WHERE TO STAY
The Inn Athens boutique hotel, which opened last year, is a chic retreat a few steps from the city's central square and main shopping strip, and 400 metres from the Acropolis and Parthenon. Also opened last year and even closer to these ancient sites is AthensWas (part of Anemi Hotels Group), a luxury hotel whose rooftop restaurant takes Athenian gastronomy to new heights. Stage Design Office's Stavros
Papayannis and George Kyria have created a discreet, quiet hotel with touches such as walnut wood and LC3 armchairs harking back to 1960s Athens. Late last year Coco-Mat opened
in a stylish 1930s building in Kolonaki — the second Athens hotel from a group better known for making top-notch mattresses. The aim: to provide a good night’s sleep in an atmosphere so relaxed that guests can eat breakfast in gowns and slippers. An open reception and kitchen add to the informal feel. Two new hotels will open this
year in the Syntagma and Omonia Squares: the former a five-star complex in the Ministry of Culture building, the latter a four-star Mage Hotels & Resorts property.
FOOD AND DRINK
Athens and Thessaloniki have an emerging food and wine scene. Athens' Spondi and Funky Gourmet have two Michelin stars and other fine-dining options include Cookoovaya (meaning ‘owl’, referring to its ‘wise food’), opened in late 2014 and Athens’ degustation restaurant, CTC, opened last year. Downtown, the recently refurbished, art deco Zonar’s adds glamour to seasonal, traditional dishes, or try homey hotspot Vezene, famous for its mouthwatering dry-aged beef. For the best of Thessaloniki, go to Anassa for its gourmet dishes and daily- changing fusion food menu. The Duck Private Cheffing opened in Pylea in 2014, with a friend's-house open kitchen feel. But leave room for pastries from signature shops such as Elenidis, Terkenlis and Chatzis, or for something more contemporary head to Estrella. Given Greece’s 300 indigenous grape varieties, it’s not surprising that both cities offer a range of wine bars to explore. In Athens, visit By The Glass and Oinoscent in the Syntagma area. Visitors to Thessaloniki can explore wineries and wine routes (
wineroads.gr/eng/index.php) including the region’s celebrated red, Xinomavro, and the Debina range of dry white and sparkling wines.
ADVENTURE WALKS
Big Olive (
bigolive.org) offers a photography tour and a literary yomp around areas made famous by novels and poems. Also on the menu is a food tour including spices, olive oil, Greek coffee, koulouria (sesame crusted bread) and pastourma (a cured meat). The ‘Playing with Goddess Athena’
workshop by Alternative Athens (
alternativeathens.com) offers mythology-inspired activities for kids aged five to 10. There’s also a Graffiti and Street Art walk past the capital’s murals and wall stencils. Intrepid types might prefer The Honey of Mount
Hymettus trip to the Monastery of Kessariani and the hills overlooking Athens. Farther afield outside the city is the Enchanted Forest Tour. Thessaloniki offers food, mystery
and walking tours that recapture the city’s multicultural history (
thessalonikiwalkingtours.com). Stroll around the old city, Ano Poli's ancient remains (Unesco World Heritage Sites from Christian Byzantine times), colourful houses and narrow, stone-paved streets. Handpeak also offers walking tours with authors (
www.handpeak.gr/walks).
PICTURE: INN ATHENS
PICTURE: THESSALONIKI TOURISM ORGANISATION; ESTRELLA PASTRY SHOP
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112
