3 alternative routes to expertise Athens

First-time guests to Athens usually flock to the Acropolis the place the enduring Parthenon taking centre stage on prime of the hill. Maybe additionally the Acropolis Museum, the Nationwide Archaeological Museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Historic Agora. However for anybody looking for a unique expertise, listed here are three distinctive methods to discover the town that we just lately loved, courtesy of the aptly-named Various Athens.

The Olympic Video games Exercise

In addition to being well-known for its historic historical past, structure, democracy and philopsophy, Athens is synonymous with the Olympics. The town hosted the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896 and has a protracted affiliation with historic and trendy Olympics. So what higher option to immerse your self in Athens than by means of an Olympic-inspired exercise tour with a licensed sports activities coach? On this tour, you’ll uncover the true essence of the Olympics, visiting venues linked to actual Olympic occasions alongside the way in which. We started this expertise at one of many metropolis’s most stunning neoclassical landmarks, Zappeion Corridor, and the primary trendy purpose-built Olympic facility.

Right here, we began with a jog across the constructing and some warm-up workout routines, earlier than studying about how the Olympics started, what function the traditional Video games performed in society, how athletes educated, and what disciplines had been included, because the video games advanced. Our subsequent cease was a nineteenth Century gymnasium close by, the place we tried our hand at a few of the earliest occasions corresponding to javelin, shot put and lengthy soar. Do you know the lengthy soar was achieved from a standing begin, with out a run-up?

After which comes the finale – a go to to the Panathenaic Stadium, the one stadium on the earth constructed completely of marble, which hosted the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896. Right here, we had the chance to compete in a race earlier than concluding our tour and exploring the remainder of the stadium at our leisure. Keep in mind, it’s not nearly successful – competing pretty, respecting your opponents, and demonstrating good sportsmanship are all qualities that make an amazing Olympian!

Athens Avenue Artwork Tour

Artwork isn’t simply restricted to museums, and Athens is a primary instance of this. The Greek capital is without doubt one of the world’s hottest locations for graffiti artists, and avenue artwork has turn out to be an integral a part of its city cloth. Wander across the streets and also you’ll see every part from big, commissioned murals to scratty tags. Store partitions, shutters and even folks’s houses will not be resistant to graffiti. Autos, too, typically fall sufferer to a coat of spray paint!

Our tour with Nikos, himself a graphic designer in addition to a tour information, took us by means of the historical past of graffiti and the event of Athens’ avenue artwork scene, one of the vital vibrant in Europe, spurred on partially by the Greek monetary disaster. We had been led by means of cool neighbourhoods that assist and showcase avenue artwork, and we’re informed the tales between the artists and artworks.

Take Loukanikos, for instance; this stray canine grew to become a logo of resistance throughout Athens’ financial disaster. He was usually seen on the entrance line throughout the metropolis’s riots, and captured the hearts of the Greek public attributable to his fearless presence. He was seen as an icon of hope and loyalty by many and has been portrayed although avenue artwork, with this specific instance – present in Psirri on the nook of Riga Palamidou and Sarri Streets – serving as a poignant reminder of the social and political turmoil that the town endured.

Different examples we noticed addressed points such because the struggle in Ukraine, and a prepare crash catastrophe believed to be attributable to many years of mismanagement of Greece’s rail trade.

We additionally noticed a number of examples of labor by INO (Apostolos Kyriazis), a avenue artist broadly identified for portray black and white photos with a splash of blue . His 90-metre-long model of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Final Supper’ highlights social inequalities because of the Greek political system.

This various tour is one which’s to not be missed, and a really distinctive option to discover Athens. It’ll offer you a chance to find cool neighbourhoods and acquire a deeper understanding of the town’s tradition, how folks suppose and a few of the points that they maintain near their hearts.

Scrumptious Athens

They are saying to solely have a lightweight breakfast earlier than this tour; we determined to skip it altogether and positively didn’t it! Greek meals will not be solely central to the native tradition, and presents a incredible means to see a unique aspect of Athens, by becoming a member of Greeks in certainly one of their most passionate pastimes… meals! We begin with some Greek classics – spinach pies and baklava – earlier than shifting on to do some tasting of olive oil and Greek espresso, all of the whereas studying about culinary methods and the significance of provenance.

Our tour additionally takes us by means of , the bustling Varvakios Market, the largest and hottest fish, meat and vegetable market in the entire of Athens.

And there’s an compulsory cease at ‘Kostas’ for a conventional pork souvlaki served with contemporary tomatoes, onions and a sprinkle of paprika, all wrapped in a heat pita. It’s been serving souvlaki since 1950 and is without doubt one of the locations to go for a real style of Athens avenue meals.

We might actually have stopped at this level, however there was one final cease on the tour, at a deli for a choice of delicious Greek meze. This tour isn’t simply concerning the meals, although; it’s a novel option to expertise everday life in Athens and to see the town in a unique mild.

Disclosure: This submit is sponsored by Various Athens.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxurious Journey Weblog and has labored within the journey trade for greater than 30 years. He’s Winner of the Improvements in Journey ‘Greatest Journey Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. Along with different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of many world’s finest journey blogs” and “finest for luxurious” by The Telegraph.