City of the Month : Athens

Athens and music		Venues & Orchestras		History
Greek music is of unbelievable diversity due to the creative Greek assimilation of different influences of the Eastern and Western cultures. Music and Greece have a long history dating from the Antiquity, during which poetry, dancing and music were inseparable and constituted an important part of ancient Greek's everyday life; Greek tragedy also used music into its component elements. Thanks to the gentle climate of Greece many cultural events are organized in open-air. Thus, since several decades festivals have become an integral part of the Athens cultural life. The major festivals take place in ancient theatres or in the specially featured spaces throughout the summer months. The Hellenic Festival www.hellenicfestival.gr The Festival takes place in Athens' Herodes Atticus theatre and proposes 77 performances: modern and ancient theatre, ballet, opera, jazz and classical music, symphonic music and great singers etc. "Musical July" (July) www.hellenicfestival.gr “Musical July”, the significant cultural institution at the Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre. For five weekends the audience enjoys events of high aesthetics from all over Greece. Sound and Light Performances (Sept.-Oct.) These popular spectacles combining visual effects with music and narration are presented nightly at historic sites of archaeological importance: the Acropolis in Athens, the Palace of the Grand Masters in Rhodes and the Old Fortress in Corfu. The International Jazz and Blues Festival (June) The Festival is welcomed by the Theatre of Lycabettus in Athens. Maria Callas Maria Callas, one of the most exciting opera singers of her generation, is intimately bound to Greece and Athens. Born in New York of Greek parentage, her family returned to Greece, where she attended the Athens Conservatory, studying with soprano Elvira de Hidalgo. She made her professional operatic debut in a major role, Tosca, at the Athens Opera in 1941. In 1944 she sang her only Leonora in Fidelio, which brought success in Athens, and she then returned to the US in 1945. She went on to triumphant performances at all of the major opera houses. Her soprano voice, with its exceptional expressive powers, enabled Maria Callas to become the first singer in a century to perform in the intricate Romantic style, conveying tremendous emotional range and dramatic intensity.		The Greek National Opera www.nationalopera.gr The Greek National Opera is the only lyric theatre of Greece, established in 1939 as a part of the then called Royal Theatre, which matured durig the years of the occupation of Greece by the German forces. Maria Callas signed her first professional contract with the Greek National Opera on June 20, 1940. The presence of the Greek National Opera at the Athens Festival is significant every year and especially since 1955 when this festival first opened its gates. The Greek National opera is preparing splendid performances, which will take place at the Herodion Ancient Theatre. The performances of the Greek National Opera are presented in two stages: Olympia Theatre (Opera and Ballet) and Acropol Theatre (Greek Operettas, Opera for Children and young people). Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall www.megaron.gr Since it opened its doors to the public in 1991, the Athens Concert Hall has been regarded as one of the most comprehensive culture centres in Europe. The Athens Concert Hall has welcomed top class artists, music ensembles, composers and conductors in an artistic trajectory that has left its mark in the country's culture scene. The Athens State Orchestra During 110 years of its operation, the Athens State Orchestra, the main institution of Greek symphonic music history, has prepared most interesting programmes under direction of major conductors. Camerata - Friends of Music Orchestra La Camerata was founded in 1991 by the Friends of Music Society in order to create a professional string ensemble, capable of presenting chamber music works as well as pieces belonging to different genres and styles at the highest possible level of performance. Orchestra of the Colours www.orchestraofcolours.gr The Orchestra of Colours was founded in 1989 by Manos Hadjidakis. Its establishment fulfilled his vision for a first-rate orchestra dedicated to presenting interesting works not usually included in standard repertory. A good part of the Orchestra’s repertory comprises works by Greek composers.		The history of Athens is the longest of any city in Europe: Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years. According to Greek mythology, Poseidon and Athena compete to become protectors and deities of the city. They challenge each other and the prize for the winner was the city of Athens. According to the myth, an olive tree sprung from the ground at the touch of Athena's spear. Whilst Poseidon summoned forth a seawater spring. Consequently, the olive tree won over the seawater spring! The earliest settlement, dating from before 3000 BC, was situated on the summit of the Acropolis, protected on all sides except the west by its steep slopes. Named for the city's patron goddess, Athena, the ancient city developed mainly to the north of this hill, around the Agora, or marketplace. Athens was the leading city in Greece during the 1st millennium BC. During the "Golden Age" of Greece (roughly 500 BC to 300 BC) it was the Western world's leading cultural and intellectual centre, and indeed it is in the ideas and practices of Ancient Athens that what we now call "Western civilisation" has its origins. After its days of greatness, Athens continued to be a prosperous city and a centre of learning until the late Roman period. St. Paul visited Athens, and the Emperor Hadrian lavished money on its public buildings. The schools of philosophy, however, were closed in 529 AD after the Byzantine Empire converted to Christianity. Athens lost a great deal of status and became a provincial town. Between the 13th and 15th centuries the city was fought over by the Byzantines, the French and the Italian knights. In 1458 the city fell to the Ottoman Empire and the city's population went into decline and conditions worsened as the Ottoman Empire declined as well. Parts of the city were destroyed in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries as different factions tried to control the city. Greece gained independence from the Turks in the war of 1821-32. In 1833, Athens became the capital of Greece. It was a small urban settlement of fewer than 4,000 people located north of the Acropolis in a district known today as the Plaka. Modern Athens developed to the north and east of the old city. The architect Eduard Schaubert laid out a network of wide, straight boulevards that converge at Syntagma (Constitution) Square and the Royal Palace. During World War II the city was occupied by Germany. After the war the city started to grow again. Today Athens is a great city of 5.000.000 people. In August 2004, the city hosts the Olympic games.

Architecture

Some Highlights

In the surrounding area

Greek Art and Architecture, paintings, sculpture, buildings, and decorative arts were produced in ancient Greece, from about 1050 BC to 31 BC. Greek and Athens architecture is of great importance through the world. It has influenced the architectural movements of the Renaissance and the British Greek revival. We can divide the Greek architecture into several periods.

The Mycenaean (Achaean) civilization (1300-1000 BC)
Leaving behind the open, labyrinthine palaces built by the Minoans, the Mycenaean formed a different style: citadels built on a compact, orderly plan and fortified by strong walls.
See: the Acropolis site and the Kerameikos Cemetery.

Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greek architecture (750-31 BC)
The great advance in Ancient Greek architecture is visible by the construction of the first monumental stone temples. Those temples are characterised by the famous order of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian style.

The Doric order:
See: the Acropolis with its famous central temple, the Parthenon.

The Ionic order:
Unlike the austere Doric style, the Ionic column has an ornamented necking; a base in several tiers and has more flutes. This order is much less massive than the Doric style.
See: the Temple of Athena Nike (goddess of Victory).

The Corinthian order:
This order appeared at the end of the classical period and was used a lot by the Romans. The Corinthian columns were ornate by a single or double row of leafy scrolls, usually acanthus. See: the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

The classical period is also the period during which all the wonderful theatres you can discover in Greece were built.
See: the Theatre of Dionysos (5th century BC).

The Roman period (from 146 BC) gave birth to fountains, baths and gymnasium.
See: the Roman Agora, built in the time of Augustus. A century and a half later, the emperor Hadrian built the famous Arch of Hadrian in the centre of Athens.

The Byzantine period (300 AD – 14th century) explains the incredible amount of lovely and heavy decorated churches that decorate the city.

The Ottoman occupation (15th century – 1821) caused a decline of the Greek architecture, which did not experience the Renaissance and following styles.

After the War of Independence, during the monarchy, Athens is embellished by buildings in neoclassical style.
See: the National Library, the Athens University and the majestic Parliament.

Syndagma
Plateia Syndagmatos (Constitution Square), where the Constitution has been proclaimed in 1975, is located in the centre of modern Athens.
See: the Parliament (Vouli), which uses to be King Otto's palace. The National Garden, a peaceful, green refuge in the midst of central Athens, the park was once the palace garden of the royal family.

Plaka
Plaka is Athens' most beautiful neighbourhood, with a mostly neoclassical architecture dating from King Otto's time. It is like an historic centre, full of beautiful buildings, Byzantine churches, little touristy shops, café, bars and taverns (Greek restaurants).
See: the Ancient Roman Agora, the Tower of the Wind, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Acropolis, the Herode Atticus theatre, the Kerameikos cemetery etc.

The Acropolis
The Acropolis is the most famous Athens ancient site and maybe in Greece, also called the “Sacred Rock”. It has been Athens' main attraction since the 5th century BC.
See: the famous Parthenon Temple dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom; the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, the Dionysos Theatre, etc.
The Erechtheion Temple devoted to Athena and Poseidon was built in the 5th century BC. Its famous porch of the Caryatides, recently restored, is composed of 6 statues of young women, which replace the usual columns supporting the ceiling.

The Ancient Agora
It was the commercial, trade, administrative and social centre of Athens. The Ancient Agora was a lively place where, during the classical age, many notable men such as Socrates, Sophocles and Aristotle expressed their thoughts and ideas. Even Saint Paul was present in the Agora in 49 AD.

The Roman Agora and the Tower of the Wind
It was built between 19 and 11 B.C. with a donation of Julius Caesar and Augustus. The main attraction of the Roman Agora is the Tower of the Wind. It was used as a sundial, a weather vane, a water clock and compass. The tower stands in perfect shape as it was of great utility for all the conquerors.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple is the largest Ancient temple of Athens that has ever been built. It took 700 years to build. The Emperor Hadrian completed the work in 131 AD. The Temple is composed of 104 Corinthian columns of 17 m high but today, only 17 columns still stand.

Theatre of Herodes Atticus
Located at the south slope of the Acropolis and was added in 161 AD during the Roman rule. The theatre has exceptional acoustic capacities and can welcome 5000 spectators.

The church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos or Agios Eleftherios
This 12th-century little church is considered as one of the finest of the city's Byzantine relics. It stands near the modern Metropolis Cathedral. The church was built on the ruins of an ancient temple, which was dedicated to the goddess Eileithyia.

Lycavittos Hill
A 277-metre high limestone rock with an incredible view over Athens, the coast and surrounding mountains. According to the myth, Lykavittos hill appeared when Athena accidentally dropped a large rock she was going to use for the construction of the Acropolis.

Kolonaki
Smart residential district, the home of Athens chic, offering expensive and luxurious shops, cafes, and bars.

Thisio
At the southwest of Monastiraki, Thisio is a place full of café and bars, with a beautiful view on the Acropolis.

Attica
Attica was the birthplace of the most important Greek cities such as Athens, Elevsis and Megara. These cities, together with Thebe, Corinth and Sparta colonised the entire Mediterranean coast and the Black Sea between the 5th and 6th centuries BC.
See: Marathon with the historical site where Athenians defeated the Persians during the Persian Wars of 490 BC.

On the cape of Sounion, lies the famous Temple of Poseidon, which is one of the most important sanctuaries in Attica.

Vravrona has an historical site with the Ancient Sanctuary of Artemis Vravronia, Godess of Childbirth. At Oropos you can visit the ruins of the Temple of Amphiarius.

Built in the 11century, Monastery of Kaisariani is one of the most beautiful areas around Athens, with its ruins, Church, spring by the ruins of a Temple of Aphrodite.

Monastery of Daphne in Elefsina (11th century) is one of the finest Byzantine Monasteries around Athens.

Piraeus
Piraeus is Greece's third largest city in terms of population and its biggest port. It was first settled in 478 BC, and the town was being laid out to the plans of the architect Hippodamus. The ancient harbours of Piraeus were Zea and Munichia. Zea, now called Pasalimani, is one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean. Munichia, also known as Mikrolimano or Tourkolimano, is a pretty little harbour with yachts and fishing-boats and ringed with fish tavernas.

The Saronic islands

Salamis is the largest and the nearest Saronic Island to the coast of Attica where the Greek ships destroyed the Persian Armada of King Darius in the 5th century BC. It is also the hometown of Greek heroes Ajax and Euripides.

Aegina has a beautiful mild climate with lots of valleys and small hills.
See: the well-preserved Dorian temple of Afaeas Athina (C5th BC), Kolona with the remains of a Dorian Temple of Apollo (C6th BC), the archaeological museum, the medieval town of Paleohora and the monastery of Agios Nectarios.

Hydra was first discovered in the fifties and sixties by a group of artists (such as Leonard Cohen or Axel Jensen), attracted by its authentic and magical beauty. The main village of the island is Hydra Town, which is its capital and main port. It is a lovely place full of traditional houses which are built one on the top of the other, only separated by narrow alleys.

Food

Drinks

Traditional customs and Festivals

Things to Do

Greece, a Mediterranean country, has over the last 25 centuries or more developed a cuisine typical of its geographical location, based on regional produce.

Starters
- Moussaka: thin slices of aubergine with minced meat and cheese, baked au gratin
- Taramosalata: fish roe and breadcrumbs, sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice
- Melitzanosalata: aubergine salad
- Tzatziki: a starter based on cucumber, garlic and yogurt
- Dolmathakia me rizi: stuffed vine leaves

Main dishes
- Psarotaverna: various fried fish and seafood
- Stifado: meat stew
- Brizola: grilled chops with tomatoes, aubergine and onions
- Souvlaki: meat kebabs accompanied by tomatoes, aubergines and onions
- Keftedes: meatballs accompanied by vegetables or salad

Cheeses
- Feta
Produced since ancient times, feta’s nutritional values were praised by Hippocrates.
A semi-soft rindless cheese, it is firm but soft, crumbly, white and salty.
- Kasseri
This mild flavoured creamy cheese, gold in colour, is like a creamier version of Cantal or cheddar. It can be eaten plain or fried in olive oil.
- Mizithra
This cheese comes in the form of a soft ball. Firm and cottony, it is a mild, soft unsalted white cheese.
- Kopanisti
This is a speciality from the Aegean Sea which is sold in terracotta pots. Its peppery flavour is perfect with Ouzo. It is a blue-veined cheese which can be eaten plain as an appetizer mashed into cream.

Desserts
- Giaourti kai meli: yogurt with honey
- Baklava: cake with almonds or walnuts
- Loukoumades: yeasted doughnuts served with a warm syrup of honey, cinnamon and lemon.
- Diples: a deep-fried pastry formed into a bow, with syrup and flaked walnuts

Ouzo
Ouzo is the aperitif of the Greeks. A spirit made from grape marc flavoured with aniseed. It is drunk neat in a small glass, alternating with cold water. It is rarely diluted like pastis! The best Ouzo comes from Plomari.

Retsina
A white wine (sometimes a rosé) based on pine resin. A custom that dates back to ancient times in which the amphorae were coated with resin to improve their water tightness. Retsina is drunk very cold.

Mantinia
A white wine from the Peloponnese. Dry, light and fresh.

Muscat from Samos
A very famous sweet and strong white wine grown in Samos on the Aegean Sea, on terraced hillsides going up to an altitude of 800 m. Very full in the mouth, very fresh, sweet and strong, with a taste of honey.

Coffee
This is ground very fine then heated in a small pan containing one or more cups (a Briki). The sugar is added during cooking. You can either order it very sweet (gliko), slightly sweet (metrio) or unsweetened (sketo). It is always served with a glass of cold water.

The majority of traditions in Greece are pagan or religious in origin. The Greek Orthodox Church is the country’s official religion. Practised by over 97 % of Greeks, it occupies a very significant place in both public and private life.

January
- Festival of Agios Vassilios (Saint Basil) which marks the new year. Gifts, dancing and singing are on the agenda.
- Epiphany (6 January): Epiphany is celebrated throughout the country. The metropolitans bless the sea, rivers and springs and then throw in a crucifix. The person who finds the cross is in for a lucky year.

February - March
- Carnival: fancy-dress parades, dances and parties.
- Shrove Tuesday: The day for a picnic, especially on Filopappou Hill.
- 25 March: Greece’s Independence Day, which commemorates the revolt of Archbishop Germanos which sparked off the war of independence.

March - April
- Easter: for orthodox Greeks, this is the most important festival. This joyful festival beginning on Good Friday is punctuated with going to mass, eating together, music and singing.

May - September
- Folk dance shows at the Dóra Strátou theatre, located on the Hill of the Muses, Athens.
- Athens Festival: the most important cultural event of the year.
- Epidaurus Festival at the Little Theatre of Epidaurus: on Friday and Sunday evenings, a performance of works of the ancient theatre. The productions are often staged in the style of Ancient Greece.
- 15 August: families come together for the festival of the Virgin Mary.

October – December
- 28 October: day of commemoration of saying No (ochi). This date marks the refusal of General Metaxas to let Mussolini’s troops cross Greece during the Second World War. On the programme: religious ceremonies, military parades, dancing and festive meals.

Acropolis Museum
Situated on the rock of the Acropolis where the sanctuary of Pandion once stood. The Museum contains mainly pediment sculpture, reliefs and statues found in the Acropolis, which formed part of the decoration of its buildings or were dedicated to the goddess Athena. Among the latter is the world unique collection of female figures of the archaic era known as the "Korai" with the well-known archaic smile.

National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The Museum counts as one of the top 10 Archaeological museums in the world.
Do not miss statues of Poseidon or Zeus of Artemission (460-450 BC), of Marathon Boy, Sounion Kouros, of Aphrodite and Pan from Delos, the collection of vases, reliefs, frescos and ancient Greek figures.

Byzantine & Christian Museum
It contains a large collection of icons, and other Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.

Frissiras Museum
www.frissirasmuseum.com/en/
Museum of contemporary European painting.

Museum of Cycladic Art
www.cycladic-m.gr
The museum is devoted to the study and promotion of ancient Greek art. It presents the Cycladic Collection and the Ancient Greek Collection, covering Greek art from the 2nd millennium B.C. to the first centuries A.D.

Kerameikos Museum
The museum hosts most of the finds from the ancient cemetery of Athens. Included in the exhibition are many grave stelais and vases from the 12th century B.C. until the Roman period.

National Art Gallery & Alexandros Soutsos Museum
One of the world's finest art galleries with exhibits of the greatest Greek artists and not-a-miss exhibitions.

Hotels

Restaurants

Web Sites

Grande Bretagne Hotel (5*)
Tel : +30 210 333 0000, Fax : +30 210 322 8034
www.grandebretagne.gr
Located on the famous Constitution Square, right across the street from the Greek Parliament and the National Gardens, the Grande Bretagne is part of the history of the city. Housed in a really beautiful and stylish building, it offers unique views of the Parthenon from its upper floor rooms.

Divani Acropolis Palace Hotel (5*)
Tel: +30 210 928 0100, Fax : +30 210 921 4993
www.divanis.gr
Located in a nice neighbourhood, a short walk to the Acropolis, Plaka, Thission and many other historical sights of Athens.

Royal Olympic Hotel (5*)
Tel: +30 210 928 8413, Fax: +30 210 923 3317
www.royalolympic.com
Located across the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Adrian’s Arch, and a short walk from the Acropolis, Plaka, Constitution square and other major sights of Athens.

St. Georges Lycabettus Hotel (5*)
Tel: +30 210 729 0711-19, Fax: +30 210 729 0439
www.sglycabettus.gr
Located at the feet of the Lycabettus Hill and Kolonaki area. It is up on an elevated position, offering views to the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill.

Electra Hotel (4*)
Tel: +30 210 337 0000, Fax: +30 210 324 1875
www.electrahotels.gr
Located on a pedestrian zone (Hermou street) of the Plaka area.

Herodion Hotel (4*)
Tel: +30 210 923 6832, Fax: +30 210 921 1650
www.herodion.gr
The hotel is conveniently located in the city centre, right at the foot of the Acropolis, below the Herodion theatre and the Plaka, the old quarters of the city.

Hermion
15, Pandrossou St., Plaka, Tel: +30 210 324 6725
One of the most famous restaurants in Plaka, it combines luxury and the simplicity of the Greek cuisine.

Istioploikos
Coast Mikrolimanou, Piraeus
Istioploikos is a famous and luxury restaurants and café-bar situated in Piraeus in the famous harbour of Mikrolimano offering a magnificent sea view while you enjoy your meal. It is considered as one of the best Athens Restaurants.

Vlassis
8 Pasteur St., Mavilis Sq, Ambelokipi, Tel: +30 210 646 3060
Vlassis is a long-time favourite and among the oldest and best-known tavernas in Athens, popular among the city's intelligentsia and art crowd.

Daphnes
4 Lysikratous St, Plaka, Tel: +30 210 322 7971
Daphne's has been a hallmark of fine dining in Plaka for almost 10 years, and a reference point for visiting dignitaries from Hillary Clinton and Betsy Bloomingdale to Meryl Streep and Luciano Benetton. Situated in a beautifully renovated old Plaka townhouse, the main dining room is covered with Pompei-style murals. The menu is classic but sophisticated Greek.

Spondi
5 Pyrronos St, Pangrati, Tel: +30 210 752 0658
Spondi is the latest restaurant in Athens to receive a Michelin star. It's housed in a lovely old Athens mansion, with a pleasant garden courtyard.

Balthazar
Soutsou & 27 Tsoha St, Tel: +30 210 644 1215
Housed in one of the few neo-classical mansions of downtown Athens, the redesigned, lovely modern garden is filled with huge old date palms. The restaurant has a diverse menu, prepared by one of Athens' most talented young chefs, Yiorgos Tsiaktsiras.

Edodi
80 Veikou St, Koukaki, Tel: +30 210 921 3013
There are only eight tables and the focus is on good food, service, seasonal ingredients and unique presentation. There's really no point in asking to see a written menu. Just sit back and let the waitstaff seduce you with a parade of dishes.

Varoulko
14 Deligiorgi St, Piraeus, Tel: +30 210 411 2043
Varoulko's chef-owner Lefteris Lazarou received a Michelin Star. The finest seafood restaurant.

Greek Ministry of Culture
www.culture.gr

Greek Ministry of Tourism
www.gnto.gr

Athens Guide
www.athensguide.org : Athens Greece Guide, complete guide of the city of Athens including information about hotels and accommodation as well as travel and tourist information

Greek Cultural Diary
www.cultureguide.gr

Greek Restaurants and Gastronomy
www.gourmed.gr

Tourism Information on Greece
www.la-grece.com

Athens Map
www.lerosisland.com/map-of-athens.jpg

The Greek National Opera
www.nationalopera.gr

The Hellenic Festival
www.hellenicfestival.gr

Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall
www.megaron.gr

City-Discovery.com : Choose and book the most popular tours and attractions !

world-airport-transfer.com : Easy and convenient way to move from the airport to your hotel.