DK Travel : Athens : Places of interest

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Athens University and Academy of Arts

The city’s university, Academy of Arts and National Library (see National Library) make up a trio of the most important Neo-Classical buildings in Athens. The column bases and capitals of the university entrance are replicas of those in the Acropolis Propylaia, and the Academy entrance draws from the eastern side of the Erechtheion. The university’s frescoes depict personifications of the arts around the modern king, Otto.
Athens’ Flea Market

Small, seedy Plateia Avissynias comes alive on Sunday mornings when Athens’ biggest and most colourful flea market fills the space and spills out to the streets around it. Here’s where you’ll find everything you didn’t know you needed: pink cut-glass Turkish liqueur sets, 100-year-old phones that still work, beautiful antique carved-wood desks, and piles of fantastic kitsch and junk. Bring your haggling skills.
Athinais

A former silk factory converted into a trendy, upmarket arts centre. Athinais has two restaurants – one, Red, is renowned for its creative food and luscious red-curtained decor (see Red) – plus a museum, bar, music hall and old-fashioned cinema. Check the Athens News for events listings.
Battleship Averoff

Built in Livorno (Italy) in 1910, this 140-m (460-ft) long battleship was designed to carry 670 men in peacetime and 1,200 during war, and led the Greek fleet through the Balkan Wars and World Wars I and II. Negotiating a series of narrow ladders, you can explore the entire ship, from the kitchen and engine rooms to the main bridge, from the cramped dark space where the crew slept in hammocks, to the contrasting luxury of the officers’ mess and the Admiral’s sumptuous wooden panelled suite.
Benaki Museum

The Benaki is one of Greece’s preeminent museums, not only for its extensive and top-notch collection of prehistoric to 20th-century Greek art, but also because it’s a lovely place to be. Among its highlights are the re-creations of Ottoman-style sitting rooms in 18th-century northern Greek mansions, and sumptuous Byzantine shrines. The superb books and jewellery in the gift shop and the rooftop garden restaurant are destinations in themselves. (see Benaki Museum, Museums - Benaki Museum)
Byzantine Museum

The museum’s 15,000 objects (only a fraction of which are displayed at any one time) date from the 3rd to the 19th century, chronicling the rise and decline of the great Byzantine Empire. There are priceless sculptures, icons and richly worked gold and silver religious trappings. The permanent collection is housed in a smart new two-level space built partially underground, which opened in summer 2004. (see Byzantine Museum, Museums - Byzantine Museum)
Central Market

The enormous meat, fish and spice markets are a sensory overload, especially the first, but shouldn’t be missed by any but the most squeamish. Several restaurants and even a rembetatiko dot the meat market, serving up the sales of the day until dawn. Outside, the air around the spice stores, centred on Athinas, is redolent with vanilla, saffron and dried mountain thyme.
Children’s Art Museum

Exhibitions showcase work by young artists in mountain tribes, international cities and refugee centres. Many activities for kids.
Choregic Monument of Lysikrates

This cylindrical monument built in 335 BC honours Lysikrates, victor in the Dionysian Choral competition.
Church of Agia Ekaterini

This lovely restored Byzantine church is on the site of an ancient temple, whose columns still stand below the courtyard.