3 other ways to expertise Athens

First-time guests to Athens usually flock to the Acropolis the place the enduring Parthenon taking centre stage on high of the hill. Maybe additionally the Acropolis Museum, the Nationwide Archaeological Museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Historical Agora. However for anybody searching for a unique expertise, listed below are three distinctive methods to discover the town that we not too long ago loved, courtesy of the aptly-named Various Athens.

The Olympic Video games Exercise

In addition to being well-known for its historic historical past, structure, democracy and philopsophy, Athens is synonymous with the Olympics. Town hosted the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896 and has an extended affiliation with historic and trendy Olympics. So what higher approach to immerse your self in Athens than via an Olympic-inspired exercise tour with a licensed sports activities coach? On this tour, you’ll uncover the true essence of the Olympics, visiting venues related to actual Olympic occasions alongside the way in which. We started this expertise at one of many metropolis’s most stunning neoclassical landmarks, Zappeion Corridor, and the primary trendy purpose-built Olympic facility.

Right here, we began with a jog across the constructing and some warm-up workout routines, earlier than studying about how the Olympics started, what position the traditional Video games performed in society, how athletes skilled, and what disciplines had been included, because the video games developed. Our subsequent cease was a nineteenth Century health club close by, the place we tried our hand at a few of the earliest occasions corresponding to javelin, shot put and lengthy soar. Do you know the lengthy soar was once carried out from a standing begin, with no run-up?

After which comes the finale – a go to to the Panathenaic Stadium, the one stadium on the planet constructed totally of marble, which hosted the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896. Right here, we had the chance to compete in a race earlier than concluding our tour and exploring the remainder of the stadium at our leisure. Bear in mind, it’s not nearly successful – competing pretty, respecting your opponents, and demonstrating good sportsmanship are all qualities that make an amazing Olympian!

Athens Avenue Artwork Tour

Artwork isn’t simply restricted to museums, and Athens is a major instance of this. The Greek capital is likely one of the world’s hottest locations for graffiti artists, and avenue artwork has change into an integral a part of its city cloth. Wander across the streets and also you’ll see every little thing from big, commissioned murals to scratty tags. Store partitions, shutters and even individuals’s properties will not be resistant to graffiti. Automobiles, too, typically fall sufferer to a coat of spray paint!

Our tour with Nikos, himself a graphic designer in addition to a tour information, took us via the historical past of graffiti and the event of Athens’ avenue artwork scene, probably the most vibrant in Europe, spurred on partly by the Greek monetary disaster. We had been led via cool neighbourhoods that help and showcase avenue artwork, and we’re advised the tales between the artists and artworks.

Take Loukanikos, for instance; this stray canine turned a logo of resistance throughout Athens’ financial disaster. He was usually seen on the entrance line through the metropolis’s riots, and captured the hearts of the Greek public as a consequence of his fearless presence. He was seen as an icon of hope and loyalty by many and has been portrayed although avenue artwork, with this specific instance – present in Psirri on the nook of Riga Palamidou and Sarri Streets – serving as a poignant reminder of the social and political turmoil that the town endured.

Different examples we noticed addressed points such because the battle in Ukraine, and a prepare crash catastrophe believed to be as a consequence of many years of mismanagement of Greece’s rail business.

We additionally noticed a number of examples of labor by INO (Apostolos Kyriazis), a avenue artist broadly recognized for portray black and white photos with a splash of blue . His 90-metre-long model of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Final Supper’ highlights social inequalities as a result of Greek political system.

This various tour is one which’s to not be missed, and a very distinctive approach to discover Athens. It’ll offer you a possibility to find cool neighbourhoods and acquire a deeper understanding of the town’s tradition, how individuals assume and a few of the points that they maintain near their hearts.

Scrumptious Athens

They are saying to solely have a lightweight breakfast earlier than this tour; we determined to skip it altogether and positively didn’t it! Greek meals isn’t solely central to the native tradition, and affords a implausible means to see a unique facet of Athens, by becoming a member of Greeks in considered one of their most passionate pastimes… meals! We begin with some Greek classics – spinach pies and baklava – earlier than shifting on to do some tasting of olive oil and Greek espresso, all of the whereas studying about culinary methods and the significance of provenance.

Our tour additionally takes us via , the bustling Varvakios Market, the largest and hottest fish, meat and vegetable market in the entire of Athens.

And there’s an compulsory cease at ‘Kostas’ for a standard pork souvlaki served with recent tomatoes, onions and a sprinkle of paprika, all wrapped in a heat pita. It’s been serving souvlaki since 1950 and is likely one of the locations to go for a real style of Athens avenue meals.

We may actually have stopped at this level, however there was one final cease on the tour, at a deli for a collection of delicious Greek meze. This tour isn’t simply concerning the meals, although; it’s a singular approach to expertise everday life in Athens and to see the town in a unique mild.

Disclosure: This submit is sponsored by Various Athens.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxurious Journey Weblog and has labored within the journey business for greater than 30 years. He’s Winner of the Improvements in Journey ‘Greatest Journey Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. Along with different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of many world’s finest journey blogs” and “finest for luxurious” by The Telegraph.