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see + do
Athens see + do
The pace of change in Athens was slow—until the Olympics. Despite near-ridicule from most of the rest of the world when it appeared that the entire city was still a building site as late as June 2004, the Athenians pulled it off and the event was universally hailed as a triumph. It was also the most expensive Olympics in history: The bill came to roughly $800 for each man, woman, and child in the country. Still, in the end, the organizing committee claimed an overall profit of about $9 million, even though all 36 of the spiffy purpose-built venues now lie forlorn and empty. The government plans to lease most of them to the private sector, with many to remain as sports facilities (maybe with restaurants, cafés or theme parks attached) and others to become conference centers, museums, or schools.
One thing that hasn't changed—much—is the Acropolis. Many people overnight in Athens before or after their island ferry specifically to see the great hill of temples—and they're right to do so. First timers won't notice, but access to the monuments has recently been improved and there's an ongoing restoration project that also takes in other sites. Most other museums are free on Sunday and national holidays.
The National Archaeological Museum is newly (post-Olympics) renovated and a must-see. With 48 rooms, it's the largest museum in the land, but still way too...more
When your lungs are dusty and you need to see green, slip inside the verdant, semi-tropical National Gardens, established in 1840. Also useful for...more
Modern art is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Athens, but this institution, established in 2000, aims to change that. It occupies an...more
Following what some might call a classic Greek construction schedule, the New Acropolis Museum, originally planned to be ready for the 2004 Olympics, finally...more
In Gazi, the old gasworks next to Keramikos, is this enormous art project, established in 1999. It consists of eight buildings converted from gas containers,...more
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