Athens

It's been years since I've been to Athens, but after helping my Dad plan a trip in 2007, I'm having the hankering to visit again.  Below are some helpful links.

The Official Tourism Board of Greece.

Other Places

• Athens
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From my blog:

• Barcelona
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• Italy

Hotels

Many places I used to know seem to have been renovated recently for the Olympics. Here's what I'm looking at now, but feel free to email me with your favorites!

• Plaka Hotel
  7, Kapnikareas & Mitropoleos 10558
  011-30-210-322-2096-7
  plaka@tourhotel.gr

• Airotel Parthenon
  6 Makri, 11742
  011-30-210-923-4594
  reservations@airotel.gr

• AVA Hotel Athens
  9-11 Lyssikratous Street, Plaka, 10558, 011-30-210-325-9000

• Magna Grecia Boutique Hotel
  54 Mitropoleos, Athens, 10563,
  011-30 210 324-0314-5

• Electra Palace
  18 N Nikodimou Street, Athens 10557
  011-30-210-337-0000

• Eridanus Hotel
  Pireos 78, Athens, 10435,
  011-30-12-10-520-5360

• Hotel Phedra
  Lissikratous 6, Athens
  011-30-210-32-38461

Restaurants

• O Platanos
  Diogenous 4, 011-30-210-322-0666. "mouthwatering giouvetsi."

• Varoulko
  80 Piraios, 011-30-210-522-8400. Terrific seafood. Reservations required. Closed Sunday.

• Filoistron
  23 Ap. Pavlou  Thisio
  011-30-210-3422897

• Galaxy Bar & Barbecue
  on the roof terrace of the Athens Hilton
  46 Vassilissis Sofias Ave.
  011-30-210-7281000

Off the Beaten Path

Rick Steves (on Athens) often has excellent tips on unusual sights, as well as places to eat and sleep.

One thing that's cropped up since the Olympics is the new Pireos district, west of the Acropolis. It  includes many new museums and art spaces built for the Olympics and connects to the older part of the city via Ermou Street.

Since I was a small child, we've always visited the amazingly well preserved Temple of Hephaestus on the hill northwest of the Agora. Though you can no longer go inside, as you could when I was a kid, in some places you can still see the paint on the wooden roof of the porch.

Stavros Melissinos, the poet sandalmaker of Athens, is in new digs in the Monastiraki district at 2 Aghias Theklas. He now does much of the sandalmaking, together with his son.

Sights

Pick up a 10-euro transit pass on the Athens Metro for unlimited use on all public transportation for up to a week. Get it at the Syntagma metro station.

• Acropolis
  Open Apr-Oct daily 8:00-19:00; Nov-Mar daily 8:00-16:30.

• Acropolis Museum
  011-30-210-32.14.172

• Agora
  Open 8:00-19:00 daily, Oct-Mar 8:30-15:00 daily.

• National Archaeological Museum
  44, Patission Str. , 011-30-210-8217717.
  Open Apr-Oct Tues-Sun 8:00-19:00 & Mon 12:30-19:00, Nov-Mar Tues-Sun 8:00-15:00 & Mon 10:30-17:00.

• Benaki Museum
  1, Koumbari Str & Vas. Sofias Ave.,
  011-30-210 367 1000

• Museum of Cycladic Art
  Neofytou Douka 4, metro: Evangelismos
  011-30-210-72.28.321-3. Open 10:00-16:00 Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri, 10:00-15:00 Sat.

• Syntagma Square & Changing of Guard
  Every hour on the hour, with a full ceremony, complete with marching band, at 11:00 on Sunday.

• Stoa of Attalos & Museum of the Agora
  011-30-210-32.10.185
  

• Athinais
  Kastorias 34-36, Votanikos
  011-03-210 348 0000

• Culture Guide

• Fodor's Guide to Athens