Athens

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes

Marcel Proust

Athens is often overlooked as a city break destination and I don’t really understand why. Maybe it’s because the flight from the UK is just that bit longer than to many other European cities, normally around 4 hours. But please don’t let that put you off as it’s a wonderful place to hang out for a few days. My sister and I took a super-short break, arriving at 1am on a Friday and leaving at midday on the Sunday. However we managed to pack so much in in that time. Thanks to the great weather and fantastic al fresco drinking and dining, it really felt like a proper holiday too.

Where to stay in Athens

We stayed at the Hilton Athens. It’s not right in the centre of town but close enough that you can walk to all the main attractions – we didn’t use public transport once. Of course, being in a capital city you have so many options and it’s great to support smaller independent businesses if you can. For us, we really enjoyed having a hotel with a pool and spending some time sunbathing and drinking cocktails – being British we had to make the most of the sunshine!

Historical sites in Athens

Neither of us had been to Athens before so naturally we visited all the famous ancient Greek sites. The Acropolis was one of those ‘tick off the list’ places but it wasn’t the highlight of our trip. Even though we were there in low season it was still crammed with people, making it difficult to get a sense of what a special place it is.

Much more interesting and fun was the Panathenaic Stadium. This place is older than my brain can even fathom – the original stadium was built around 330 BC but was used as a site for race horsing long before that. It was then rebuilt entirely in marble (still the only stadium of its kind in the world) by 144 AD and was host to the first ever Modern Olympics. It’s open-fronted so it’s possible to go and see it without paying to go in, which most people do. However I’d really recommend getting a ticket, as you get a much better sense of its vast size once you’re inside climbing the terraces. Plus you can challenge your travel companions to a race on the track! We went first thing in the morning and had the whole place to ourselves for a while; it was incredible.

If you’re a fan of museums, the National Archaelogical Museum is worth a visit, and doesn’t take too long to get around so works well for a short city break.

Food and Drink in Athens

The food here is amazing. Even in the typical touristy squares you’re going to get good quality food; it’s just the way they do things here. Don’t be afraid to embrace your tourist status and order the typical Greek dishes – a nice Greek yoghurt and honey for breakfast, maybe some sizzling grilled meat for lunch with a refreshing tzatziki and a comforting moussaka style dish for your evening meal. If you’re after trendy bars and restaurants then head for Patriarchou Ioakim street to the East of city centre, and the surrounding streets. There’s a real buzz and you’ll be able to mingle with locals enjoying their weekend evenings too.

Overall, in the short space of 48 hours Athens gave us everything we could have wanted from a holiday – history and culture, amazing food and plenty of relaxation in the sunshine. This was my first taste of Greece and it’s definitely left me hungry for more!

Favourite memory of Athens: Al Fresco dining for every meal, usually with spectacular views of the city’s famous sites

Best food in Athens: Souvlaki wins it, hands down