Athens is an amazing city where ancient Greek ruins are adjacent to graffiti painted with high -rise buildings and noisy highways. The fashionable areas are surrounded by slums, and on the winding streets you can find fragments of ancient columns, Turkish buildings and the Byzantine temple, to the wall of which a restaurant will be added. Stunning views of the city, sea and mountains are opened from high hills, generous portions at low prices are served in family restaurants, and hotels prices remain affordable even in high season. We will tell you how to relax in Athens and save, because there are many ways to have fun for free.
Flight hotel
1. See the change of guard in front of the parliament
Opposite the parliament, on the Sintagmatos Square (Plateia Syntagmatos), a change of guard passes every day (5 minutes before and 5 minutes after the onset of a new hour). And on Sundays from 10:45 to 11:15 there is a solemn change of guard with the ceiling of the main street, an orchestra, march and a procession of 150 people. This is an interesting sight, in which very unusually dressed guard guard guards – Evzones (Evzones) participate. They wear white stockings with garters, a white skirt, a vest and a red hat with a long brush, and their boots are knocked out with nails and decorated with large pomponomi.
Interesting excursions from local residents in Athens
2. Visit ancient ruins and visit ancient churches
Visiting the Acropolis and Agora is paid, but besides these world -famous attractions, there are many ancient Greek ruins in Athens, which can be examined for free: the Panatinaikos stadium, built of white marble in 329 BC, and on which, after its restoration, the first Olympic Games in the latest history, the Arca of Emperor Adrian, built in 131, built in 131, built in the year. The most interesting Mausoleum of the Prince Filopappa, built next to the acropolis in the 2nd century, and the Lyceum of Aristotle, founded by the great philosopher in 334 BC. Valuable historical artifacts can be viewed in windows at the Monastiraki and Sintagma metro stations. We also advise you to visit the two oldest Christian churches of the city-the Church of the Virgin of Kapnikaréa, built in 1050, and the Church of the Holy Apostles of Solakis (Choly Apostles of Solaki), built in the 10th century, and a very beautiful cathedral (AGIOS ELEFTERIOS Church), whose marble walls are covered with elegant carvings.
3. Walk around the historical center of the city
The Athenians believe that a walk along the old streets of the historical center will allow you to find out the city better than visits to museums and excursions with the guide. In addition, many Greek streets of the same age with acropolis can boast of a rich history.
In the Turkish district of Plaka (Plaka) there are ancient baths and Byzantine churches, with amazing frescoes and mosaics. The winding streets descend along the hill next to the acropolis, as in the days of ancient Greece. One of the most beautiful streets is Dionysius Areopagitou, which envelopes the acropolis and descends to the hill of Philopappos Hill and goes through the Tissio area, where you will find the best family restaurants of the city. Tisio flows into the Monastiraki area, which is known for its huge flea market, where on Sundays, in addition to merchants of an old and antiques, street musicians, acrobats and magicians gather.
4. climb the observation platforms on the Athenian hills
Athens stand on high hills, from the tops of which exciting views of the city and the sea open. The most complete and colorful panorama of the city and the best view of the acropolis opens from the top of Mount Lykavittos, the highest point of Athens. At its top, in addition to the site, there is an open -air theater and a chapel of St. George. The second most popular with local residents Hill is the Areopagus Hill, on which the Athenian court was sitting in ancient times, and today you can see Athena and the mountains surrounding the city on top. The hill of Philopapps Hill is remarkable in that it is so close to the acropolis that all the details of the temple and statues can be considered from it. Hill Strefi Hill is the most quiet and sparse hill with a panoramic platform, on the slopes of which the garden is broken.
5. Learn more about Greek culture and art in museums
The most popular complex of Museums of Athens, which includes the Athens Acropolis, ancient Agora, the Adrian Library, the Archaeological Museum of Ceramics, the Roman Agora, as well as the Temple of Zeus Olympic, can be visited for free every Sunday of the month from March to March, also on all Greek state holidays (January 1, 6, March 25, August 15, October 28, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26, on October 25 and 26, 25 and 26. December*), in addition, museums work for visitors on Christian holidays: Pure Monday, Holy Friday, Holy Easter and other significant dates (March 6, April 18, May 18, June 5, September 27, the last weekend of September). From March to November, you can visit museums for free on every first Sunday of the month with the exception of July, August and September.
* These days, museums may not work full time.
There are also several museums in the city, the entrance to which is always free:
- Museum of Greek folk instruments, where 1,200 instruments of different times are stored: ancient mandolins, lute, cymbals, drums and tambourines.
- The epigraphic museum of Athens, with a collection of Greek inscriptions of various eras – clay and stone tablets of the times of ancient Greece, papyrus, manuscripts.
- The Deste Modern Art Fund is a non -profit organization where exhibitions of modern Greek artists are constantly held.
- Museum of the History of the Greek costume, with a collection of 25 thousand units of clothing and accessories from all over Greece. Also in the museum there are copies of costumes of the Minoan, ancient Greek and Byzantine era.
- Municipal art gallery, where 2.5 thousand works of Greek masters of the 19-20 centuries are collected. Many creations were redeemed from collectors, others were received as a gift.
6. Go on a free tour of the city
Photo: @ypsilon_67 / @teodorally / instagram.com
In Athens, a rich selection of free foot tours: Tours2greece offer excursions that local residents conduct, where they will not only tell the history of the city, but also share the addresses of good restaurants, shops and bars. Athens Free Walking Tour will tell myths and legends about gods and heroes, inextricably linked with the history of ancient Athens. Gurwalk offers an interesting tour of the best samples of the Street Art of the Exarchiy district, where artists and anarchists live.
7. Get to know contemporary art and street art on the streets and in galleries
Photo: @Alexandros4k / Instagram.com
Athens are covered with street art, graffiti can be found everywhere: on ancient ruins, multi-storey buildings, mountains and cars. The state does not fight with street art, so street artists can freely draw anything and anywhere. The Center for Street Art is the exarchy area (Exarcheia), which, due to low prices, relaxed atmosphere and the abundance of bars, has long been chosen by people of creative professions. On the streets of the Exarchy, you can find the work of world-famous Street Arts (OS Gemeos, Fikos, Sonke, Ino, STMTS).
Also in Athens there are many excellent galleries of contemporary art, where young and already famous artists are exhibited. A full list of events and galleries can be found on the site (and we advise you to visit the most interesting exhibition spaces:
- Medusa Art Gallery – the most talented young Greek artists are exhibited here.
- TAF – independent galleries and theater located in a dilapidated building in the center of Athens, free concerts often take place in the evenings here.
- QBOX Gallery – Greek artists who have gained international fame are exhibited here, for example, Megan and Murray McMillan, Paolo Colombo, Stephanie Stein.
8. Rest in parks and gardens
You can take a walk and arrange a picnic in one of the city parks. The National Gardens Park is most conveniently located – it occupies 15.5 hectares in the very center of Athens, next to parliament. Several thousand species of plants and trees brought from all over the world grow in the park. Also on its territory there are ancient ruins with columns and a living corner with peacocks, goats and geese. Other gardens and parks are located much further from the city center, but also deserve attention: in the botanical garden (Diomidous Botanical Garden), plants from all over the world are growing, the park (The Stavros Niarchos Park) lies on the hill, from where the sea and the city open up, and there are many playgrounds, and a huge park (Syngrome Estate) open a day, there is clean and beautiful, there are many fountains.
9. Treat and swim on the beaches in the warm season
In the vicinity of Athens there are a lot of private beaches, the entrance to which costs money, but there are also several free with clean water and all the necessary amenities: Votsalakia Castellas pebble beach, located in Piraeus, next to the Castellas port. Elliniko beach can be reached by tram or metro from the city center, it is always crowded here. Eden in Paleo Faliro can also be reached by city transport, there are always many visitors with children, as well as with pets, the entrance with which is allowed.
Text: Olga Perepelitsa
