Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Greek National Opera
Olympia Theatre, Akadhimías
59
T
210 361 2461,
W
nationalopera.gr; Metro
Panepistimíou; map p.66.
Opera primarily, but also ballet
and classical concerts. Season from October to July.
Mégaro
Mousikís
Leofóros Vassilísis Sofías and
Kókkali, next to the US embassy
T
210 728 2333,
W
megaron.gr; Metro Mégaro Mousikís; map p.60.
Athens' premier concert hall hosts a variety of events year-
round, though the most prestigious classical performances
are during the winter.
festival seasons. To attend simply for the film is to miss
much of the point. You may in any case never hear the
soundtrack above the din of locals cracking
passatémpo
(pumpkin seeds), drinking and chatting (sit near a speaker
if you want to hear). Snack-bars serve sandwiches,
popcorn, pizza, beer and wine.
Cine Paris
Kydhathinéon 22, Pláka
T
210 322 2071
.
Outdoor screen with a rooftop setting and side view of the
Acropolis, right in the heart of town.
Thission
Apostólou Pávlou 7, Thissío
T
210 342 0864.
Old-fashioned outdoor summer theatre with an Acropolis
view.
Village Entertainment Park
Thívon 228, halfway
between the centre and Pireás
T
210 427 8600; bus
#B18 from Omónia
. Twenty-screen multiplex in a huge
shopping centre is Athens' largest; the same group has
smaller multi-screens in Pángrati, Fáliro and Maroúsi.
Zefyros
, Tróön 36, Áno Petrálona
T
210 346 2677.
Newly done up, trendy Zefyros shows art-house and
foreign-language movies as well as mainstream classics. A
particular favourite of Athenian thirty-somethings.
1
FILM
Athens is a great place to catch a movie. In summer dozens
of outdoor screens spring up in every neighbourhood for a
quintessentially Greek film-going experience. There are
also plenty of regular indoor cinemas, including a number
in the centre, though a significant proportion of these, with
no air conditioning, close from mid-May to October. Films
are almost always shown in the original language with
Greek subtitles. Outdoor screens tend to concentrate on
art-house and alternative offerings, classics and themed
SHOPPING
Shopping in Athens is decidedly schizophrenic. On the one hand, the
bazaar area
is an extraordinary jumble of little
specialist shops and stalls, while almost every neighbourhood still hosts a weekly
street
market
. On the other hand, the
upmarket shopping areas of the city centre, and the
malls
and fashion emporia of the ritzier suburbs, are as glossy and
expensive as any in Europe. Somewhere between the extremes, in the city centre you'll find endless
stoas
, covered arcades
of the main streets full of little shops. Some have been expensively refurbished and house cafés and designer-label stores;
most, though, are a little dilapidated, and many still specialize in a single product - books here, computer equipment
there, spectacles in another.
reasonable prices and with little of the hard sell often
encountered in the nearby flea market. Even better is a
selection of old Greek film posters, postcards and the like.
Daily 9am-6pm.
Theotokis
Normánou 7, Monastiráki; map p.66.
One of
a number of quirky antique/junk shops in this narrow
street in the Flea Market. Prints, posters, postcards, old
radios, typewriters, military uniforms: if you are looking for
something specific it's amazing what they can find among
their stock.
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm.
To Komboloi tou Psyrri
Ayíon Anaryíron 13, Psyrrí;
map p.66.
A lovely little shop selling worry beads
(
komboloi
) in every conceivable shape and size, plus hand-
made jewellery and crafts.
Daily 10am-10pm
.
HANDICRAFTS, ANTIQUES AND GIFTS
Greek handicrafts are not particularly cheap but the
standard of workmanship is usually very high. In addition
to the stores listed below, several museums have excellent
shops, including the National Archeological Museum,
Benáki Museum and Cycladic Art Museum, which sell
original designs as well as reproduction artworks.
Amorgos
Kódhrou 3, Pláka; map p.66.
A small, old-
fashioned shop filled with an eclectic collection of tasteful
woodcarvings, needlework, lamps, lace, shadow puppets
and
other
handicrafts.
Mon-Fri
10am-3pm
&
5.30-8pm.
Elliniko Spiti
Kekropós 14, just off Adhrianoú, Pláka;
map p.66.
Amazing artworks and pieces of furniture
created from found materials, especially driftwood but also
metal and marble. Probably too big to take home (for your
wallet as well as your suitcase), but well worth a look.
Mon-Fri 10am-2pm & 4-8pm.
Kendro Ellinikis Paradosis
entrances at Mitropóleos
59 and Pandhróssou 36, Monastiráki.
As the name,
“Centre of Hellenic Tradition”, suggests, this pleasant
upstairs emporium has a wide selection of traditional arts
and crafts, especially ceramics and woodcarving, all at
FASHION AND JEWELLERY
Greeks love to shop, for clothes above all. On the whole
it's familiar international labels you'll find here, in the
main shopping area of Ermoú below Sýndagma, and in
the dozens of malls in the suburbs. For high fashion,
however, there's only one place to be, and that's Kolonáki,
where wandering the narrow streets around the Platía
will reward you with dozens of small boutiques. For
