Live like a local in Athens

Rebecca Camhi – Owner, Rebecca Camhi Gallery

Most visitors come to Athens to see the Parthenon, climb the Acropolis, and visit the National Archaeological Museum — a personal favourite of mine. These sights are all well worth seeing, especially the Museum. You can see the Parthenon from just about everywhere in Athens — even from rooftop restaurants, which might actually be the best way to enjoy it. If you visit Athens in the off-season, it’s worth ascending the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis and enjoy it up close.

Athens is a home to people and artists who live and create in the present. And although globalisation has blurred the edges of contemporary culture, the city still produces work that holds on to something real — and genuinely Greek. There are various points of interest in the Metaxourgeio neighbourhood, such as a Buddhist centre (Agisilaou street Zen centre), which is open for meditation or yoga after a long day walking and taking in the sights. How is there any connection between Buddhism and Greece, you might ask – and you’d be right to wonder, but remember that in the modern day many people, Greeks and others, look to a plethora of cultures to broaden their experiences. For me, getting acquainted with the work of contemporary artists is one such way to broaden my experience.

Athens also boasts a wave of new restaurants putting a creative spin on Greek cuisine. One of my favourite walks to recommend to our gallery’s visitors is a stroll toward the Pnyx, passing by the Synagogue and the nearby Holocaust memorial created by Deanna Maganias. Of course, contemporary Greek culture is rather more theatre-focused, so understanding the Greek language is quite essential in order to participate. However, shows staged by major foundations, such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation or the Athens – Epidaurus Festival, often include English surtitles. Another place worth visiting is the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), which houses numerous group and solo exhibitions by Greeks and foreigners. Afterwards, museum lovers can visit the nearby neighbourhood of Koukaki, with modern restaurants and cafés. The National Gallery, located near the former Hilton hotel, is also worth a visit. Let me close with one urgent piece of advice: You can’t see it all. Besides, you don’t have to tick off every single sight. Take a relaxed walk, look around, pause to enjoy a beer on a park bench — maybe pick it up from a kiosk. Stop for a bite at one of the fantastic restaurants which opened their doors across the city, serving food that keeps getting better at every stop — and let yourself enjoy it all.