The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens stands apart with its heavy, patterned masonry of recycled marble blocks taken from seventy-two demolished churches. King Otto laid the cornerstone in eighteen forty-two, intending to create a symbol…
Plaka and Anafiotika Alleyways
Wander the narrow, winding paths of Athens' oldest neighborhoods, ascending from Plaka's lively streets into the tranquil, whitewashed village of Anafiotika. Along the way, we'll seek out historic Byzantine chapels, ancient monuments, and romantic dining steps tucked beneath the Acropolis.
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1. Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
2. Benizelos Mansion
The Benizelos Mansion stands out with its heavy, wooden door and the distinct overhanging timber balcony that wraps around the upper floor. This is the oldest surviving house in Athens, dating back to the sixteenth century. It once…
3. Brettos
Bright, oversized glass vats filled with colorful liqueurs line the walls from floor to ceiling behind the bar at Brettos. Since nineteen oh nine, this distillery has operated on Kydatheneon Street. Michael Brettos started the business by…
4. Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates stands as a cylindrical stone tower crowned with a marble roof, tucked into a neighborhood of much newer buildings. In three hundred thirty-four before Christ, a wealthy man named Lysicrates financed a…
5. Holy Church of Saint Nicholas Rangavas
The Church of Saint Nicholas Rangavas stands out for its irregular, patchwork masonry of stone and tile, built into the sloping hillside of the Plaka district. This eleventh-century Byzantine structure belonged to the powerful Rangavas…
6. Holy Church of Saint Simon of the Anapheans
The Holy Church of Saint Simon of the Anapheans is a tiny, single-aisled vaulted chapel tucked into the cliffside of the Acropolis. It is built directly into the rock, with the stone face forming part of its rear wall. During the Greek War…
7. Psaras Tavern
The Psaras Tavern features a stone facade tucked against the steep, winding staircases of the Plaka district, beneath the shadows of the Acropolis. Since eighteen ninety-eight, this spot served as a haunt for intellectuals, artists, and…
8. Horologion of Andronikos Cyrrhestes
The Horologion of Andronikos Cyrrhestes is an octagonal tower of white Pentelic marble standing in the Roman Agora of Athens. Each of its eight faces features a relief of a wind deity blowing toward the city, positioned to align with the…