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I am planning a visit there and wondering if what it would be like in that beautiful historic city.
I've visited at least a dozen times. I love it. Many don't, mostly because they just expect to see things like the Acropolis and don't realize it's a very large, busy, and crowded city. If you are open to the fact that it is a major city existing in our century and isn't Disneyland, it can be fantastic.
The sights are amazing, the Agora is cool, and once you get away from the immediate core around the Parthenon, it sucks.
It's a typical big city that expanded too fast, and was all built around the 70's where the architecture was boring and just meh.
People are great, and you'll have a good time, but Athens =/= Rome or Istanbul which are living museums.
About ten years ago I had a period of time where I went through Athens over and over, not long stays by any means though. I was surprised by how dumpy Athens is on the whole...big city, etc. as said in the above quote.
I did enjoy the sightseeing, but once that was done I really did not care for the city.
I went there half a dozen times between 1976 and 1989, and again for one New Year, maybe 2003 or 2004.
Obviously there is a fascinating history there, and knockout sites, like the Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, etc.
Near the Acropolis is the tourist district, Plaka, this is okay for t-shirts, and other tourist paraphernalia, and also for light snacks, like kebabs and chips, (kabobs and fries to our American cousins).
Give the area a wide berth if you want to eat in upmarket establishments though, like Spondi, check it out on TripAdvisor.
The city is probably a tad depressed now, with all the austerity being introduced by the government, to comply with the E.U. requirements to qualify for loans to get Greece out of the hole that it partly dug itself, and was also partly dug for Greece by others.
There is even an off the wall rumour that Greeks will have to start paying taxes regularly, not in the haphazard, maybe I will, maybe I won't style of the past.
I've visited at least a dozen times. I love it. Many don't, mostly because they just expect to see things like the Acropolis and don't realize it's a very large, busy, and crowded city. If you are open to the fact that it is a major city existing in our century and isn't Disneyland, it can be fantastic.
It's a large crowded city, exactly like every other one on the planet, just Greek. Outside of the Plaka and Acropolis, there's nothing to set it apart. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not special. Go to Rome, and you can't make that same statement.
I really enjoyed the 1-2 days I spent there walking around. Is it my #1 choice for cities in Europe? No. It's not even my top destination choice in Greece (Samaria Gorge, Sougia or the Cyclades, perhaps), so I get some of the criticisms that you could "do better."
But so what, and as someone who doesn't spend a lot of time in Europe, it was still definitely worth the time for me. Enjoyed good food affordably, enjoyed the sights and people watching.
Keeping close guard of your possessions isn't a bad idea (a common warning if you're going in/out of the city via Piraeus specifically), but as long as you're alert I don't think you need to be paranoid.
I went to Athens over ten years ago. I stayed a week with my wife (whose Greek) and we had a great time. Overall, I would agree with the assessment that outside a few select areas, the city doesn't have much of a historic feel. But then again, you have to remember that Athens was just a village when Greece gained its independence and made the capital. You had over 1000 years where the city wasn't a big deal. To understand Byzantine Greece, you have to go to Asia Minor and see Constantinople, Smyrna, etc.
Still, there is enough to see with the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Agora, and day trips to places like Delphi to keep you busy for a week or so easily.
From what I hear from my wife's relatives back there is that the city is depopulating, in disrepair, and crime is on the rise. We went the week before the Olympics, so everything was new and polished up. I don't think it should stop anybody from visiting, but going now is seeing the city during a downturn.
Last edited by westsideboy; 08-30-2016 at 03:31 PM..
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