A weekend in Athens: travel guide, attractions and things to do

The Greek islands are famously beloved by British tourists. But eager to reach the jewels of the Aegean and Ionian as quickly as possible, many holidaymakers only stop in Athens long enough to change planes or boats. That’s a mistake.

It really is worth pausing in the Greek capital either en route to the islands or as a standalone trip to smell the bougainvillaea and savour the wonders of a city touched by the otherworldly magic of ancient culture.

What to do

The Acropolis

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There are more ancient monuments in Athens than you can shake a Greek javelin at. On every street corner, you bump into a world-famous historical site. But standing head and shoulders above them all – literally and metaphorically – is the Acropolis. A word that means “high city", the mighty citadel towers over Athens, mistress of all she surveys.

Sitting in splendid isolation on top of a hill that has been occupied since the Neolithic Era, the Acropolis is one of the greatest and most visited historical sites on the planet. After the Persians destroyed it in 480 BC, the inspirational Athenian leader Pericles rebuilt the site. Projecting the city’s power onto the global stage, it heralded the beginning of the golden age of Athens.

No matter how often you have seen the Acropolis on postcards, nothing can prepare you for its majesty in real life. As its iconic white marble shimmers in the sun, it seems to be floating above you like some ethereal being. It is a rare example of a place not only living up to but exceeding the hype.

Scaling the steep staircase towards the summit, you are confronted by the grand entrance or Propylaia of the Acropolis. These monolithic, collonaded gates make a grandiloquent statement, seemingly asserting: "This is our world. You’re just lucky to live in it.”

Once through the gates, your eyes are assailed by the wondrous Parthenon, arguably the most feted and influential building in the world. This is the Acropolis’ absolute showstopper attraction.

Dedicated to Athena, the goddess who, so the mythology has it, was born out of Zeus’s forehead, the Parthenon was constructed in just a decade (the ongoing anti-erosion repair work, which has been running since 1984, has taken considerably longer).

The ingenuity that went into building this 22,000-square-foot temple out of 100,000 tonnes of marble defies belief. For instance, the massive exterior columns deliberately tilt slightly inwards to give the optical illusion that they are parallel.

Despite being mobbed every day by more people than attend the average Panathinaikos home game, it is surprisingly easy to find a tranquil spot to absorb the views and read more about the site’s history.

The Acropolis Museum

Many of the most splendid artefacts from the Acropolis have been housed in a beautiful new museum. Built on three asymmetric levels, the Acropolis Museum is a stunning design which enables rivers of light to flood through its vast windows.

Don't miss the five Caryatid statues that used to stand on the south porch of the Erechtheion temple next to the Parthenon. If you’re wondering where the sixth of these striking figures has gone, the answer is the British Museum.

It was taken there in 1801 by the British ambassador Lord Elgin. The treasures he brought back, known as the Elgin Marbles, are still the source of great diplomatic tension between the UK and Greece. But recent news suggests some of them may soon be returning to Athens.

Plaka

This gorgeous, Instagram-friendly pedestrianised area is very popular with tourists – but don’t let that put you off. The oldest part of Athens, Plaka is a terrific place to wander without a map and get lost in a maze of alluring backstreets.

The most celebrated street is Mnisikleous, known as “The Plaka Steps”. At this much-photographed staircase, delightful pastel-shaded restaurants tumble down the hillside from the Acropolis. The staircase, which reverberates with birdsong, is framed by cascades of flourishing bougainvillaea.

Perhaps the most charming part of Plaka is Anafiotika, nicknamed “The Little Island”. A cluster of higgledy-piggledy little white houses with blue shutters, it mimics the Cycladic architecture of the Greek islands and is very different from the rest of Athens.

It looks like this because, in the second half of the 19th century, King Otto commissioned builders from the island of Anafi to reconstruct Athens. Nostalgic for home, they built an area for themselves to live in which was an exact replica of the architecture of Anafi.

Where to stay

Xenodocheio Milos, a new hotel located in the centre of Athens near the Parliament building, is a truly classy property which fully merits every one of its five stars.

That was underlined soon after my arrival. Unbeknownst to me, the receptionist noticed from looking at my wife's passport during check-in that it was her birthday. Ten minutes later, we received a mysterious knock on the door of our beautifully designed bedroom and a surprise cake with “Happy Birthday” piped around the edge of the plate was delivered to my astounded wife. Now that’s what I call five-star service.

The hotel restaurant, the airy and elegant Estiatorio Milos, serves dishes to die for. I highly recommend its Greek take on ceviche: seabass cubes mixed with feta, tomato and beans. Another one-of-a-kind dish is the Milos Special. This is a pyramid of courgette which conceals a treasure trove of tzatziki at its core.

The service is eye-catching. At one point, a waiter brought to our table a pot of oregano and cut the leaves directly into our bowl of olive oil. It was a great coup de théâtre.

Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. The motto of the hotel, which is designed around elegant, clean lines of white marble, is “philoxenia”. This charmingly translates to “the sacred art of making a stranger feel at home”. That seems highly appropriate, as you could scarcely find a place where a stranger feels more at home than Xenodocheio Milos.

Where to eat and drink

Xenios Zeus, a quiet restaurant situated just yards away from The Plaka Steps, has none of the hustle and bustle associated with that tourist hotspot. Conveniently situated on the path down from the Acropolis, it boasts marvellous views across the city to Lycabettus Hill.

Arguably, it also offers the best value food in Athens. You can get a scrumptious set menu of bread and olives, taramasalata, fried courgette, tomato balls, tzatziki, hummus and giant beans followed by chicken souvlaki and delectable orange cake with blackcurrant sauce for just €16 (£14).

Also well worth a visit is Dopios. Situated down a tree-lined, pedestrianised lane close to the central Syntagma Square, this is a true hidden gem. Festooned with fairy lights and offering customers heaters and blankets when the evening gets cooler, Dopios serves delicious traditional Greek cuisine with a twist. The chickpea stew has more flavours than you have any right to expect, and the taramasalata comes with prawn crackers. Fish on fish, a clever – and very tasty – touch.

How to get there

Athens can be reached by direct flights from London served by British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air. Or, for a more sustainable way of travelling, the Greek capital can be reached by train to Paris and then Milan, then an overnight ferry to Patras, followed by another train to Athens.

James Rampton was a guest of Xenodocheio Milos, where nightly rates start from £310 for a classic room.