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GAY ATHENS
Discover this City with our Quick and Practical Guide to Visit the Best Attractions, Savor Typical Dishes and Have Fun in the Best Gay Bars. All this through the Rainbow Eyes of the World Mappers
What to See, Best Places to Sleep, Where to Eat and to Have Fun in ATHENS ?
Find it out with the World Mappers !
WHAT TO SEE in ATHENS?
10 THINGS TO SEE in ATHENS
Acropolis & Acropolis Museum
Situated on one of the hills of Athens more than 150 meters high, the Acropolis of Athens is the most important place in the city and one of the most beautiful places to see in Greece. Most of its buildings, such as the impressive Parthenon, were built around 500/400 BC. Besides the Parthenon there are other noteworthy buildings such as the entrance to the Propylaea, the Theater of Dionysus (see also below), the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. We advise you to go up to the Acropolis early in the morning and head directly to the summit to enjoy the Parthenon and the other temples with complete peace of mind and less crowds. In addition to the archaeological site, we recommend a visit to the modern Acropolis Museum, where archaeological finds from the Acropolis are kept, including the impressive Caryatids (those visible on the Acropolis are copies of the originals).
Ancient Agora
Once a meeting place for the city's inhabitants, with administrative buildings, markets, temples and theaters where social and political activity mixed with commercial activity. Today most of the buildings have been lost but you can take a pleasant walk seeing the remains of important places such as the Odeon of Agrippa, the Panathenaic Way, the Stoa of Attalos and the imposing Temple of Hephaestus, very similar to the Parthenon.
Roman Agora
Built by the emperor Augustus (between 19 BC and 11 BC), it became the center of power, meeting and business of the Roman Empire in Athens. It is located right next to the Ancient Agora and holds the remains of several important buildings such as the magnificent Tower of the Winds, the Gate of Athena Archegetis and Hadrian's Library.
Plaka District
This picturesque district at the foot of the Acropolis is the oldest in the city and is characterized by wonderful narrow white streets in perfect Greek style and ancient taverns where you can taste a good moussaka or other typical dishes. In recent years, this area has become very popular, many souvenir shops and panoramic restaurants with tourist menus have appeared.
Monastiraki District
West of the Acropolis, the bustling Monastiraki neighborhood is marked by Turkish influences, such as its souk-like markets, along with several Orthodox churches and mosques. The most important place in the neighborhood is Monastiraki Square, from which several shopping streets start. Other interesting places in the neighborhood are the Fethiye and Tsistaráki mosques, the Pantánassa Church and the Pazari Open Air Market. This is also the perfect area to try traditional Greek cuisine in one of the many local restaurants.
Psiri Quarter
The trendy district of the city, today known as the SoHo of Athens. With a troubled past, Psiri is developing into a favorite area for local people to go out for a drink, shop in its designer shops or stroll in peace away from the hustle and bustle of the more touristic neighbourhoods. Without a doubt it is our favorite neighborhood, also due to the abundance of Street Art and its young and multicultural atmosphere.
Theater of Dionysus
Built in the 6th century BC, it is the largest theater ever built in Ancient Greece and is dedicated to the god of wine and theatre. The representations, which initially paid homage to Dionysus, transformed over time to give way to the classic tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes.
Kolonaki District & Syntagma Square
Kolonaki is an area full of green spaces made unique by the excellent architecture of its neoclassical and art nouveau buildings, which give the neighborhood an elegant look. It stretches from Syntagma Square to the foot of Lycabettus Hill. In this neighborhood you cannot fail to see Syntagma Square, the heart of the city that still vibrates due to the great historical events that took place here. The name "Syntagma" can be rendered in Italian as piazza dello Statuto or piazza della Costituzione in reference to the majestic facade of the parliament at the base of which is the monument to the unknown soldier guarded by the "Evzones", guards with the characteristic Greek costume.
Panathenaic Stadium
This is where the ancient Greeks competed in athletic feats of strength and endurance. Restored for the 1896 Olympics, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of white marble.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
This marvelous temple, not very far from the Acropolis, still has 15 of the 104 imposing and very high Corinthian columns. The Roman emperor Hadrian completed the work and it is possible to see next to the temple the huge gate erected in his honor, 20 meters high. Without a doubt this is one of the most scenic and most exciting places to see in Athens.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
Visiting this city at its best depends essentially on how long you have to fully enjoy it. Here is a solution based on the number of days available to you:
Day 1 - Classic Athens - Google Maps
Day 2 - Modern & Panoramic Athens - Google Maps
(By opening the Maps with Google, you can easily follow our path)
5 BEST EXCURSIONS from ATHENS
We advise you to book the best excursions here: Viator - Musement - Get Your Guide
Delphi
Meteora
Capo Sunio & Tempio di Poseidone
Hydra, Poros & Egina
Epidaurus, Nafplio & Mycenae
Click'n'Go - Click on Hotels, Restaurants, Bars & Clubs
to find them on the Map or visit their Website
WHERE TO SLEEP in ATHENS?
10 BEST GAY FRIENDLY HOTELS in ATHENS
Electra Palace Athens ***** ® Tested by World Mappers
The Stanley **** ® Tested by World Mappers
WHERE TO EAT in ATHENS?
10 BEST RESTAURANTS in ATHENS Quality / Price
€€€ - Varoulko Seaside (Typical Greek & Michelin-Starred Restaurant)
€€€ - Orizontes Lycabettus ® Tested by World Mappers
€€ - Strofi Athenian Restaurant (with Acropoli's View)
€€ - Tavern Klimataria (Typical Greek) ® Tested by World Mappers
€€ - Ta Karamanlidika Tou Fani (Typical Greek) ® Tested by World Mappers
€€ - Anapsiktirio (Typical Greek)
€€ - Athinaikon Restaurant (Typical Greek) ® Tested by World Mappers
€€ - Hytra Restaurant & Bar (Typical Greek)
€ - Kitsoulas Taverna (Typical Greek) ® Tested by World Mappers
€ - To Koutouki Tou Thoma (Typical Greek)
GAY NIGHTLIFE in ATHENS
10 BEST GAY PLACES, BARS & CLUBS in ATHENS
BIG Bar (Gay Bar) ® Tested by World Mappers
Noiz Club (Gay Bar & Club) ® Tested by World Mappers
Sodade2 (Gay Bar)
S-Cape (Gay Club) ® Tested by World Mappers
TRAP (Gay Bar)
MOE Club Gazi (Gay Club)
BEqueer (Gay Bar & Club) ® Tested by World Mappers
Shamone (Drag & Gay Bar)
Rooster (Gay Bar)
TRAVEL TIPS about ATHENS by World Mappers
To get to know the true soul of a city, you absolutely must visit its markets. In Athens you cannot miss a visit to the Central Market (Varvakeios), between the streets of Mitropoleos and Athinas, one of the most interesting places in the city that will immerse you in the local reality. The market has a covered part, located in a 19th century neoclassical building, where you can find the meat and fish stalls. Outside and in the adjacent streets you can find the fruit and vegetable market with stalls selling olives, spices, sweets, nuts and many other local products. Varvakeios is a market where mostly locals go, totally authentic! If you get hungry you can eat inside the market in one of the small taverns that offer basic but very good food. Among the Best Markets in Athens there are also the Antiques Market in Avissinias Square (for over 100 years it has housed an antique flea market), the Kypseli Municipal Market (with high quality Greek products), the Monastiraki Flea Market (very touristy but definitely worth a visit, handmade products and sandals, clothes, souvenirs and second-hand items) and finally the Thissio Market (a myriad of products from local artists and artisans).
The Most BEAUTIFUL VIEWPOINTS of ATHENS
Enjoy the city from above from the best Athens Viewpoints that we recommend:
This is undoubtedly the best point to admire Athens from above. The top of the hill you can reach the top to climb on foot or by funicular. If you walk, you will have the advantage of being able to stop at several viewpoints before reaching the top. We advise you to ascend an hour before sunset, to enjoy a fantastic view of the Acropolis and the city as night falls, a moment that will remain forever in your memory.
Located south of the city, it is one of the best points from which to view the landscape. The ascent may seem quite difficult when viewed from below, but in reality it is very peaceful and full of vegetation and shade to take a break.
This small hill is located in the "alternative" district of Exarcheia and is one of those secret spots from which to observe the city of Athens from above.
The Most BEAUTIFUL STREET ART WORKS in ATHENS
Athens has given us wonderful days and has remained in our hearts for the extraordinary, and for us unexpected, abundance of Street Art works scattered here and there throughout the city. From artistic protest posters to real works of art, there's something for everyone. We provide you with a brief introduction to the top 5 Street Art Neighborhoods where you can find some works that we liked a lot:
Street Art in Psiri - Well, definitely the cool creative quarter, perhaps our favourite. You'll find street art everywhere, with strong political messages, as well as design studios and local artisan workshops. In Via Pittaki you can observe a particular lighting made entirely with old vintage lamps.
Street Art in Anafiotika - A very particular district of the capital, characterized by narrow streets and white houses, almost as if you were on a Greek island rather than on the mainland. You will find most of the Street Art works between Prytaniou and Stratonos.
Street Art in Exarchia - In this neighborhood leftist intellectuals, political supporters, social centers and revolutionaries give voice to their soul through artistic posters, with murals and writings practically everywhere as if it were an open-air art gallery. Enjoy the alternative atmosphere of streets decorated with political murals, anarchist bookstores and vintage shops where you can find rare vinyls.
Street Art in Metaxourgeio - An abandoned industrial district, now redeveloped and become a place of street art that attracts many artists from all over Greece ready to leave their mark.
Street Art in Gazi - Famous for its nightlife, this area is centered on the former gas plant, now transformed into a cultural centre.
"SECRET ATHENS"
Unusual and Particular Places to See in Athens
Outside the classic places to visit of the city, there is a "Secret Athens" that has simply bewitched us. Here are the 8 Things and Places to See in Secret Athens:
Little Kook - Are you a fan of Disney and Cartoons? Then this is the place for you. A whimsical venue in Psiri characterized by its fairytale-themed interior. Pittaki Street in trendy central Psiri was once a dark forgotten alleyway, but today, thanks to the opening of a themed cafe and the ingenuity of the residents, it's an almost magical street that leads straight to Little Kook , one of the secret pearls of Athens.
Anafiotika - A picturesque area with small single-storey houses, painted white and blue, grouped between narrow and steep streets on the hill of the Acropolis. The origin comes from the masons, coming from the Cycladic island of Anafi who, once they arrived in Athens, began to miss their land and decided to build a small village in memory of theirs. You will seem to find yourself on a Greek island in the middle of the sea.
Kerameikos - In the north-eastern area of Athens, it owes its name to the area where the potters' shops once stood. When the construction of the walls of the Agora was completed, the Ceramico district was divided into two parts. The outermost part of the wall became the most important and largest cemetery in Athens, as the inhabitants used to bury their dead only outside the city. In the Kerameikos district there is therefore today the largest necropolis in all of Greece. In 1937, the noteworthy Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos was opened.
Eugenides Foundation - In the north-eastern area of Athens, it owes its name to the area where the potters' shops once stood. When the construction of the walls of the Agora was completed, the Ceramico district was divided into two parts. The outermost part of the wall became the most important and largest cemetery in Athens, as the inhabitants used to bury their dead only outside the city. In the Kerameikos district there is therefore today the largest necropolis in all of Greece. In 1937, the noteworthy Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos was opened.
Diomedes Botanical Garden - If you want to escape the city center and enjoy some quiet, less than half an hour from the center of Athens you will find the Diomedes Botanical Garden. Historic plants, groves with fruit trees from all over the world and artificial lakes full of fish and turtles: a truly idyllic place.
Queen's Tower - Northwest of Athens in the Ilion district is a neo-Gothic tower built for Queen Amalia, the first queen of the new Greek state founded in the 19th century. The estate, in addition to the tower with splendid interiors, includes gardens, stables, fields and a wine cellar. It is definitely one of the lesser known places in Athens.
Hadrian's Reservoir - A nearly 2,000-year-old reservoir that fell into disuse during the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. Today, an open-air cinema sits atop this ancient engineering marvel (they're huge in Athens).
Poulopoulos Hat Factory - The building built by Elias Poulopoulos towards the end of the 19th century for the production of hats. Having become one of the symbols of European industrial architecture, today it houses a small cultural center covered in graffiti, the Melina Mercury Cultural Center, in homage to the Greek actress, singer, politician and supporter of culture.
GAY FRIENDLY TOURS
Do you want to discover the city more deeply through Athens' Best Gay Tours? We recommend the following local operators:
Gaily Tour - Tour Operator offering tours and excursions dedicated to the LGBT + community throughout Europe. Special Tours and Gay & Lesbian Friendly Guides ready to make you discover the beauties of this destination. Info & Booking: info@GailyTour.com
Athens • Historic Tour
Meet our LGBT Friendly Tour and be ready to enter one of the most important archeological site in the world: Athens' Acropolis ! Enter the Acropolis from the south slope to avoid the crowds and also to visit the Dionysus sanctuary and Dionysus Theatre built in the 5th century BC. On your way to the Acropolis, enjoy the marvellous view that unfolds before your eyes. Explore the mighty Acropolis on foot to see the glorious Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, the Nike Temple, the Agrippa Monument and other highlights. Learn more about its history, observe the statues from archaic period, Caryatids, and of course the Parthenon hall. Afterwards continue to the Agora, among the ruins of public buildings where we will see the temple of Hephaestus, the best preserved temple of the ancient times. The tour ends with a short walk to the ruins of the Roman Agora, in the heart of Monastiraki flea market area. Included: * Gay or Lesbian Friendly Tour Guide for City Tour (3 hours) * Skip-The-Line Entrance Fee – Parthenon & Acropolis, Agora, Theatre of Dionysus
Athens • Gay Tour & Gazi's Secrets
Enjoy this special LGBT version of Athens starting our tour from Gazi, formerly an industrial area where now art and technology meet in the city's cultural hub known as Technopolis, a museum and exhibition space housed in Athens' old gasworks. This is also the center of gay life in the city, with inviting bars and exciting clubs. On the weekends the gay venues become completely packed in this area, the streets become filled with gorgeous people moving from venue to venue. Afterwards learn more about Athens homosexual history. Once upon a time, Greece was the center of all things homosexual. In the ancient tails of Zeus it was said that he had taken a boy, Ganymede, as a lover. In ancient Grecian times it was not uncommon for wealthy and affluent unmarried men to take male lovers. Observe the Kerameikos ancient cemetery, which includes part of the Themistoclean Wall and the Sacred Gate, which was the most important cemetery of ancient Athens and owes its name to the neighborhood of potters who inhabited the area. Afterwards continue to the neighborhood of Psyrri, an arty and bohemian place. Old fashioned artisans workshops, hidden alleys, counter culture and alternative spaces, street art, popular bars and traditional restaurants, coexist in harmony, creating a fascinating atmosphere full of surprises. The young crowd love it and keep the nightlife busy. Included: * Gay or Lesbian Friendly Tour Guide for City Tour (3 hours) * Entrance Fee – Kerameikos * Visit the Industrial Gas Museum
Athens by Night • Gay Tour
Enjoy an enlightened Athens and an amazing walking tour through Athens' gay & lesbian bars and clubs to live on your skin the magic atmosphere and LGBT scene of the city. Enjoy your included drink (also alcohol free drink available) and own the night ! Included: * Gay or Lesbian Friendly Tour Guide for Night Tour (2 hours) * Drink in Gay Bar (1 Drink)
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