How to fall in love with Athens in two days

 

We are in Greece. We’ve been wandering around for more than a week now, driving through the islands, visiting beautiful beaches and sleeping in the tent, at the locals’ homes or in sea view apartments – depending on what inspires us.

We’re staying a little more – as we love it – but I have plenty of free time and I would like to share with you our experience in a city that took my breath away and whom I immediately fell in love with.

It was never planned to visit Athens, I really don’t knoe why. We came to Greece in order to wander around some islands, hike on the mountains and see special beaches, and being here, we thought why not go to Athens as well – since we were nearby. It’s one of the very few cities that I didn’t research in advance – besides the historical marks and the architectural monuments which I learned about at school, I knew nothing. And I expected nothing; and maybe that’s the point – not expecting anything.

I didn’t know where I was going and I loved it. Athens is one of the most beautiful cities that I’ve ever been to, it has something special and even if it doesn’t have Budapest’s greatness or the elegance Paris has, it truly is a special place which needs to be on anyone’s traveling list.

 

RO: Suntem in Grecia. Ne plimbam cu masina de vreo o saptamana, vizitam orase si plaje frumoase si dormim cu cortul in camping-uri, acasa la localnici sau in apartamente cu vedere spre mare – depinde ce ne surade pe moment.

Mai stam putin – pentru ca ne place mult – dar am o gramada de timp liber si as vrea sa va impartasesc experienta dintr-un oras care mi-a taiat rasuflarea si de care m-am indragostit pe loc.

Nu a fost niciodata in plan sa vizitam Atena, nu imi explic de ce. Am venit in Grecia cu gandul sa ne plimbam pe insule, sa ne cataram pe munti si sa vedem plaje speciale, si, fiind aici, ne-am gandit sa mergem si pana in Atena – daca tot eram aproape. E unul dintre foarte putinele orase despre care nu m-am documentat inainte – in afara de reperele istorice si de monumentele arhitecturale de care invatasem la scoala, nu stiam nimic. Si nici nu m-am asteptat la nimic; si poate ca asta e secretul – sa nu ai asteptari.

Nu stiam unde merg si mi-a placut la nebunie. Atena este unul dintre cele mai frumoase orase in care am fost, are un spirit aparte si, chiar daca nu are grandoarea Budapestei sau eleganta Parisului, e un loc intr-adevar special care trebuie sa fie neaparat pe lista de calatorii a oricui.

 

 

WHAT TO VISIT and USEFUL TIPS

• the Acropolis (Parthenon and Erechtheion – the north and south slopes)
• the Ancient Agora
• the Temple of Zeus
• Hadrian’s Library
• Plaka and Gazi areas

 

One regular ticket for the Acropolis costs 20€ (reduced by 50% during winter – from the 1st of November until the 31st of March). A reduced one is 10€ (children under 18, students, teachers accompanying school groups, accompanying disabled persons or persons over 65), and it is free of charge for EU students.

The other entrance tickets vary  between 4€ (2€ reduced) and 10€ (5€ reduced), but you can also buy a ticket package (which includes the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, the Archaeological site of Lykeion) which costs 30€ (15€ reduced – see above the eligible categories), and which is – again- free of charge for EU students.

Right now it is not possible to buy online any of the tickets above, but you can buy a ticket package at any of the sites listed above (included in the package) – where the queue is considerably shorter – and then, with the ticket you can anytime enter the Acropolis without waiting. If you want to visit the Acropolis firstly, make sure you go early in the morning. We woke up at 7 and got there by 8.30 (it opens at 8), and in 20 minutes we were inside. The other good thing about visiting it during the morning hours is that you can really enjoy it without having to bear the hot hours (during the month of August, a chilly morning is everything you’ll wish for).

 

RO: CE SA VIZITEZI si SFATURI UTILE

• Acropola (Parthenonul si Erechtheionul – panta nordica si sudica)
• Agora Antica
• Templul lui Zeus
• Biblioteca lui Adrian
• cartierele Plaka si Gazi

 

Un bilet intreg pentru Acropola costa 20 de euro (redus cu 50% pe timpul iernii – din 1 noirmbrie pana in 31 martie). Un bilet redus costa 10 euro ( copii sub 18 ani, studenti, profesori care insotesc grupuri scolare, insotitorii persoanelor cu dizabilitati si persoane peste 65 de ani), si este gratuit pentru studenti din UE.

Pretul biletelor la celelalte obiective variaza intre 4 euro (2 euro cu reducere) si 10 euro (5 euro cu reducere), dar puteti sa cumparati si un pachet de bilete (care include Acropola, Biblioteca lui Adrian, Agora Antica, Agora Romana, situl arheologic Lykeion), care costa 30 de euro (15 euro cu reducere – mai sus sunt categoriile eligibile), si care este – la fel – gratuit pentru studenti in UE.

In momentul de fata nu este posibil sa cumparati online niciunul dintre biletele mai sus mentionate, dar puteti cumpara un pachet de bilete de la oricare din obilectivele mentionalte mai sus (incluse in pachet) – unde coada este mult mai nica – si apoi puteti vizita oricand Acropola fara a mai sta la coada. Daca doriti prima data sa vizitati Acropola, asigurati-va ca mergeti dimineata devreme. Noi ne-am trezit la 7 si am ajuns acolo pe la 8.20 (ora deschiderii este la 8), iar in 20 de minute am intrat. Celalalt avantaj al faptului ca vizitati Acropola dimineata este ca veti putea sa va bucurati de monumente dara a trebui sa suportati caldura din timpul zilei (in luna August, o dimineata racoroasa este tot ce iti poti dori mai mult).

 

 

WHERE TO EAT

• delicious gyros at Bairaktaris Taverna in the Monastiraki Square or at the Kandavlos Restaurant in the Gazi area
• great seafood at a reasonable price at the Atlantikos restaurant
• super tasty ice cream at DaVinci
• the best baklava in Athens at Karakoy Gulluoglu

 

RO: UNDE SA MANANACI

• gyros delicios la Bairaktaris Taverna in Monastiraki or la restaurantul Kandavlos in zona Gazi
• fructe de mare la restaurantul Atlantikos
• inghetata foarte buna la DaVinci
• cea mai buna baklava din Atena la Karakoy Gulluoglu

 

 

WHERE TO GO DURING THE EVENING

• go up the Likavitou mountain (the most beautiful sunset over the whole city, the Acropolis and the seaside)
• go up to the monument of Philopappos (great view over the city and sea)
• have a drink at the 360 degrees bar (for an amazing sunset view over the Acropolis)

 

RO: CE SA FACI SEARA

• urca pe muntele Likavitou (cel mai frumos apus peste intreg orasul, Acropola si mare)
• urca pana la monumentul lui Philopappos (vedere foarte frumoasa asupra orasului si a marii)
• savureaza o bautura la barul 360 degrees (for an amazing sunset view over the Acropolis)

 

 

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

• comfy shoes – make sure they don’t slip, as a lot of surfaces in Athens (especially at the Acropolis) are super slippery
• light and thin clothes – especially during the summer
• photo camera or any gadget that takes photos – you’ll want to photograph everything!

 

RO: CE SA IEI CU TINE

• papuci comozi – asigura-te ca nu aluneca; multe suprafete din Atena sunt alunecoase (mai ales la Acropola)
• haine subtiri si deschise la culoare – mai ales pe timpul verii
• camera foto sau orice gadget care face poze – o sa vrei sa fotografiezi orice moment!

 

 

SOME OTHER STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

• the official currency is EURO, and you can pay with the card at almost every shop
• it’s super safe in almost any area (at least the touristic ones and the city center, where we’ve been)
• the metro is very easy to use and cheap as well (9€ for a 5-day pass)
• you can park your car in various areas in the city, for free, but there are also paid car parkings (2€-12€ for 1 day)

 

RO: ALTE LUCRURI BINE DE STIUT

• moneda oficiala este Euro, si puteti plati cu cardul aproape peste tot
• aproape orice zona este foarte sigura (cel putin cele turistice si centrul orasului, unde am fost noi)
• metro-ul este foarte simplu de utilizat si foarte ieftin (9€ pentru un bilet valabil 5 zile)
• puteti parca masina gratuit in multe zone ale orasului, dar sunt si parcari pazite, contra cost (2€-12€ pe zi)