10 Best Things to do in ATHENS, Greece | Go Local | Cal McKinley

Athens is one of the world's oldest cities. Its history goes back over 3,400 years. Many call it the cradle of western civilization, and modern-day cultural cornerstones were developed here over thousands of years. You know, small things like theater and arts, to larger concepts like direct democracy and judicial courts. There are so many different layers to this city, and I couldn't wait to try and uncover them all. Here are 10 of the most amazing things to do in Athens. And you know what? Let's not waste any time and just jump right into the Parthenon, arguably the most important historical monument in Athens, and probably the most widely known. Now this temple was built around 447 BC at the height of the Athenian Empire, and it was dedicated to the goddess of Athena, the patron saint of the city of Athens. She was the one who supposedly watched over the city in peacetime, and aided the Athenians to victory during war. And inside the temple was a massive marble sculpture of the goddess herself, which we know only from other works of art because it was destroyed long ago. Now the reason the Parthenon is so special is because it's one of the last surviving buildings of classical Greece, and its decorative columns and marble sculptures are considered a high point of Greek art. So there we have the sacred olive tree of Athena, when she struck the ground with her spear, signaling victory. And then here we have the sacred forklift of Athena. Classic. Moving on to number two, the Thysio flea market. Now monuments and ruins can be great for providing historical context to a city, but if you want to get to know the heart and soul of a place, you know, what makes it tick, you're going to need to dig a bit deeper. And local markets are always the best way to do that. Now there are actually a few different flea markets in this area, the most popular being the Monastiraki, but if you want to avoid the crowds, I would go a little bit away from that part and try the Thysio flea market near the metro station. They set up every Saturday and starting around 8am and go late into the evening. You know, this is the place that you'll find a lot of vintage knickknacks, a lot of vintage clothes, art, even though it still is a bit touristy, it's definitely geared more towards locals than the other ones. All right, let's move on to number three, Syntagma Square and the changing of the guard. And this happens every Sunday at 11am, when a special unit of the Hellenic army called the Evzems complete a changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. Now, why are they dressed like that? Well, the uniform is actually based on Greek soldiers who fought during the 1821 War of Independence against the Ottomans. There's actually 400 folds in their skirts to represent 400 years of Ottoman occupation. And if you're wondering why they're walking in almost slow motion, it's to help with circulation, because each guard stands still for a total of one hour with no movement whatsoever. Now moving on to number four, and that is Lycabettus Hill. And this is a place you can go to to kind of get away from all the noise and just general chaos of the rest of the city. So this hill stands at over 277 meters above sea level, and will give you fantastic 360 degree views of all the most popular attractions in Athens. The Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient Agora, and the Panathenaic Stadium. Now the hike up to the top can be a little bit taxing, especially during summer. I think it took me about 15-20 minutes, give or take. And it's a really pretty hike up, so I definitely recommend doing it if that sounds like something you'd be into. Alternatively, you can also take a funicular that leaves every 30 minutes, but it goes up inside of a closed tunnel, so you'll lose a lot of the view that you get when you hike. Now there is a whitewashed church up there, and a restaurant, which is supposed to be really good, especially given the fantastic views. You know, sunset of course is the time to go. But as you can imagine, it's pretty expensive, but it still could be worth it to sit down for a coffee or a glass of wine. You know, kind of split the difference and not get dinner. Either way, a fantastic area of Athens. Now just a little bit south of Lycabettus Hill, we have the National Gardens. This is a huge park near the center of the city that goes for about 7 blocks. Now it's home to 7,000 trees and over 519 different species of rare plants. And all of this was planted and tended personally by Queen Amalia, who was the wife of King Otto, the first king of Greece. It's often said that she would spend over 3 hours a day here, nurturing the plants and making sure everything was in order. You can really see why. It's just such a peaceful, relaxing place. Okay, so right now I'm heading to a restaurant called Di Porto, I believe. It's a nondescript sort of cellar basement, typical Greek restaurant. But apparently it's become pretty touristy recently, so I'm really just going there to show you guys and see whether it's still an authentic experience or whether or not it's kind of been overdone and too many tourists, the owners get a little bit cranky and stuff like that. I've seen some reviews, but we'll see what happens. Fingers crossed. You know, one thing that makes Greek food so special is that all of the ingredients are locally sourced. You know, the olive oils, the wines, the tomatoes, but it's really the way that they're combined and prepared that you start to see elements of Middle Eastern, Ottoman, and Italian cuisines. It makes this great combination of tastes and flavor profiles that really makes their food stand out. If you want a more comprehensive street food and restaurant guide, definitely check out my website, which I'll put a link for in the description of the video. Moving right along with another food-related stop, we have number seven, the Varvikios Agora, or the Central Market. And if the flea markets and vintage shops are the heart of the city, this is the pulse. You know, supplying the city with its meat, with its produce, with its late night drunk food, almost 24-7. It's where you'll find grandmas haggling for that night's meal during the day, or maybe a couple emerging from a nightclub looking for a bite to eat as the sun rises. It's really a must-see for anyone visiting Athens. Number eight, the Plaka neighborhood. Now, this is the oldest section of the city and much of it is closed to cars, which makes it a great area to get lost in exploring its street art scene and listening to street musicians. Now, while this is the nicest area of the city, it's also the most upscale, touristy, and some might argue overdone. What that basically means is it's a great place to stop for a cup of coffee and people watch, and not the best place to get a full meal. Or in my case, try some greek vodka. So yeah, I asked him what siporo was, and he said greek vodka. I'm like, cool, let's do it. And he brings me a bottle that's like four or five shots worth at least, and it's like 3 p.m. So, bottom line, ******* tipsy. Hopefully this goes well. Now, number nine and ten, I'm going to put together because the history of these places are connected and the locations in the city are really close together. And these are the Roman Agora and the Ancient Agora of Athens. And for thousands of years, the Ancient Agora of Athens was the commercial hub of the city. And even before that, it was used sometimes as a government assembly and as a residential area. But the importance of this place goes way beyond that. It's where the city would converge to trade not just physical goods, but ideas. You know, way before the world became so connected, way before newspapers, way before the internet, in order to learn something, you had to go and talk to someone else in person. And this is the place where that happened. For thousands of years, philosophers and government officials and just citizens traded ideas here and created the basis that later on would be used to create the cornerstones of western civilization. And so while it may not look like much today, it's really the history that hits hard and makes it such an essential stop on your trip. Now, real quick before you go, it would be impossible to end this video without talking a little bit about the nightlife of Athens, because the city itself isn't really known for it. And people are usually surprised when I tell them that Athens nightlife scene is off the hook. You know, really diverse and interesting array of bars and clubs, you know, young people, old people, there's really a lot going on here. It's the kind of place that you go out in and you're not entirely sure where or when you'll end up. Of course, if you want a specific list of my favorite bars and clubs, definitely check out my website, which I'll leave in the description. So that's about it guys, I hope you enjoyed that video. Again, if you want to see a more comprehensive list of all of this stuff and more, definitely check out my website, which I'll put a link for in the description. Other than that, I hope you guys have a great day and I'll see you later.