There’s more to Athens than just the Acropolis, discovers Katie McGonagle
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With my utter lack of equestrian expertise, I was concentrating so hard on every tilt of the saddle as the horse plodded up the steep path that I almost forgot to take it all in.
So it came as quite a surprise when we reached the top and I looked down to find the steep slopes of rocky island Hydra unfolding below me, a patchwork of whitewashed houses and red roofs leading down towards blue seas.
We were already a world away from the bustling harbour cafe where we had sipped strong Greek coffees barely half an hour before, never mind the busy streets of Athens left behind on boarding our island-bound yacht that morning.
Then again, that was pretty much the point of my visit to the region of Attica, home to the Greek capital and its surrounding hinterland. I was there to find an answer to the question every Athenian tourist asks once they’ve ticked off the Acropolis: what’s next?
ATHENS SIGHTS
First, make sure visitors have really understood the city’s most famous monument – a fleeting visit isn’t enough – so the New Acropolis Museum (left) is an absolute must.
It displays beautiful statues and everyday artefacts from the fifth centuries BC to AD in a light and airy environment. But its crowning glory is upstairs where – with the actual Acropolis in sight through floor-to-ceiling glass walls – the magnificent frieze that once adorned the Parthenon is recreated on its original scale.
It’s the only way to get a feel for the dimensions of this grand monument, and to understand the dispute over the Elgin marbles, which remain at the British Museum in London despite calls for them to be returned to Athens.
Those with an interest in this era should make time for The National Archaeological Museum, home to an outstanding array of artefacts spanning the pre-historic Minoan civilisation up to the Byzantine Empire – everything from gold jewellery with surprisingly modern designs to statues depicting gods and goddesses in glorious detail.
From ancient art to something more modern, Athens is set to open its first National Museum of Contemporary Art this summer in the former brewery of Greek lager brand Fix. Combining the original facade and sturdy columns with an ultra-modern eight-floor gallery and rooftop terrace featuring more than a thousand artworks, it will be an essential stop for any city stay.
EXPLORE MORE
Athens wouldn’t win any beauty contests – stacked against Rome, Paris or Barcelona, its low-rise buildings and bustling crowds can’t compete. But that’s not to say there isn’t plenty to discover if you know where to look.
At first glance, the street markets around Monastiraki Square look like the usual tourist fare, but they hide some genuine gems, such as ‘Sandal-maker to the Stars’ Pantelis Melissinos, a title earned from three generations of custom-making leather sandals for celebs such as The Beatles, Barbra Streisand and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The tiny shop has been in business since 1920 and, as Melissinos pushed and pulled at the straps on the sandal, fitting them perfectly to the contours of my feet, I got the feeling little has changed. Except perhaps the modernist paintings peeking out between ceiling-high stacks of leather footwear, evidence of the years he spent studying fine art in New York, or the signed photo of the Sex and the City star offering her ‘love and admiration’ – high praise indeed.
Diet-obsessed celebs are less likely to make a favourite of Takis Bakery, another third-generation business operating in the shadow of the Acropolis, but ordinary mortals have no excuse for missing out on its signature sesame seed-coated koulouri, plus feta and goats’ cheese pastries, sweet brioche-like tsoureki and brittle pistachio florentines.
Stomach suitably lined, I headed out for evening cocktails with the locals amid the bars and restaurants of Agias Irinis Square, where things don’t really liven up until after midnight. I couldn’t stick around until the early hours, but I did sample a few concoctions made with Greek spirit mastika – though I’m not sure I remember enough of the ingredients to recreate them at home.
More memorable, though, is what’s on offer along the Athenian Riviera, the stretch of land jutting out into the Saronic Gulf a short drive from Athens.
Vouliagmeni Lake (pictured below) is renowned for its healing waters, although just sitting in the sunshine by this peaceful body of water is rejuvenation enough. And a few miles beyond, Cape Sounion is the spot, according to Homer’s Odyssey, where Athenian king Aegeus leapt to his death, lending his name to the Aegean Sea.
Doesn’t sound like much of a tourist attraction? Wait until you see the Temple of Poseidon, whose towering pillars are best framed by the deep red sunsets seen at this spot, and the graffitied name of English poet Lord Byron scratched into the rock.
ISLAND ESCAPES
Spend a few hot summer days in Athens and it’s easy to understand why the city dwellers head to the islands for a slower pace of life.
With sailings to the Saronic islands of Hydra and Spetses taking less than two hours (Hellenic Seaways has regular one-way sailings for €25 and €35 respectively, while Greek Isles Yachting can charter vessels for those who want to set their own course), these islands make a pleasant day trip or twin-centre.
It’s hard to imagine tiny island Hydra playing a major role in any battle, but when it came to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821, its 150-strong fleet was critical to the success of the campaign – a fact still proudly displayed on the island’s flag.
These days, locals worry less about warfare and more about good food. The cafes and restaurants lining the harbour are busy in summer, but on an island this small, it doesn’t take much to get off the tourist trail. Head up (on horseback, donkey or on foot) through narrow cobbled streets and a few twists and turns later, visitors will be ensconced in a world of whitewashed stone buildings and old-fashioned shops, like the confectioner’s which rustles up almond-based amygdalota. Since new building is forbidden on the island, along with any vehicle bigger than a motorbike, don’t expect anything to change any time soon.
The same no-car rule applies to bigger island Spetses. Ride a horse-drawn buggy for the best vantage point for sea views and the grand mansion which housed renowned entrepreneur Sotirios Anargyros, who made his fortune in the American tobacco industry before returning home to build the island’s iconic hotel and school.
Just warn clients not to fall too deeply in love with the island – property prices are astronomical – but a few days spent enjoying its first-class fish restaurants and laid-back atmosphere make the perfect counterpart to a city stay. TW
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Five nights’ B&B at King George Hotel, Athens, and Poseidonion Grand Hotel, Spetses, starts at £1,099 with Classic Collection Holidays, including flights and transfers.
classic-collection.co.uk
0800 008 7288
Sunvil Holidays offers a three-centre B&B visit combining a night in Athens and three each in Hydra and Spetses, from £756, including Gatwick flights and transfers.
sunvil.co.uk
020 8758 4758
Cyplon Holidays offers three nights’ B&B at Grande Bretagne Hotel with a one-day Saronic Islands Cruise, taxi transfers and Heathrow flights, departing June 1, from £899.
cyplon.co.uk
0800 074 8888
HOTELS
New Hotel takes recycling a step further: forget separating paper and plastic, this property took its former fittings – wooden doors, cupboards and table legs – and stuck them on the walls as a bold design statement (pictured, right). The 79-room central Athens hotel is perfect for younger clients who value style as much as substance. Standard rooms from €175, including taxes and breakfast.
Next to the Grande Bretagne (review, this page) is fellow Luxury Collection property King George, boasting a smaller boutique feel but equally expansive views of the Acropolis from top-floor restaurant Tudor Hall – and the food’s just as spectacular. From €230.
Anyone wanting to walk in the footsteps of Frank Sinatra, John Wayne and Jane Fonda should visit Arion, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, part of Astir Palace on the Athenian Riviera. Even Garden Rooms boast a side view of the sea, and the food is superb. Room-only from £112.
Poseidonion Grand Hotel is elegance at its best. Occupying prime Spetses seafront, the hotel (pictured) boasts many of its original features – not bad considering it celebrates a centenary this year – meaning guests can step inside and forget which era they’re in. From €192 including taxes and breakfast.
TRIED & TESTED: GRANDE BRETAGNE, ATHENS
You know a hotel is central when it overlooks parliament, so my first impression of Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection property, was pretty favourable.
It doesn’t stop there. Boasting 290 rooms and 31 suites, this late 19th-century hotel maintains its reputation as an Athenian institution while still putting guests first with top-notch service.
Spacious and comfortable rooms retain a sense of grandeur, as does the knockout view over the Acropolis from its eighth-floor restaurant. It’s a popular conference venue, so some areas often feel quite busy, but that’s easily remedied with an escape to the spa and fitness centre.
Book it: From £168 room-only
