Athens · GR

Plaka walking loops — Athens beneath the Acropolis

Athens' oldest neighborhood climbs the north slope of the Acropolis in a cascade of bougainvillea, stray cats, and taverna tables set on stepped streets. The rooftop restaurants aim their chairs at the Parthenon, which is lit gold at night and visible from angles that never stop being startling. Souvenir shops compete with genuine antiquities — a Roman column base serving as a cafe barrier, a Byzantine church wedged between apartment buildings. The streets smell of grilled lamb and jasmine, depending on which corner you've turned.

3 routes from 1.3 to 3.5 km · 11–15 sights per loop

Pre-built routes

Top sights

1. Πάνθεον — Wikipedia 14
2. Μουσείο Φρυσίρα — Wikipedia 13
3. Μητροπολιτικός Ναός Αθηνών — Wikipedia 13
4. Πλατεία Συντάγματος — Wikipedia 13
5. Εθνικό Ιστορικό Μουσείο — Wikipedia 13
6. Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης — Wikipedia 12
7. Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης — Wikipedia 12
8. Αγία Ειρήνη — Wikipedia 9
9. Άγιος Γεώργιος Καρύτσης — Wikipedia 9
10. Παναγία Καπνικαρέα — Wikipedia 9

Nearby neighborhoods

• Monastiraki, Athens

More in Athens

• Anafiotika
• Kolonaki
• Monastiraki
• Psyrri

Related strolls across Europe

• Alfama, Lisbon
• Gamla Stan, Stockholm
• Kazimierz, Kraków
• Castle District, Budapest
• Casco Viejo, Bilbao

as featured on either.fm — strolls of europe