Orientation to Athens

With nearly 3000 years of continuous history Athens can be daunting. This basic overview walk is designed to help us get our bearings without being superficial. We'll explore some fundamental themes and draw our attention to specific details in order to make sense of this very rich but complicated city. Led by a variety of specialists from our network in Athens, this walk usually begins in Syntagma Square, the center of the city.

With some archaeological finds from the construction of the metro and surrounded by 19th and 20th century buildings, Syntagma gives us a good base for shifting back and forth across time periods. There is much to explore, from Byzantine churches dating to the 11th century, a maze of streets from the same period, to modern art deco and contemporary meze restaurants. We may climb the north slope of the Acropolis to experience Anafiotika, the beguiling rural village clinging there, or head deeper towards Monastiraki. Or, we may decide to circumnavigate the Acropolis along the pedestrian walkway, passing through the archaeological core.

Along the way our docent will provide us with some of the visual tools we'll need later in our trip to read monuments and place the city in a historical and cultural context. Ample energy will be spent answering questions and helping with way-finding. And, we'll make sure to stop along the way for a snack