top-drawer dance, theatre and music in historical settings at the summertime Athens Festival.
Upcoming events
- Eros: From Hesiod's Theogony to Late Antiquity
28 Jan - 5 Apr 2010; not Tue
- Athens French Film Festival
Apr 2010 (annual)
- Show all events
Things to do
SpotlightThe Acropolis
Floodlit by night, the Acropolis is a rocky mound rising above Plaka. It is the birthplace of Athens, and crowned More about this item
More things to doRestaurants
SpotlightMamacas
When it opened in 1998, Mamacas brought Mykonos-style sophistication to the formerly run-down district of Gazi. With a More about this item
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SpotlightLallabai
In the lush National Gardens near Syntagma, Lallabai is a glamorous club serving champagne, cocktails and finger food. Weekly special More about this item
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