Destination: Athens
What To See
Athens
Athens
  + Athens
  Sights
* Agía Aikateríni (Church of St Catherine)
* Agía Sotira (Church of St Sotira)
* Ágioi ApóstoloI (Church of the Holy Apostles)
* Ágios Nikodímos (Church of St Nikodimos)
* Ágios Nikólaos Ragavás (Church of St Nicholas Ragavas)
* Ágios Pávlos (Church of St Paul)
* Anafiótika
* Áreios Págos (Areopagos)
* Ebraïkó Mouseío tis Elláthos (Jewish Museum of Greece)
* Elliniko Paithíko Mouseío (Hellenic Children's Museum)
* Ethnikí Pinakothíki (National Gallery)
* Ethnikós Kípos (National Gardens)
* Exárcheia (Exarchia)
* Filopáppou (Philopappou)
* Gennádios Vivliothíki (American School of Classical Studies)
* Hephaisteion (Temple of Hephaistos)
* Istorikó Mouseío (National Historical Museum)
* Kapnikaréa
* Kentrikí Agorá (Central Market)
* Kéntro Ellinikis Paradosis (Centre for Hellenic Tradition)
* Kéntro Laikis Téchnis Kai Paradosis (Centre for Popular Arts and Traditions)
* Kéntro Meletis Ikoy Theatroy (Greek Theatre Museum)
* Keramikí Syllogí Apo to Mouseío Elliníkis Laografías (Ceramic Collection of the Museum of Greek Folk Art)
* Kerameikós (Keramikos Cemetery)
* Kolonáki
* Mitrópolis
* Mnimeío Lysikrátous (Monument of Lysikrates)
* Monastiráki
* Mouseío Athinón (Museum of the City of Athens)
* Mouseío Benáki (Benaki Museum)
* Mouseío Ellinikís Paithikis Téchnis (Museum of Greek Children's Art)
* Mouseío Kanellópoulos (Kanellopoulos Museum)
* Mouseío Kosmímatos Ilía Lalaoúnis (Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum)
* Naós Aiólou (Tower of the Winds)
* Odion (théatro) Iródou Attikou (Odeon of Herodes Atticus)
* Olympíeion (Temple of Olympian Zeus)
* Píli (Pýli) Adrianoú (Hadrian's Arch)
* Pinakothíki Tou Dímou Athinaïkoú (Municipal Art Gallery)
* Plateía Klafthmonos (Klafthmonos Square)
* Plateía Omonoías (Omonia Square)
* Plateía Syntagmatos (Syntagma Square)
* Pnýka (Pnyx)
* Polemikó Mouseío (War Museum of Greece)
* Proedrikó Mégaro (Presidential Palace)
* Prótoí Nekrotafío Athinón (First Cemetery of Athens)
* Romaïki Agorá (Roman Agora)
* Schliemann's House
* Théatro Dionýsou (Theatre of Dionysos)
* Théatro Filopáppou (philopappou Theatre)
* Vivliothíki Adrianoú (Library of Hadrian)
* Vizantinó Mouseío (Byzantine Museum)
Excursions
  + Excursions

  Walk/Drive
  Food&Drink
  In The Know
  Did You Know?
Kolonáki

( Highly Recommended )

The Kolonáki district is one of those areas of Athens which surprises many visitors. They expect the classical sites, the lively Pláka, the bustling bazaar areas, but somehow don't anticipate this chic and expensive part of the city, where designer clothes shops are frequented by wealthy widows, who walk their little dogs on the street for all the world as if they were in Paris. Here, too, are art galleries, stores selling the latest in mobile phones and other electronic goods, bars, ouzeries, pavement cafés and antiques shops whose prices will make you think it would be cheaper to buy a piece of the Parthenon.
The heart of the district is Plateía Kolonakíou, or Kolonáki Square. It may be expensive to sit outdoors here and have a coffee and a slice of gateau (if you have a sweet tooth then a visit to the area's pastry shops is a must), but you will get value for money in watching the passers-by and the people sitting at neighbouring tables, reading newspapers or gossiping about the latest art trend or political scandal. If there were an export market in political scandals, Greece would certainly be a rich country!
The official name of the square is Plateía Filikís Eteriás, but no one calls it that. Kolonáki simply means a column, and if you look closely under the trees in the southwest corner of the square, you will see the small ancient column which gave its name first to the square and later to the whole district.


Bus: 234

Reservoir

Info: If you walk directly towards Lykavittós from the northern corner of Kolonáki Square, you reach a small park named Dexameni. This means 'reservoir', for below your feet is the main water tank for supplying central Athens, on the site of a Roman reservoir.
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