Points of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas
Thissio / Makriyanni
Historic Walking Areas in Athens
THE 10 BEST Athens Historic Walking Areas
Historic Walking Areas in Athens
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Historic Walking Areas
Monastiraki
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Historic Walking Areas
Thissio / Makriyanni
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Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins
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Points of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas
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What travellers are saying
- L_K1509London, UK1,747 contributionsThere is no need to do a climb or struggle to get up the hill. There is a lovely wide path around the acropolis, just follow the wide path when you have the hill on your left side. It’s then will gently go up, round the hill.
Anyway, it’s a lovely view as you walk up, views over Athens and the sea beyond. Good views of the Acropolis.
Plus it’s free!Written March 19, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Bobbi SLido Beach, NY5,668 contributionsIf you are in to people watching, this is the place to be. If you just want a rest after all the walking, touring & shopping that you do, there are a couple of low walls to sit on. If you want to snack on some fresh looking fruit, want to listen to a trio of strumming musicians, want to take the Metro somewhere else, indulge in some very decadent looking baked goods, you'll find all of that here. If you want a view of the Acropolis or Hadrian's Library, you'll find it here. I saw also that needy folks can get food items from a pop-up soup kitchen here (something you rarely see, publicly, in European cities). Looks like Monastiraki Square has nearly all that you might want to see & need & it feels like it is in the middle of everything else!Written October 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom12,410 contributionsThe Panathenaic Way was the ancient road, built as a processional path that ran ll the way from Athens’ main gate, right up to the top of the Acropolis.
Every 4 years, Athenians celebrated the Panathenaia festival and made their way along the road towards the Altar of Athena on the Acropolis.
We walked along the short stretch that runs through the Ancient Agora. It’s a dry, dusty pathway but in ancient times, it was the scene of the grand Panathenaic procession. Men brought sacrificial animals, herding noisy goats, rams, bulls, cows, and sheep along the way while elderly men brought olive branches. Women carried water-jugs on their shoulders and baskets of offerings for the gods.
Later when we were at the Acropolis Museum, we saw scenes of this Panathenaic Way procession on the Parthenon frieze.Written November 11, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - ycnanbKing City, Canada530 contributionsWe visited the Acropolis and then enjoyed a wonderful breakfast on their patio. We both ordered Eggs Bacon Benedict which was delicious, and served in a very unique way, on a large delicious toasted tasty portion of bread. The server was helpful in our choices of coffee, I am used to my normal Canadian coffee, no bells and whistles, and she directed me to the Greek coffee which fill my caffeine fix. The service was good, food very good, but it isn’t a huge space, so take out was also very busy.Written May 31, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- DuncanE145Halesowen29 contributionsHaving completed 6 of the 7 sites on the €30 combined ticket we felt that we should visit this site to get a full house. The site is not too far out of the way and is tucked in the corner of a pleasant park. There isn't a lot to see and, apart from one other couple, we were the only ones there. The information panels have good content but you'll need a lot of imagination to envisage what the site would have looked like in its heyday.Written November 15, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom12,410 contributionsI can’t believe that Iroon Square has only one review so far. The small but lively, fun square, in the heart of the Psirri area, is highly under-rated.
If like us, you have several days in Athens and are keen to explore beyond the main tourist sights, then walking around Iroon Square and the wider Psirri area is a good way to see another side of Athens.
The square is crammed with pubs, bars and restaurants and tables and chairs take up the centre. Even in the mid afternoon, when we were there, it has a lot of atmosphere. I imagine it becomes even livelier at night.
A large-scale wall mural by local artist, Alexandros Vasmoulakis, is a little faded now but still looks down over the square, dominating the space.
One of the highlights here was stopping at Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki and watching bougatsa pastry being stretched and pulled by hand, the traditional way. It’s like a free open kitchen show. Of course we bought some bougatsa and spanakopita which we ate on the spot - delicious.
Iroon Square is easily combined with other sightseeing in the area. Central Market and Evripidou St, or ‘Spice Street’, are only a very short walk away.Written November 15, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Mairwen1United Kingdom12,410 contributionsIf you have some spare time in Athens and want to explore beyond the main tourist sights, then Athens Street is an interesting kind of spot which reveal a grittier side of the city.
It runs from the popular sight-seeing spot of Monastiraki Square, through the Psirri area, up to the Vervakios or Central Market and on to Omonia Square.
It takes you through a less developed, seedier part of Athens. Old hardware shops sit alongside clothing shops and cafes. There’s graffiti and some street art, although mostly it’s just graffiti. Starting from Monastiraki Square, this first section is not that interesting.
It gets much more interesting once you hit the Central Market area where there are food, spices and nuts stalls along the street front and a very small flea/antique market down one lane. At this point, it’s worth a quick detour down ‘Spice Street’ (Evripidou St). Keep an eye out of Elixir, a herb and spice shop that also sells lovely hand-made soaps.
Overall, there are nicer streets than Athens St to walk along. If you plan to spend any time exploring the Psirri area, I’d recommend walking along Agios Theklas Street instead. We saw more street art along Agios Theklas and there were more points of interest along the way (like Psirri Square and the fantastical Little Kook cafe with its incredible Disneyland-like decorations).
NOTE: If you are looking for Athens St on a map and can’t find it, look for Athinas Street as this spelling is more commonly used.Written November 13, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sharon BBrackenfell, South Africa39 contributionsHonestly I was a little nervous after reading reviews on Omonia, however had no issues. Yes there are homeless people and streets are dirty , but you get that everywhere. People are friendly and shops in area are affordableWritten May 31, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom12,410 contributionsFor tourists, the highlights in this central part of Athens are the Hellenic Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Changing of the Guards ceremony, Syntagma Square and the National Garden.
These are all completely free activities.
They are also clustered close together so you can easily plan to see them all at the same time.
We started by walked through the National Garden, wandering along the shady, meandering paths and checking out the statues and water features.
This brought us right up to the Hellenic Parliament. Built in 1843, it was originally a royal palace for the first king of Greece, Otto I and his wife, Queen Amalia. It is a grand and imposing building which overlooks Syntagma Square.
We timed our visit with the Changing of the Guards ceremony (see separate review). It’s easy to do because it takes place every hour of every day. This is a real spectacle and worth including in your itinerary.
Syntagma Square is directly opposite the Parliament and although there are no standout sights here, it’s a nice open space with a couple of fountains and statues, and a small, shady garden area.
It’s also a public transport hub. The central metro station is located here and it’s a drop-off/pick-up point for the airport buses.
The square is within walking distance of most major sights. From here, we walked down Ermou Street, the main shopping area in Athens, which links the Syntagma and Monastiraki Squares. It was an easy, nice walk between the two squares.Written December 4, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Neil KLiverpool, UK824,346 contributionsLove Athens ,the history ,the sites, but I also love to get away from the tourist area's ,one district we visited was the Koukaki District of Athens.
Roughly bordering the Makrigianni neighbourhood and the vibrant Plaka neighbourhood ,the Koukaki District is a bit more gritty ,architecture more residential but that said there are amazing and an amazing amount of great local pubs,cafés,bars and restaurants plus some beautiful church buildings,one we passed was St Johns Church ( Agios Ioannis ) ,we had a wonderful day out in the Koukaki District ,it's most definitely a district of Athens to check out if you're planning a trip to this vibrant city.Written July 20, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Neil KLiverpool, UK824,346 contributionsOver the course of our seven nights holiday in Athens my twin brother stephen and I spent some great nights along Kolokotroni ,a street that's most certainly a party street.
Along this street there is an extraordinary amount of cafés,pubs,bars,restaurants and fast food outlets ,to me every night was a Saturday night down here ,a major haunt of night owls ,loved it here ,visited so many great pubs and bars along this street ,atmosphere was great ,it's a vibrant street with an energy all of it's own ,if you're planning a trip to Athens and you want to sample the great hospitality of the Greek people head to this street and area,a must go destination.Written July 20, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Neil KLiverpool, UK824,346 contributionsTripodon Street is a longish street in the Plaka District ,roughly stretching from the Lysikratous Monument to Flessa ,it's a beautiful street to walk down ,lots of pretty pastel coloured houses along the street ,some great taverns which we enjoyed and some retail outlets ,mostly souvenir shops ,it's a busy street and historically important ,starting at the Lysikratous Monument which dates from 334 BC this street was the connecting point of the Ancient Agora with the Sanctuary and The Theatre of Dionysus ,the name of the street derives from the facts tripods were the prizes awarded by the city for their victory in the Dithyrambic contests of the Great Dionysia.
This street is most definitely well worth checking out if you're in the Plaka District.Written July 12, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Neil KLiverpool, UK824,346 contributionsAs much as I loved wandering around the historic and touristic area's of Athens I also love exploring the less touristic areas of this city so my twin brother Stephen and I jumped the metro down to the Elliniko neighbourhood ,an up and coming district of the city.
Loved it here ,we enjoyed a great full afternoon / evening in this district ,visited the beautiful park with the great water feature and statue plus the beautiful church dominating the square ,we went to some amazing pubs,bars and restaurants here ,no tourist prices here ,local prices and quality of meals and drinks superior than in say the Plaka District ,when I'm back in Athens hopefully very soon I will definitely revisit this great area of Athens and if you're planning on visiting Athens it's a place I highly recommend you check out,it's a short metro ride from the Acropolis area.Written July 22, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Mairwen1United Kingdom12,410 contributionsThis is the square of the cathedrals. Not just one but two are located here.
The large imposing church is the official Metropolitan Cathedral and beside it is the the tiny, ancient church which is known fondly as ‘Little Metropolitan’.
Entry to both churches is free.
Mitropoleos is one of Athens main, central squares but it is much quieter and less crowded than either Syntagma or Monastiraki.
It lies between the two and is about 7 - 10 minutes walk from Syntagma and 4 - 5 minutes walk from Monastiraki.
Apart from the churches, the other points of interests are the two statues.
In the centre of the square, is Archbishop Damaskinos Papandreou. Remembered for his stand against the Nazis, he was responsible for organising fake baptism certificates for Jewish families which saved many lives. At the far end of the square the other statue is of Constantine XI (see separate reviews).
Overall, this is an attractive square with several shady green trees and a few cafes along one side. It’s a good place to stop briefly on your way to other sights at Monastiraki Square.Written November 21, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Neil KLiverpool, UK824,346 contributionsOn our weeks holiday in Athens we explored some of the less tourist area's of this city ,one of the most vibrant was the Egaleo District.
The Egaleo District ( Aigaleo ) in Western Athens is cool ,we had a good wander around this area,great architecture and lots of great pubs,bars and restaurants ,we visited Plateia Estavromonou ,a great square dominated by the beautiful Church If Ypsosi Stavrou At Aigaleo,around this square were some great bars ,loved it here ,all in all it's a great area of the city to visit if you're planning on visiting Athens .Written July 25, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
