Whilst spring doesn’t really seem to know what it is doing at the moment, only one season can follow so we have decided to try and accelerate its arrival through the literary act of writing Things to Do in the Weekend in the sunny city of Athens. No exhaustive list for a visit, here is a guide on some wonderful sites of both ancient and modern Greece which you can use for a visit over a weekend and to build your knowledge of the Greek language and culture.
1. The Parthenon
On the top of the Acropolis hill, you will find this temple looming over Athens. Dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena and one of the most famous remnants of the Ancient Greek empire, it was built around the 5th Century BC. Whilst it is known for its white façade, the temple was actually originally painted in bright colours such as gold, blue and red. It was the site of the ancient festival, the Panathenaia, a procession in honour of their patron goddess. The site of Acropolis also features many other incredible ruins such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (“Odeon” meaning ‘theatre’), Theatre of Dionysious and the Ancient Agora as well as the Acropolis Museum itself. You can buy a combination ticket which allows you to enter all these buildings. To learn more about the history of the Parthenon and its construction, watch below with Greek subtitles so you can learn great vocabulary as well!
2. The National Archaeological Museum
Athens has no shortage of museums to visit but the highly modern National Archaeological Museum (“Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο”) is the largest one in Greece and it ironically holds some particular ancient Greek treasures. For instance, the collections include ‘The Artemision Bronze’ and the ‘Mask of Agamemnon’ (“Προσωπείο του Αγαμέμνονα” in Greek), which was once claimed to be the burial mask of the legendary King Agamemnon but it actually predates his life as well as the Trojan War by around 300-400 years. The museum also features Mycenaean and Egyptian artefacts too. In your day, it may be worth visiting the Byzantine Museum or if you want to see more of a timeline of history from ancient to modern Greece, try the Benaki Museum. Although the ruins may seem to be the only remains of these ancient civilisations, some Ancient Greek aspects have lasted until today – for example, in some sayings still used today in Greek!
3. The Agora-Athens Central Market
Moving through the inner city, try and visit the the “Dimotiki Agora” (also known as the Central or Public Market) on Athinas Street. This is a bustling food market with stalls selling meat fish, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as cheese, oil, herbs and spices. This market has the other name of “Varvakios Agora“, named after Ioannis Varvakis, a national hero of both Russia and Greece who fought in the war for Greek Independence against the Turks. A biopic ‘God Loves Caviar‘ has been made about his life and is available to watch on Amazon Prime – you can watch it with subtitles in Greek. See what you can buy at a Greek market with the Youtube channel Easy Greek!
4. The Plaka
Essentially meaning the ‘old town centre’, the Plaka sits under the Acropolis, is built upon former Ancient Greek residential buildings and is a wonderful hub of cafes, restaurants and shops. The historic village Anafiotikia has a well-established open air cinema, Cine Paris, where you can watch films in Greek or in Greek subtitles. The Youtube channel Max and Sid explore Plaka in their tour of Greek food, trying traditional dishes such as “Portokalopita” (an orange cake), “Loukoumades” (honey doughnuts) and Stani’s honey-covered Greek yoghurt.
5. Monastiraki
Meaning ‘little monastery’, this other main square, north of the Acropolis, is peppered with ruins of a large monastery complex. The area is known for a vast flea market which also functions as a popular place to purchase souvenirs. There are cafes and traditional “Kafeneios”, which are a long-standing part of Greek culture as bistro café-restaurants where people would gather and spend their time drinking “Ouzo” or “Tsipouro”, talking and playing card games. Further, even though Athens is known as the symbol of Ancient Greece, there are some equally impressive Roman ruins across the city and Monastiraki houses the particular site of Hadrian’s Library, built in the 2nd century A.D and served as a civic cultural forum and library (“bibliotheke” in Greek). Take a look at this video to get an insight into Monastiraki’s nightlife and to bring in the new words into conversation topics in class!
6. Aegina
Just a ferry ride away from Athens, this is one of the closest islands near to Athens. You can explore beyond the mainland and see sites such the Temple Of Aphaia, the monastery of Agios Nektarios, the old capital Paleahora and the beach Kanargi. Try and learn how to get ready for the beach with Linguatree’s hosts!
6. Psyrri
As opposed to Plaka, Psyrri has fewer ancient ruins but more street art, quirky cafes, modern art galleries and vibrant bars. One particular highlight is Little Kook, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired cafe on the street Pittaki. On Louka Nika Street, you will find incredible pieces of street art such as graffiti and murals. A slightly trendier alternative to the other options but still worth a visit. In the spirit of being able to describe such art should you visit, have a listen to ‘Do You Speak Greek’s video on ‘colour’ and how to convey it:
We hope this gives you some inspiration on what you can do if you are in Athens but also if you are not, how to develop your Greek cultural vocabulary and listening and speaking skills. If you wanted to take this further, International House London also offers online and in-person Greek language courses – have a look here!