Delicious food, centuries of history and insider tips: our reporter Sarah Hucal tells you how to see the best of Athens, in just one day.
In this video you will find tips for how to visit the main sites in the Greek capital like the Acropolis and Roman Agora. Taking you off the beaten tourist track, Sarah explores Greece's rich musical traditions and shows us an authentic side of Athens that most tourists don't see.
Did you miss something in our video? Let us know in the comments!
00:00 Intro
00:36 Filopappou Hill, Acropolis views
01:13 Monastiraki Square
01:44 Historic neighbourhood of Plaka
02:22 Hadrian's Library and the Roman Agora
02:42 How to save money and visit the Archaeological sites
03:02 Finding local souvenirs at the Kypseli farmers' market
04:35 Street band Sourloulou
05:37 The Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis
07:09 Greek Rebetiko music and dining at Skordópistē restaurant
CREDITS:
Report: Sarah Hucal
Camera and editing: Marco Borowski
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Over 3,000 years of history, friendly faces, and lots of music. I'm here in Athens, Greece. The Greek capital is like a second home to me. And I'm going to show you
what you can do here in just one day. We're going to check out a mix
of the classic sites and some you probably have never heard about before. So as the Greeks say "Pame" – let's go! Before we dive into the
hustle and bustle of the city, I want to show you one of my favourite spots – Filopappou hill, a giant and
pretty rugged par
k right in the center. I don't think I wore the right shoes for this terrain. Walking around the park
you'll also find more amazing views of the Acropolis from different angles. And from this side, you can
even see the Aegean Sea! I'm dreaming of summer already,
I don't know about you. So let's get to know Athens –
one of the oldest cities in the world! So now we head down to
Monastiraki Square, the heart of Athens. And in this place you can see
layers of the city's history in just one spot
. First we have the church
of the Virgin Mary Pantanassa from the Byzantine era right there. And over here we have the
Tzistarakis Mosque from the Ottoman era. And this neoclassical building
right here houses the metro station, which is a very good way to get around the city. But I prefer to take a walk now! In the historic neighbourhood of Plaka
which is known for its colourful buildings and perfect location at the foot of the Acropolis. One of the advantages
of being here in the off-seaso
n, which is roughly November to March, is that you won't have
all the high-season crowds. So you can enjoy this neighbourhood
without a lot of tourists around. That means you'll be able to find a seat at
one of the many cute cafés and restaurants. And maybe even make a new friend. Or not! Greeks are usually so welcoming,
I don't know what's happening here. Nearby you'll find several of the
city's main archaeological sites. I never get tired of looking at them. I have like 500 photos of the
same thing. That's Hadrian's library, built in 132 AD. And the Roman Agora from the 1st century BC. If you plan to enter several archaeological
sites, including the Acropolis, I recommend you buy the multi pass ticket. That's 30 euros and it gets
you into 7 archaeologocal sites over a period of 5 days,
so it's really worth it. If you buy the pass down in Plaka
you can skip the sometimes long line up here at the Acropolis. While you explore the city you might be
wondering what souvenirs to ta
ke home. I have to admit I find these crowns very fun! I mean who doesn't want
to feel like a Greek goddess? But I'm gonna show you where we
can find some authentic Greek souvenirs! And have a real Athenian experience. In the vibrant neighbourhood of Kypseli, I meet up with my friend,
Athens expert Zacharoula. She takes me to her local farmers market. Every neighbourhood in Athens
has at least one a week. And many of the products
are fresh and locally grown. I promised our viewers
some aut
hentic Greek souvenirs. What do you suggest? Olives, of course, easy to travel with. If you want to spice things up, you can have
all this collection of spices, like oregano, thyme, rosemary. Fystiki Aeginis. Pistachios! Where are they from? They're from Aegina. From Aegina! Aegina is an island
really close to Athens by the way! And "Stafida" as well is very local. It's dried... Raisins! That's really good. And these are Stafida Corinthou [raisins from Corinth]. Want to try? Have some! I hear
somebody – or some
group of people! You too? Yes! Let's check it out. Ok, so this is Sourloulou. They play all over the streets of Athens.
Traditional music from all over Greece. That was really funny! That was
amazing with the balconies. People were dropping money from the balcony. They throw it like that, as you
see, not to hit some heads. I can never get enough of Greek music. But now one of my ultimate Athens
recommendations: The Acropolis Museum. If you plan to visit one museum
while y
ou're in Athens, this is it. Inside you'll find over 3,000 items taken
from the ancient site of the acropolis. The Parthenon is just one of many
temples that stood on the ancient citadel. The museum displays finds from the entire site. From ancient pottery to the majestic
Caryatids of the Erechtheion temple. And did you know that ancient
statues were once brightly colored? On some, you can still see traces of the original hues. And if you still want to see more,
you can go under the museum
to check out an ancient
Athenian neighbourhood. The entire museum was built right on top of it! And by the way, I don't recommend
wearing a skirt or a dress when you visit the museum, because... The Acropolis!
You can still glimpse some parts of the archeological site without buying a ticket. Like the Odeon of Herodes Atticus,
an ancient theatre at the southwest slope. But the Acropolis is main touristic site for a reason. So definitely pay it a visit. My tip is to get there as early as possi
ble after it opens so you can be one of the few people there. It's not only about ancient stuff here. Athens is a cosmopolitan
city with tons of cool bars, restaurants and generally
whatever kind of nightlife you're into. I'm into music. So tonight I'm going to take
you to hear some of my favorite musicians. First things first, we order tsipouro, a popular
distilled spirit, the greek version of grappa. That's strong. And a public service announcement: Tsipouro – be careful! It's not to be dr
unk on an empty stomach. We order a few plates to share. Like saganaki fried cheese, zucchini balls, fava and one of my favourites,
Dakos, cretan rusk salad. So this is something very greek– coming,
getting these shared plates, mezedes, being with your friends, drinking,
and of course listening to music. We're lucky to catch the Skoutas-Mitarakis
duo at Skordópistē restaurant. So tonight we have bouzouki and guitar, two instruments that are
classic Rebetiko instruments. And that's a genre t
hat was born
in the ports of Greece in the early 20th century. And still today it's very popular with young and old. I hoped you enjoyed this day
in Athens as much as I did – jámas!
Comments
I appreciate the fact that this video was obviously made by someone who is genuinely in love with Greece and greek culture. It's refreshing to see such presentations free of the usual cliche and stereotypes. Well done Sarah!
Looks amazing. On my bucket list for sure.
Congratulations!! This video Is so amazing and shows to your viewers so many things to do in Athens. As a Greek so pleased to watching it. Thank you Sarah!!
That's a bit more than any typical tourist video will show you.. Very cool!
Will definitely keep these in mind for my trip to Greece this summer!
Thanks for that Sarah! Brilliant video showing the real facets of the city and the balance between antiquity and modern culture
I felt like I was able to visit Athens for a few minutes today via this video, thank you!
It's really amazing!!!!🎉🎉🎉
This was a wonderful video presentation of Athens. I felt like I was there again. It was professionally Narrated, Videoed, and Edited. Good Job. You should be proud of yourselves. I am ready to go back to Athens. I had a great time there last year. 🐸🐸🐸🐸
Well researched and immersed!
So interesting and funny! It’s a good idea for the next holiday. I’m looking forward to experiencing that vibrant atmosphere
We might have to shift our plans and make a trip to visit Athens right away! I can’t believe how much there is to do in this historic city, can’t wait to experience it, such a great video!
Maybe next year!
Earlier we thought Athens was all about ancient monuments and buildings, but in this video you have shown a completely cool side of the city. We would love to see similar videos of santorini and mykonoos
I want to go back to Athens now😂
If you only have a day, simply don't go! Athens is a world to know!
Sweet baby Looks beautiful
In Athens, you can experience our delightful turkish cuIture.
pass