I admit that one day in Athens is not enough to get to know the city completely. But, it’s very often for travelers to Greece spending very less time in Athens before heading to explore the Greek islands. It was no different for us while we planned our weekend trip to Greece. Our well planned itinerary surely gave us a brief overview of the city though we had only 24 hours devoted entirely to Athens before leaving to explore Santorini, one of the most beautiful and romantic Greek Island.
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Touring the Acropolis
Of course, you can’t come to Athens and miss to see the Acropolis!
We started our exploration at Acropolis, one of the iconic sites in the world which dates back to the 5th century BC. It was a religious and sacred location back in the day. We followed the path to the top of the hill which gave us a 360-degree view of city of Athens. Its ruins include architectural wonders like Parthenon, Temple of Athena and Erechtheion. The most famous of all which is the Parthenon was the temple built in 438 BC dedicated to goddess Athena, after whom the city is named and it was then converted into a Christian Church and later to an Islamic mosque. Parthenon is now under a long restoration process. We were gazing the structures in wonderment since we knew nothing about the history of Acropolis. Here you will definitely feel the touch of ancient civilization of Athens.
The structure behind us is the famed Parthenon on the Acropolis
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Next to the Parthenon is the Erechtheion which is beautiful with the caryatids (standing female figure). These caryatids are one of the first examples of its kind. These are located in the south porch of the Erechtheion.
Even though it was an off season, the site was insane with large number of tourists. Apart from it, the weather was quite uncertain with on and off wind and drizzles of rain.
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The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
An amphitheater on the slopes of the Acropolis!! It was built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was one of our favorite spots at The Acropolis.
Beautiful amphitheater..
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View of the sprawling city of Athens from the ruins of The Acropolis
The Acropolis has undoubtedly the most incredible views of Athens!!
Selfie on top of Acropolis
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Strolling the Plaka and Monastiraki Neighborhoods
Plaka is the historic town of Athens and is nestled under the Acropolis. It is known as the “Neighborhood of the Gods”. This old town has cobble stoned alley ways with souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants.
Street of Plaka
Monastiraki is yet another street in Greece filled with history. This square is a perfect blend of history and culture. It is paved with mosaic marbles and carved stones. Don’t miss to enjoy a Greek beer accompanied by typical mouthwatering Greek mezes here. Monastiraki is the best shopping area in Athens.
Ambiance filled Monastiraki street
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If your feet are still up for more exploration, head towards the Syntagma Square.
Syntagma Square and the Changing of the Guard
We were walking down the streets of Athens without any direction. To our surprise we walked into the famous Syntagma square just as the changing of the guard ceremony was about to begin outside the Greek Parliament building. The silent street was suddenly filled with sounds of the marching bands of guards in their traditional Greek uniforms. The guards wore the traditional kilts with red hat, white stockings and shoes with pompoms.
The probability of us witnessing this ceremony wasn’t very high with just 24 hours in the city. We indeed get lucky sometimes when we travel.
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Trying out local food- SOUVLAKI (GYROS)-MOUSSAKA-LAMB CHOPS
The streets of Plaka is filled with restaurants and cafes selling overpriced Greek food. We would suggest steering clear of all those overpriced food options. Instead try food from less-touristy sections of the city. Try Gyros which are also known as Souvlaki which is the Greek version of Doner Kebabs with shavings of meat and vegetables in pita bread. Gyros is undoubtedly the ultimate comfort food that you can find in Greece. We had lamb chops and moussaka for lunch.
4 small tasty lamb chops served with bread, french fries and veggies.
My favorite potato-based Moussaka with ground meat. Yummy!
We then grabbed two delicious gyros in the evening from an ouzeria and found a quiet place to sit and do some people watching for an authentic Greek experience before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Santorini..
Gyros from a small ouzeria
There’s definitely a lot more to see in Athens, but even the 24 hours in Athens gave us a chance to visit some of the main attractions of the city.
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Tips
- Wear comfortable walking shoes to avoid slipping and sliding on the marbled streets of Athens.
- Though the metro is a convenient option, it’s highly recommended to WALK around and feel the city. We walked just about everywhere.
- Make sure that the meter is on the right number if you are taking a taxi. The meter tariff should be at 1 during morning and 2 after midnight. Any other numbers would mean that the meter has been rigged.
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Hope you enjoyed this article.
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A thousand miles together 