Like any city, Athens has an inside and an outside. For those who live in Athens, the outsiders are mainly drawn to the antiquities scattered throughout town, which are typically seen in a mad rush during their two allotted days in Athens. Thus, the busiest people in Athens are the ones on vacation, the tourists who hurry in and out with the regularity of the changing of the guard at Syntagma Square.

Usually the travelers who like to return again and again to a favorite Greek island, view their transit time in Athens contemptuously. "I’ve already seen the classical attractions" , they say. But for those who have been to Athens more then once or twice, a different city emerges from behind the columns; a more relaxed city, with sites that have nothing to do with Pericles, Socrates or Aristotle.

Clientele

First-time travelers to Greece will be more than satisfied with the basic Acropolis, Plaka and Archeological Museum itinerary, but the attraction highlighted in this article are for Hellenophiles who have already been to Greece and need new options.

Attractions

Assuming you already visited the Acropolis, Parthenon, Archeological Museum, Agora and Temple of Zeus, here are the following recommended attractions and activities.

The center of the city is Syntagma Square, which houses the Parliament Building, the one-time palace of Otto, the first King of Greece. In 1843 mobs of Greeks who had fought to liberate the country from Ottoman rule in the 1820s filled the square before the palace to demand a constitution, known in Greek as a syntagma.

One of the most unusual small museums in Europe, the Museum of Modern Greek History, can be found just a few blocks northwest of Syntagma on Stadiou Strret. The building, fronted by a statue of the Greek hero Kolokotronis mounted on a horse, was home of the country’s first parliament, from 1875 to 1935.

Galleries full of folk costumes and artifacts from the political foundling of the republic are certainly interesting, but are somewhat overshadowed by the marvelous collection of colorful portraits of the heroes of the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s and the showcases of their ornate pistols and sabers. These extremely colorful characters dressed in sashes, cummerbunds and beautifully embroidered tunics.

A pair of smaller museums can be found west of Syntagma on Vasilissis Sophias Street; the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art and the Benaki Museum. The Coulandris houses an extensive collection of ancient figurines from the Cycladic Islands. These sculptures date from a mysterious culture that lived 5,000 years ago. Almost nothing is known about them except that they made haunting feminine figurines that call to mind the works of Picasso.

The streets south of Syntagma Square running down toward the ancient Agora and the Acropolis are known as the Plaka. The oldest living neighborhood in Europe, the Plaka goes back to the founding of Athens. In fact, the Plaka is simply the part of the Agora that lived on. The word agora is derived from two Greek verb forms for "to shop" and "to talk". It’s still going on. Al fresco cafes and the restaurants line its streets, as do shops selling leather, souvenirs and clothing. Shopping has always been fun in Plaka, but it’s gotten better since the mayor and the city council closed Hermou Street to auto traffic. Now Athens has a long shopper’s promenade. The street performers lend a festive atmosphere that makes for a wonderful stroll. The Plaka and the upscale area known as Kolonaki are filled with cafes and restaurants.

In chic Kolonaki, the locals go to dinner at about 10pm. Kolonaki spreads between Syntagma and Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in Athens. From the top of the hill, you can sit in the cliffside Dionysus restaurant and enjoy a tremendous view to the islands of Salamis and Aegina. The best ascent of Lycabettus is by the funicular that runs up its side from Asklipiou Street. Coming down, if possible, take the pleasant stroll that winds through the park’s cedar groove before it spills out into Kolonaki.

Kolonaki, is much like New York’s Soho, an area of very fine boutique restaurants, galleries and shops. Some of the best Greek photography can be purchased from the studio of Plato Rvellis at 44 Tsakalos St., in Kolonaki. The gallery also features a small café. Kolonaki Square is at the center of the district, offering cafes and restaurants.

Accommodations

Athens is no different than anywhere else - location is the key, even though the sited of the city are all within a radius of a few miles and taxis are cheap. The range of accommodations, runs from pensiones and youth hostels to the five-star treatment of the Hilton or the royal airs of Grande Bretagne.

Hotels in Athens are generally grouped in clusters in the city center around Syntagma or out on Synfrou Avenue, the road connecting the inner city to the airport and to Piraeus. A few maverick properties out on Syngrou Avenue are more convenient for boarding jets out at the airport or cruise boats out of Piraeus. Syngou’s hotels are just 20 minutes from city center.

Hilton, Inter-Continental and Marriott are some of the more familiar names in Athenian hotels. The 475-room Grande Bretagne, the city’s grande dame, could not have a better location as it is right on Syntagma Square. Like most hotel from the Belle Epoch, the hotel will hold an antique charm for some and feel outdated to others. It is priced from $350 and the rooms in front of the sixth and seventh floors offer splendid views of Acropolis. The hotel is the member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

The 453-room Athens Hilton has a great view of Acropolis, a swimming pool and is in the embassy district, east of Syntagma. Rooms are from $247.

The 559-room Athenaeum Inter-Continental on Syngrou Avenue, priced from $245, features a bus that connects to Syntagma Square. Next door, the Marriott offers free bus service to Athens and the airport. Thre is a roof-top swimming pool, banquet and meeting facitlities.

The St. George Lycabettus is just outside the hill of the same name overlooking Kolonaki. The location would work better for those who have been to Athens a few times, as it’s not convenient to Acropolis. The location is terrific for those who want a quieter location with greater city views. Make sure you reserve a room looking out over the city. Rooms are priced from $194.

Dining

Greek cuisine combines cooking from the inland mountain villages of the Balkans in Northern Greece with the seafood on the coast. The Ottoman conquest introduced many Turkish elements into the menu. Greek cuisine is at its most dynamic in the appetizers, and in summer the Greek salad with feta cheese and local tomatoes (awesome in August) is a meal in itself. Try the yogurt as well.

In the Plaka, Xynos is recommended, a tavern with a long-established reputation. In Kolonaki, To Cafeino features a menu with appetizers (or mezze, as they are called in Greece) from all over the country. Apotsos is a great high-ceilinged hall, just of Syntagma Square, where the city’s journalists and politicians cram in for work day lunches. It’s a great atmosphere that captures the modern soul of the city.

Getting there

Olympic Airways and Delta offer daily service to Athens from New York. Tower Air offers three flights a week, which increase to five times a week for the summer. Flights leave in the evening from New York and arrive Athens in the morning. It is an eight hour flight.

Strongest Selling Points

Lovers of history and culture will enjoy Athens for its antiquities, but the city has plenty to offer travelers who enjoy the pleasures of modern cities. It’s also great off-season, when prices are lower. Between September and May, it gets cool in Athens, but rarely snows. People eat in outdoor cafes as late as November and as early as March. Changes in wind take the air pollution out to sea and provide crisp blue skies above the city. From mid-January to early February Athens experiences unseasonably warm days, known in Greek as the alkyonides.