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New Acropolis Museum opens to the public on June 22! Don't miss it!

The Benaki Museum is an often overlooked museum in a neat old mansion in downtown Athens, and it has a ton of cool art and artifacts. Worth a trip, definitely. Also wander around the national gardens, which are beautiful in the spring.

Northwest of Monastiraki square is tons of interesting old shops and yummy gyros shops. Also, check out Naxos (between Mykonos & Santorini). Tons of little shops, museums, back alleys to get lost in. I stayed there for a week and had a brilliant time: http://www.poweredbytofu.com/2009/06/06/10-reasons-to-visit-greece-opa/

Best way to see Santorini is on ATV. It sounds touristy, and it is, but you might not want to rent a scooter for some of those cliffs, or if it gets especially windy. You can cover most of the island on ATV--ride from one wine tasting to another to the black beach, red beach, ruins, and sunsets.

We stayed on Santonrini for 10 days over the Easter holidays a while back... the least-touristy place to stay is Oia. There is a great Slow Food Movement restaurant there ( http://www.oia-1800.com/ ), and a lovely bookstore with English books. You've probably already booked where you are staying, but we can't say enough wonderful things about Chelidonia Villas -- they are authentic historic cave homes.

I think our villa had the largest terrace of any place on the island! It was HUGE!! And the view....!!

(ours was even bigger than the one in this photo)

http://www.chelidonia.com/

A fascinating site on Santorini is Ancient Thira. The drive up -- and down -- is terrifying though. Don't know whether the Akrotiri archaeological site has reopened yet (a couple of tourists died, and they closed it down), but it really is amazing -- it does recall Pompeii somewhat.

A Caldera boat trip visit with a swim to the hot springs is also wonderful. http://www.travel-to-santorini.com/place.php?place_id=52

Oh -- and don't miss the fishing Port of Ammoudi, part of Oia. Gorgeous! (great fish, but expensive)

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Fishing-Harbour-of-Oia-Village-Port-of-Ammoudi-Oia-Santorini-Thira-Cyclades-Islands-Greece-Posters_i2669855_.htm

I just read a scathing review of the new acropolis museum in the Architectural Review, made me want to see why it's so bad...

@dn -- what were their points about it?

Personally, the exterior at least, strikes me as rather blocky and in sharp contrast, without even a nod, to its surroundings...

I agree about the Benaki museum, fabulous.
Also check all the cafés there, in Greece every café seems elegantly designed, even in really small cities, this surprised me back in 2003.

Go to Hania and Elafonissi beach in Crete!! It'll change your life forever.

Check out the June issue of Elle Decor for an Athens travel guide. Have fuN!

Best site to prepare to visit Athens is Matt Barrett's Athens Guide.

Decor in Athens is really hard, because in Athens proper, it remains the case that you find stores that specialize in one thing - like bathroom accessories, or knobs, or light bulbs. You have to reach out toward Kifissia, Maroussi and Halandri and find "epipla" centers.

In Athens proper: Monastiriki, and try to go there on a Sunday (start by going down Pandrosou, Mitropolous or Adrianou street instead of Ermou); Ermou street has a few options for decorative items also chain stores; Ifaistou street is old junkorama; there is also street in Monastiriki (towards Keramikos) that is devoted to religious items, that is sometimes a good hunting area (ask at your hotel - they sell new church vestments and also antiques including really good icons). Also, "Norman" street has about 3 map stores. Also, Plaka is mobbed with tourist shops but there are some that have been there since the 1950s and the stock is in the basement and they will pull it out. At the end of your turn through Monastiriki, go to Keramikos, and the museum.

The Greek National Tourist Office used to operate a store near the Monastiriki church (the little russian one in the square) that carried handicrafts. That was a gold mine for folk art. There was also one on Mitropolous, it may have moved. There is also a "National Social Care" store that also sold very good quality handicrafts; it was on Filelinon Street (the street that runs below syntagma square turns into Filelinon). They use to have the most incredible hand made table linens, also flokati and rugs.

Cool thing to see: Syntagma station has an excavation behind glass. What they found when they dug the subway. Goulandris museum had a display on this as well. I also like the War Museum a lot.

The best "safe" stores in Greece for a quality touch of Greece are the high end museum shops - Benaki, the Byzantine Museum, Goulandris. The only "off the beaten path" museum I know of is the Jewish Museum which is rather depressing. If you can go to Lesbos, however, visit the Teriade Library and the Theophilis museum. If you go to Sounion, take an extra drive to Lavrio - they have a sweet little museum there as well.

Design wise, modern-ish, Kifissia center has decorating shops and art galleries. Also, there is some of this in Kolonaki, but its more fashion; the streets with jewelry stores (I think Voukourestiou is one) have a lot of associated decorative items, but very high quality and very expensive and tending toward reproduction. There are about 3 or 4 malls in the suburbs but they have a lot of chain stores. The "Where" guide has the list of store names for the malls. Psirri used to have antique stores. There used to be a furniture district behind "Kat" hospital towards Kifissia.

I believe there is a rule in Greece about exporting antiquities, so make sure that you get the proper certificate (this is why its actually good to buy at the national craft stores, because I have seen many an "antique" seized at the airport (I don't know if they do this at Spata, though - its been 10 years for me). Also if you buy anything from a museum store, it comes with a tag that you should leave on until you leave Greece (all reproductions must be "licensed").

Also, for your trip to Santorini - Santorini used to be famous for incredible linen handicrafts. Some of it is now imported from Asia.

As for design, contact a few Greek bloggers. There are a lot of Greek interior designers - in general, they are very particular about "displaying". You might find some walking through the better areas, but I'd suggest you have your friend do a little recon.

Definitely use the Metro - it's really simple to understand (Very much like the El, being it's color coded), and most of the major stations are actually museums with artifacts they found while digging the subway. And that's free! But don't try skipping the fare, even though the Greeks barely ever check your stubs, it's a hefty price if they do.

If you like street art, you'll obviously see it everywhere, but a heavily hit area is on the Acropolis on/off of Polygnotou St. I've spotted some pretty famous pieces I've later seen in books there.

If you're looking for European fashion, the shops along Ermou St. have some of your global chains (H&M, Bebe, Zara, etc) but also have some independently own that are neat - plus it is a pretty pedestrian street that leads you from Syntagma to Monastiraki. Monastiraki is fun to walk through, but unless you plan on buying brooms or cheap tshirts, then there's not much to be bought. It's very touristy, so prepare for being elbowed. You're better off walking down all the side alleys - this is where I find better *thrifts* and quite a few of them sell Antiques.

If you walk further down Ermou, you'll hit Psirri neighborhood - there's a REALLY fantastic clothes/jewelry/accessories/housewares store on Ermou on the right hand side, I THINK it is called Shop. I can't remember for the life of me! But I maxed my card there, it was lovely. It's on Ermou at the cross street of Arionos, right side, I believe. Just look for the giant modern window displays.

If you head off of Ermou just one block back, at Karaiskaki St, you'll end up the center of Psirri - Iroon Square, the square that has a little ancient mosque and dozens of cafes; Psirri is the IT neighborhood right now - it's a bit like what Wicker Park was say, oh, 10 - 15 years ago before High Fidelity sold its soul- only Greek Style. It may seem dead in the daytime, but by night it is jammed with people at the sidewalk bars. They have lots of hookah bars there, too. And down some of those side streets are little shops, more modern/youngish types - just be careful what side streets you're going down, as Psirri is still pretty sketchy. Generally, stick towards the streets leading back to the Acropolis, and not so much the NorthWest ones.

Guard your bags/purses no matter what. Everywhere. My mother is Greek and speaks it fluently and dresses as Greek as everyone else, but still manages to have a gypsy trick her as to steal her purse (a popular one is the tag team - one's holding a baby and knocks into you, and while you're checking the baby's alright, the other loots your items). Always have your head up.

North of the University Area and West of Omonia is a neighborhood is also an up and coming neighborhood (but again, a bit sketchy). But here is where you can find record stores and vintage shops, and I'm terribly sorry that I can't give you any info for that - I have yet to explore that area! Shocking to say, being I live for records and vintage everything... But if you traverse down any of the following streets, i'm sure you'll have luck finding something!: Emm. Benaki, Zoodochou Pigis, Harilaou Trikoupi, Mavromichali, and Ipokratous. (I think i read in a magazine while there that there even are several punk and hipster bars there, something that isn't all too common in Greece).

If you have time, Halandri and Kiffisia are suburbs northeast of downtown, only about 20 minutes on the Metro - their centers are FILLED with shops, of the fashion and houseware variety. And super cheap sandal shops, and better quality than the touristy ones you'll find in Plaka.

Oh, and the main highway/road that the 2004 Olympic Stadium is off of (forgot the name!) is also the Furniture/Housewares mecca (Pretty much across the street from the stadium). You'll find Knoll stores and Artemides stores, Roche Bubois, etc etc.

And while you're at it, The Mall (that's its name) is right off of the Stadium. And while it is a mall, yes, it is quite a breathtaking one, with beautiful views of the Stadium - the third floor is completely domed skylights - and Karim Rashid furniture throughout. Also, my favorite clothes store in the world is there - Koton. Similar to Zara in terms of styles and pricing, everything is 100% Turkish cotton. I've had some of their clothes for years now, and they still look brand new. Such good quality!

Lastly, all the books will tell you all the museums to go to, and if one tickles your fancy, then do it! But the two places I love love love are both in Plaka: Museum of Traditional Musical Instruments (address: 3 Diogenous), and the Figures and Koukles Puppet Theatre (30 Tripodon) to see Greek puppetry that is pretty much a dead art!

~Melina

PS: Get souvenirs from this place:
http://www.greeceisforlovers.com/index.html

Oh silly me, you've linked the Greece is for Lovers! :)

But since i forgot anyway - The Mall also has a Zara Home store! Kind of great, their tablewares were beautiful and rather cheap.
Enjoy!

Ms. C - I can't remember exactly, but mainly that it was banal and ill suited to the location. I couldn't find it online yet.

In my enthusiasism, I forgot the add the following:

The old Heinrich Schliemann mansion is very cool - its being converted into a stamp museum, but I think the gardens are open and possibly part of the house.

Wander up Panepistimiou Street and look at the neoclassical buildings.

The National Garden is a lovely place to have a beer after you have done the museums on Vassilias Sofias (but you must walk pretty far in from that entrance). Used to be an active nightlife there but not so much, now, I think.

Have a drink at sunset on Lycavittos. Yes, you will pay. The view is unmatched.

Attend something at Herodus Atticou and know that you are sitting on marble that has been there pretty much forever.

Take the tram to Glyfada (pack your swimsuit).

The properly barbecued corn on the cob is an unforgettable taste. Get this near the university areas. (Pretty much all street food in the tourist areas sucks).

My favorite souvlaki place in Plaka used to be Thanasis but I think it has changed hands. There is a place that has a walk up window - that one is exceptional. Your guide book will probably tell you, or your friend, that if you sit down at a cafe in these places, prices double.

Clubbing: Athens has many clubbing districts but Gazi is the former industrial mecca turned club area; Exarchia is the leftover hippy/insurgency of the 1970s (expect lots of rock here ); Psirri has a mix of all genres and a lot of greek influenced music and a lot of jazz; Gylfada, Voula, Voulagmeni have clubs with modern greek pop. Greek music places open at around 10 pm.

Check out Technopolis in Gazi.

@msc -

I think the story is a combination of bad taste in general and compromises in particular.

The New Acropolis museum was to be designed to be capable of holding the Elgin Marbles in pretty much the same way they are displayed in the British Museum. On top of that, it was constructed in a place where a person would theoretically view the Acropolis in the background. The site, like all sites in downtown Athens, was on top of ruins. The building itself is built over and incorporates ruins (allegedly found in situ, but some say a more interesting "ruin" was moved to suit the building). It is modern and some say cold, and while it seems out of context with the neighborhood's 19th century constructions, in the 60s and 70s, sections of this area were torn down and 50s concrete housing was put in its place, so context is questionable in the whole area. Some of these modern buildings have been removed, some have fallen down, some are there. The museum building is even more controversial because there are two 19th century historically significant buildings slightly in the site line of the Acropolis view that are going to be demolished to improve the view.

There is another line of people who think it is exactly in the context of Greece's other modern museums which tend to be boxy and non-descript. I understand that the interiors are incredible, highest quality marble, and lighting that simulates daylight. By contrast, the National Archeological Museum has a big classical promenade entrance.