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A summer mix of cultural events and other fun things to see and do this summer in Athens.
A Green Park of Freedom
Green oases in the city center are not abundant, and Athenians aren’t really used to spending leisure time lying on the grass in parks like other Europeans. However, in recent years, the Parko Eleftherias (Freedom Park), next to the Megaron–Athens Concert Hall, has become a popular spot for outdoor parties or concerts and for relaxing under carob trees or playing on the slopes with younger family members. Designed in the 1960s by the renowned architect Panagiotis Vakalopoulos, this well-kept green space features a prominent statue of the statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, as well as some early 20th-century stone buildings, used as detention centers during the dictatorship and today home to an arts center, the Eleftherios Venizelos Museum and the National Resistance Museum. –Valia Dimitrakopoulou
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Megaro Moussikis metro station
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 45 Aghion Asomaton, Athens, 1953
© Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos
Marios Vatzias, National Technical University of Athens, 1975, Vinyl on canvas.
© National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum, Photo: Stavros Psiroukis
Images of Greece
Henri Cartier-Bresson, the French photographer known for the “decisive moment,” traveled to Greece three times (in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s), capturing iconic images that showcased the country worldwide. These feature, among other subjects, a girl riding a donkey in the town of Trikala, Central Greece; a scene of everyday life among the whitewashed houses of Sifnos; rebetiko musicians in Piraeus; and the House with the Caryatids in Psyrri. These images, and a selection of his photos from around the world, are displayed at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, a magnet for art lovers, with a permanent collection boasting masterpieces by Picasso, Cezanne, Miro and others. -Panagiotis Koustas
Info
Until 27/10/24
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation
13 Eratosthenous
Open Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00-18:00, Fri 10:00-20:00
In the Name of Democracy
From 1967 to 1974, Greece, like Portugal and Spain at the time, was under military dictatorship. Fifty years after the fall of the junta in Greece, the National Gallery exhibition “Democracy” gathers works by 55 artists from these three countries, exploring the relationship between art and political history in southern Europe. Highlights include paintings by Yiannis Gaitis, Alexis Akrithakis and Giorgos Ioannou; a portrait of dictator Franco by the famous Colombian painter Fernando Botero; and the work “Baigneuses/Bathers” by Portugal’s Nikias Skapinakis. The museum, near the lively neighborhood of Pangrati, reopened in 2021 after extensive renovations, and boasts an excellent permanent collection as well. -Panagiotis Koustas
Info
Until 02/02/25
National Gallery–Alexandros Soutsos Museum
50 Vasileos Konstantinou
Open Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00-18:00, Wed 12:00-20:00
Eva Stefani, The Luminous Cave, 2024, Installation view at EMST
© Paris Tavitian
What if Women Ruled the World?
For the past eight months, the National Museum of Modern Art (EMST) has dedicated all its temporary exhibitions to artists who identify as female. We recommend Tala Madani’s “Shitty Disco” (ground floor), Bouchra Khalili’s “Lanternists and Typographers” (3rd floor) and Eva Stefani’s installation “The Luminous Cave” (2nd floor). The EMST is housed in the former Fix brewery, which began operating in 1893 and reopened as a museum in 2016. Its facade features the work “What if Women Ruled the World?” by Yael Bartana, inspiring the entire exhibition cycle. The museum includes an art shop on the ground floor and the gourmet restaurant Nyn Esti on the top floor, offering a large terrace with views of the Acropolis. -Panagiotis Koustas
Info
Until 10/11/24
EMST – National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens
Kallirrois & Amvrosiou Frantzi
Open Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00-19:00, Thu 11:00-22:00
© Cindy Sherman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
“Standing Figure: Knife Edge” (1961) installed on Filopappou Hill opposite the Acropolis as part of the First International Exhibition of Sculpture, Athens Festival, 1965.
© The Henry Moore Foundation, Photo: Henry Moore Archive, Courtesy The Henry Moore Foundation Archive
Who Are You, Cindy Sherman?
From her famous “Untitled Film Stills,” a series of 69 black-and-white photographs which she transforms into cinematic stereotypes of women (shot from 1977 to 1980), to her recent digital collages resembling wild selfies, Cindy Sherman, a pop icon in the art world, has never ceased to innovate. Her early works, which established her as a leading figure of the Pictures Generation, include the series “Rear Screen Projections” (1980), “Centerfolds” (1981) and “Color Studies” (1982). All these series are presented in the exhibition “Cindy Sherman at Cycladic: Early Works” at the Museum of Cycladic Art – Stathatos Mansion, one of Athens’ most significant 19th-century neoclassical buildings, designed by Ernst Ziller. -Panagiotis Koustas
Info
Until 04/11/24
Vasilissis Sofias & 1 Irodotou
Open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 10:00-17:00, Thu 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-17:00
Greece and Henry Moore
“The Acropolis is wonderful – more marvelous than ever I imagined … it’s the greatest thrill I have ever had,” declared Henry Moore in 1951 during his exhibition at the Zappeio. On that trip, he also visited Mycenae, Delphi and Olympia. “The Greek light is, as everyone says, something you can’t imagine until you’ve experience it. In England half the light is, as it were, absorbed into the object, but in Greece the object seems to give off light as if it were lit up from inside itself.” The exhibition “Henry Moore and Greece” at Gagosian Athens, in collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation – 20 years after the last presentation of Moore’s work in Greece – explores the influence of ancient Greek art on the artist’s work. It features sculptures, models, prints and lithographs, including three colored lithographs from the French edition of Goethe’s Prometheus (Prométhée) that reflect Moore’s ties to Greek mythology and ancient Greek culture. -Xenia Georgiadou
Full house at Cine Thision.
© Perikles Merakos
Starlit Cinema
The beloved tradition of open-air cinema in Athens dates back to the early 1900s, when traveling showmen projected films onto large white sheets in outdoor spaces. Throughout the summer and until late October, Athenians enjoy the songs of cicadas accompanying the soundtrack of every movie, rediscovering cinematic masterpieces through re-releases of classic films at Cine Zefyros in Petralona. They flock to the newly renovated Cine Paris in Plaka for romantic screenings close to the illuminated Acropolis. At the Cine Thision, audiences enjoy screenings of new releases with glasses of refreshing homemade sour cherry juice. -Pantelis Tsompanis
Info
Cine Zefyros, 36 Troon, Petralona
Cine Paris, 22 Kydathineon
Cine Thision, 7 Apostolou Pavlou
© Nikos Karanikolas
A World to Explore
All the paths of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) converge on the Great Lawn, the heart of the most extensive planting of Mediterranean plant species in Athens. This spot is surrounded by trees, smaller botanical gardens and playgrounds. The SNFCC, a magnificent cultural hub designed by Renzo Piano and a popular leisure destination for Athenians, offers year-round activities and experiences. With fascinating National Library tours, colorful corners in the children’s library, and cool communal spaces, it’s an appealing place to spend an afternoon. You can move to the rhythm of the street musicians by the Canal or enjoy classical pieces played by established pianists. The Canal’s fountains “dance” every evening, and every Wednesday in August, The SNFCC’s famous Summer Sunset DJ Sets take place on the iconic Lighthouse terrace, with views of the Saronic Gulf and the entire city. Outdoor cinema screenings for the whole family are scheduled until September, along with many other free events and concerts. -Nena Dimitriou
For Your Coffee Table
If your journey here has made you fall in love with this city of contrasts, these tasteful editions capturing various aspects of Athens deserve some space in your suitcase: In the publication “Doors of Kypseli,” Eleanor Lines has created 100 illustrations of doors from the historic neighborhood, narrating the story of Athens’ architecture from the 1930s to the 1960s, and tracing the influence of Art Deco, Bauhaus and modernism. You’ll find copies at Hyper Hypo (Voreou 5, city center), a bookstore dedicated to design, fashion and pop culture. Αlso worth checking out is “Athens: Two Hundred Years, Two Hundred Buildings,” edited by Manolis Anastasakis, with photos by Vasilis Makris; it’s a rich journey through the architecture of Athens, created to mark the bicentenary of the 1821 Greek Revolution. It’s also available in a pocket-size edition. “Athens,” the first of the Greek Foundation’s Travel Guides, is, in fact, much more than a travel guide. Well written and beautifully designed, this publication (from a foundation that acts as a platform for the exchange and dissemination of Greek culture worldwide) is a ticket to Athenian charm in hardcover form. -Eliza Synadinou
© Spela Sivic
Elevator Action
For the warmest summer nights in Athens, the city offers elevated options: rooftop bars and bar restaurants on hotel terraces, all with spectacular views, welcome both guests and non-guests for food, drinks and even movie screenings. To Lokali, in addition to its popular courtyard, features a bohemian rooftop with colorful lights and a bar where skilled bartenders craft cocktails starring strawberry, fig, coconut and passion fruit – the cocktail list this year is called “Frutopia.” Not far away, in Kerameikos, Bios, a classic hangout for decades, sets up lounge chairs for summertime sipping. Enjoy a mezcalita, with tequila, mezcal and mango, or a refreshing 3G, with gin, cucumber syrup and ginger, while listening to music and gazing at the illuminated Parthenon in one direction or, in the other direction, some sci-fi animation from the 1970s projected onto the wall. Mona, a stylish boutique hotel, hosts a gallery; artworks are spread organically throughout its spaces. On the top floor, there’s a members-exclusive rooftop (free registration at houseofshila.com/membership), where an interesting international crowd enjoys impressive views of Athens, drinks wine, and listens to a wide range of music, often from vinyl records. -Angela Stamatiadou
All-Day Shelter: Dogpound
A group of friends who love travel created a multipurpose space on the ground floor of a historic building. With seating on steps in place of the traditional table-and-chair arrangement, they serve handmade pizzettas, draft cocktails and healthy botanical boosters. With music exclusively from vinyl records and a super relaxed atmosphere, it’s a perfect all-day hangout. -Elina Dimitriadi
Info
Dogpound
8 Aghias Irinis, Monastiraki
Famed Koukaki hangout Strange Brew Taproom.
© Thalia Galanopoulou
Tap into Athens: A Craft Beer Adventure
Athens now boasts a decade of vibrant craft brewing and a thriving beer scene. Strange Brew Taproom (86 Falirou, Koukaki) is a classic downtown spot where enthusiasts stop by to learn about the latest market offerings. Notable drafts include their own Hey Joe – a dry, lemony farmhouse ale – and Tropiki, a light and spicy session IPA, perfect for the heat. In Psyrri, Tapfield (4 Navarchou Apostoli) is ideal for a refreshing break after exploring the neighborhood’s colorful alleys. Their Captain H.B, a light pilsner with a pleasant bitterness, piars perfectly with their version of a hot dog, a country sausage. Up north, outside the city center, Local Pub (25 Haimanta, Halandri) will please those who love traditional English pubs. Here, you can taste Anastasiou beers brewed in the adjacent brewery, including their new Belgian-style white beer, with cardamom and pomelo, called Thees. -Marina Petridou
Τhe famous Black Salami sandwiches, with sourdough bread.
Bread & Beyond
Sometimes, it’s worth skipping the classic spinach and cheese pie. The wave of new bakeries that has swept the capital in recent years has brought good bread back into the daily lives of Athenians, along with delicious sandwiches. You’ll see queues at Black Salami (71 Zoodochou Pigis) for BLTs made with smoked pork belly from Serres, or “village” sandwiches with feta, mozzarella, tomato, pepper, capers and olives. At 72H Artisanal Bakery (Ergon Bakehouse, 27 Mitropoleos, Syntagma), they prepare pizza-dough buns and fill them to order with truffle paste, fresh mozzarella, rocket, and extra virgin olive oil. Homemade bread and deli meats made in-house without preservatives are the highlights at Ateno Cook & Deli (52 Aiolou, Monastiraki). Grab a sandwich with black pig mortadella, olive oil, rocket and Aegina pistachios to go. Don’t miss Kora (44 Anagnostopoulou), which serves up a slow-fermented bread filled with brie and green apple, egg salad and chives, as well as other combinations. -Georgia Papastamou
Τhe stunning blue waters at Tsiou Beach.
© Marika Tsouderou
Seaside Adventures
Did you know that just 10 km from the center of Athens lies a stunning 70-km coastline stretching from Piraeus to Sounion, featuring diverse landscapes and crystal-clear waters – a privilege unmatched by any other European capital? Attica boasts 17 Blue Flag beaches. In the summer, city life shifts to a seaside that’s accessible by tram from Syntagma in just 40 minutes. For nearby beaches with easy public transport access, popular choices with facilities include Akti tou Iliou in Alimos and Voula A Beach (Athines by the Sea). The further out you venture, the more free beaches you’ll find – hidden coves, rocky spots for diving and idyllic sandy shores. Begin your beach-hopping by descending the steps to the beautiful Althea (28 km from Athens), visit Aghia Marina and seek out the sheltered Kataphygi (45.5 km from Athens) in Palaia Fokaia, featuring sand, fine pebbles and shallow waters. At Tsiou Beach (67 km from Athens) on the border of Sounio and Lavrio, you’ll find tranquility, an island breeze and stunning blue waters. Despite being a well-known secret among Athenians, it remains a small paradise. -Alexandra Mandrakou
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