You need no particular reason to visit Athens. The place is simply great like any other metropolis of Europe is. It has just about everything you will need for fulfilling stay in every respect. So the real question is, why visit Athens this summer, right now; what makes this city so relevant, what makes it so special a place; This is our take.
1. It’s value for money. Make no mistake, the quality of the services is very high, significantly higher than, say, 10 years ago and it’s anything but expensive. All these new trends and services that are being offered in every major European capital are being offered in Athens at much lower prices.
2. Athens is going through a cultural renaissance of its own. Ever since the Olympics, Athens has been the incubator for many new musicians, painters, sculptors and, obviously drawing upon its great cultural heritages. It’s all there, right now. It’s no exaggeration to say that a week is not enough to explore just the basics and nowhere is this more evident than the newly founded Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. This is the new cultural melting pot, organizing and hosting myriads of events.
3. Because it is a real time capsule with pretty much every important historical era from the past six thousand years evident in the city. You get to see modern buildings next to or on top of historical sites, ruins of ancient temples just lying next to busy motorways. Did you know that the Acropolis and Parthenon have ruins dating back to many different eras;
4. Plaka, Monastiraki and Thiseio have all been revamped just before the Athens Olympics and they are connected with a magnificent pedestrian walk. You can cover all that pretty easily on foot.
5. It’s not just Plaka, Monastiraki and Thiseio. Lately it has all been about Plateia Aghias Eirinis, Chalandri, Pagkrati and Petralona. Some quite far off the centre but this is where the locals go for a quick drink on a Saturday night. The vibe is just amazing, these places are absolutely buzzing.’
6. Despite the fiscal crisis, Greece is an exceptionally stable and safe country to visit. Tourism is thriving and the quality of the services offered is higher than ever. The crisis, actually, has been the starting point for many new businesses, trends and fads. To give you an idea, even small restaurants hire professional chefs of the highest standards.