Why EVERYBODY avoids ATHENS? | Guide to 24h in Athens, Greece 

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Because people usually don't think. I have visited Athens now 3 times and it's an incredible city and in many ways one of the best cities I have experienced and many vloggers here on RU-vid covering Athens give Athens often a 9.5/10 or 10/10. I have seen and been to about any city in Europe. The continent of cities. The continent where every country has wonderful cities to compete for architectural looks and beauty. I loved Rome, Berlin and other cities a lot. However. What makes Athens so great is that it has not only wonderful distrtricts that are diverse and unique like Berlin, both cities dubbed as the most artistic cities of North and South Europe. But Athens goes much further. Athens has wonderful monuments that are unparalleled. Acropolis for example beats the Colloseum 10 times over for 1 tremendously important reason. Unlike Rome. and unlike London, unlike Berlin, unlike too many cities in Europe, if not almost all cities in Europe, Athens has a wonderful combination of mountains around it's city, and the sea in the front of the city. The Acropolis is visible from any part of the city towering over it and even from other wonderful historical sites you have the view of the Acropolis. It instantly transports you back 2500 years as you have history around you in your own vicinity whily you look out to the Acropolis. It's something truly magical and powerful. You never get bored of it. The Colloseum you cannot watch from anywhere as Rome is nearly flat and you have to literally go towards the Colloseum closeby to be able to watch it. It is such a big difference from watching the Acropolis in such a grandeur spectacle all around from the city high up, also at evening when it's lit up. You can have a drink or dinner and look out on it. Then Athens has the closest national park out of any city in Europe, and unlike Rome and many cities, from most countries Athens also has the Athenian Riviera with wonderful coastline and perfect swimming waters and many historical sites even there like the temple of Poseidon. AND on top of that it's harbor Piraeus gives you the opportunity to be on 5 different incredible heavenly islands within 1 hour in front of Athens. You can be in Spetses island, part of the Athenian riviera, or Hydra, or Aegeana all part of the Argo Saronic island group. Or the closest cycladic islands like Syros can be chosen too with it's wonderful pompous architectures. Athens therefor has mountains, sea, its own beaches, national part and the choice of islands in a mere hour away ALL at once. This combination beats all of the other cities flatout if you experience it all. Also. Athens has multiple hills inside the city that gives you the most wonderful views of the city with it's mountains and islands and sea around. It makes Athens absolutely set itself apart strongly. On top of this Athens has a perfect climate, with strong light and since there are mountains all around on the horizons in Greece since Greece is 80% mountainous and the most complex geography and topography, having those sunsets and sunrise views on the hills is just divine. Then Athens is a food paradise and it's energy is perhaps the biggest thing that sets itself apart from any city in Europe. Athens has a vibrant energy that Rome and so many cities simply do not have. I loved Rome too with plenty cultural sites, I live in Amsterdam and is also famous for it's canals and mansions and so on. But in the end you can liver there and watch the buildings 1000 times. Ultimately for me the energy and vibrancy of the city is far more important as it plays with my heart to go out and enjoy and have wonderful atmosphereseverywhere. So ultimately when you break down these points, Athens has everything. It's many wonderful districts, like Psyrri, Plaka, Anafiotika, Kolonaki, or around the riviera and coast and soon one of the largest city parks build in the world, larger than that of New York or London, to be completed in 2026 or so. Then the natural scenery, of the mountains, hills, sunsets and sunrises, sea and islands. And the energy. It is the reason why people fall in love with this city as it has a magic and atmosphere to it no other city in Europe has.

Who avoids Athens? It is literally in the top ten most visited cities in Europe. The municipality of Athens has 700000 people and gets 8000000 visitors annually. You either didn't do your homework or just chose a clickbait title.

I’m from Athens, and I lived in London, NY, and Mexico City. Athens is by far the safest place. However, I can understand that if you’re not familiar with the city, being on a street with old buildings and lots of graffiti can be intimidating.

nobody avoids Athens, the Parthenon had 16.000 visitors per day this Summer , I think that tells you how popular it is ❤️🇬🇷

I stayed in Athens for a month. I would actually recommend staying just south of the city centre (Thiseio, Koukaki or Kallimarmaro), much safer than the centre or north of the centre but still walking distance from everywhere.

I’ve been to gorgeous Athens 7 times I love it so much. So many fun and different neighbourhoods, the food is to die, the people are just so nice, and I do not know any cities with a more vibrant energy/vibe. So much to see and do, I cannot wait to go back! 💙

Athens might be full of graffiti & there are very poor areas, but it is SO safe. You can walk around at all hours of the night & it's safe to do so.

Athens is one of my favorite cities! I travel there at least once a year. Back soon in December to enjoy the Xmas mood and the relaxed winter time. Greece is by far the most beautiful country I know. Σ’αγαπάω Αθήνα μου ❤️!

Athens is totally safe city. Never felt unsafe. Just be aware of your surroundings like every city. It’s so many Facebook pages for womens who travel alone and they can suggest the areas who are best to stay and avoid the sketchy ones.

Athens is my favorite city ever. I haven’t travelled that much, but in my opinion, Athens has everything I need, want and more. Grafitti, music, food, culture, architecture, cool people, beach, mountains, everything, all in close proximity of eachother. I lived in Athens for 2 years. 3 months in the Victoria/Omonoia area and the rest of my stay in the Moschato/Kallithea area. I have to say: I felt 100% more safe in Kallithea and Moschato than I ever felt in Omonoia/Victoria. I literally hated those two areas of the city and the areas surrounding them. I’d barely ever be north of Monastiraki by foot. Other than that, Pireaus is really modern and packed with students and foreign workers (like I was, being a Norwegian in Greece), and every part of Athens South, Athens East and Athens West was pretty good and safe in my opinion. I’m going back there in April, and can’t wait!

Thanks for the review! I'm visiting Athens next year and have not heard a lot of positive things about it, so it's beneficial to watch a vlog like this. About the round bread that you were excited about, we also have it in Bulgaria and call it gevrek 😊

Athens combines everything: great weather, fantastic food, hospitable people, some of the most important ancient monuments, mountainous areas and wonderful sea/beaches, is close to the islands, unbeatable nightlife, and it goes on and on...

Was looking for Athen videos so my first time here. I found this channel less dry than the other travel channels. Good, will tag along for a while.

Summer in Athens can wear you down. As you did, start early, take a break midday, and start again later in the afternoon. View the ruins early, before the heat and the cruiseship visitors, then visit a museum during the hottest part of the day (the Acropolis museum is excellent).

This video encompasses all of the sights and culture of Athens from a realistic perspective.

I have lived in Athens for years and it is true that there are some neighborhoods which feel unsafe but as you told plaka and syntagma square are the ideal places to stay, the problem with Athens is that suburban areas tend to be more advanced than the city center ,unlike other cites. Overall I think that it is a very beautiful city to visit, Athens is definitely not like other European cities for example Paris Prague etc in which every building is a masterpiece but I believe that the historical sites the cute little streets and the acropolis which can be seen from every part of the city, makes Athens a unique destination.

It's very common in Greece not to make a big deal for small amounts of money, it's considered miserable! Also in Greece tap water is free at every place serving food or drinks

Athens is amazing if you are a Greek from abroad and know enough Greek to watch plays at the likely hundreds of theaters. And the cost is so reasonable compared to Broadway near me.

GREECE ATHENS One of my favorite place on earth ,lived there in late 90*.Greetings from Canada .Pozdro dobry vlog 🙂

Recommend Hotel Plaka. It is reasonable , safe, close to Syntagma Square and Monistiraki, walkable to the Acropolis, Anafiotica and Lycabetus hill. A decent breakfast is included at Hotel Plaka.

Greetings from Canada. We are booked at The Stanley in a few months. Thank you for the honest review! And I think the feta joke is brilliant 😂. Really enjoying your videos! It’s amazing the quality of shots you get all on your own. You could teach a class! Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.

If you are in Athens in the summer don't go out during the peak heat hours. Stay indoors or go for lunch and a coffee but get some sleep during midday and then go out from 5pm till 6am. Nightlife doesn't really start until 12-1am anyway.

Amazing! 👌👌👌😍 Thank you very much for sharing!! Greetings from Barcelona 👍❤☺🇪🇸

Short story - Athens is not dirty cheap any more; if you want no graffiti, safety and upscale neighborhoods you avoid staying below Syntagma square. Stanley is a decent hotel but in a "not so good area", Great video. Keep traveling and sharing your experiences!

I love love Love you in this vlog... I'm a first time watcher of your channel and i enjoyed your honesty and authenticity, not to mention your humor. Thanks for this vlog and I look forward to watching more of them. Safe Travels! ;)

Loved the video

Next time you should make a video on THE ATHENS RIVIERA! Athens is surrounded by beautiful beaches so close to the city centre! 🌊❤️

I think that once you help Greece after its difficult times, and you actually work on improving the buildings that are falling down, you’ll finally be able to see the classical beauty of the country. Even Rome or London aren’t that pleasing once you get out of the “city centre”.

I have no idea who is avoiding Athens! it was thriving when I was there in March very popular

I love the fact that you wanted to first show your first idea, but then you went and actually confirmed reality, and you got a better understanding of the situation. Athens is a beautiful city, but it's not "safe" for casual tourists who won't put the effort to actually see that they live in a bubble of comfort, and the third world is a different planet, where you can't go with a selfie go pro to Omonia.

To cool down, you should have sat in Zappeion Park - next to Syntagma Sq.

I lived in Athens for 6 months in my early days. I'd never leave my beloved Crete for Athens again tbh, so I agree 100% with you miss. The isles of Milos, Naxos, Paros, Aigena etc etc are perfect for vacations and my personal favourites. Athens is nice if you got someone to show you around (not a guide).

Just as every city on earth there are good and bad neighborhoods, but I've explored Athens many times. I must state that the historical sites, museums, restaurants, stores and hotels are absolutely wonderful. Enjoy!

i love your sense of humor

Unique city with so beautiful and vintage vibes..Truly in love with her!

Athens is not the safest but it's still safer than a lot of European capitals...Don't forget that greeks have the habit of being out until early in the morning so you will generally not feel alone in many central streets.

Love your videos and your sense of humour makes me laugh

Athens is one of the most enjoyable city i have ever seen so far.. I love it so so much and i will definitely visit it again !😍

Good to know that we'll need to be more careful about choosing which neighborhoods to stay in. Thanks for the tips! Athens looks amazing!!

Greece is paradise..best place on earth..prove me wrong

Athens is my home city but I live outside Greece since 1976, so I can claim a sort of helicopter view. What I think every time I visit Athens is that it is a city of contrasts and several different environments and many sudden surprises, and a city where ugly is very ugly and beautiful is very beautiful.

Thanks for sharing!

Hi, I am a Frenchman who plans to leave for Greece for the first time in April 2023 in a hotel in Athens. I try to find out about restaurants and interesting places to visit. Do you know any interesting restaurants?

will be arriving in athens next friday!

I have been a couple of times in Athens ( birthplace of my Father). It is not a beauty like for example Vienna, Prague or Verona but it is a hot spot city with charme! I compare it more to Berlin ( where I live) or maybe Napoli and Madrid. They are not exactly known for breathtaking beauty but they have a lot of beautiful and stunning places to go and the vibe, nightlife and food scene of these Cities are amazing! Just the feeling to stand on the Lycabettus and look at the Acropolis with the Saronic Gulf behind is epic! To sit in a Kafenio near Piraeus harbour an watch the ferries go an come gives you a mood :) . One other thing the most people miss in Athens is to visit places like Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Kifisia or Marousi . These districts are easy to get to with the public tranportation and they are much more relaxed and clean with nice Bars, Restaurants, Cafes and shopping opportunities ( modern Malls in Marousi). Glyfada and Vouliagmeni are direct at the athenean coastline and Kifisia is behind Athens in the hills. Perfect getaways, especially in the summer ;) My recommendation to stay is close to the Lycabettus ( Kolonaki, Dexameni, Neapoli) or close to Plaka and south of it in Koukaki. I would avoid to stay at the western part of the city centre like near Omonia.

Excellent video.

I don't get a tiny thing. So you wanted to save money and chose the train instead of a taxi but somehow you chose to stay in a hotel with a swimming pool at the roof instead of choosing a much cheaper option? Sorry but if you have money to spend in a hotel like this then why not take a taxi in the first place?

after Lycabetus, the area that you noticed is much nicer than where you re staying... Is the most expensive area in Athens. Everything is expensive there (accommodation, eating, drinking, breathing haha). So,there is a reason it felt nicer :)

i suggeste to stay peristeri is town outside of the center totally safe and normal price in everything and has 3 metro stops and its only 7 minutes to syntagma)

11:00 yeah that region is the middle-high class region where the p.m. also lives. I don't think you could afford a hotel there

Visited Athens with family last November. People are friendly the food was awsome its not London or Paris but I think the locals prefer it that way.

Athens is for winter times (it's not cold). Athens in summer is hell, I don't want to leave my house and my AC 😂

It's SYNTAGMA square and LYCABETUS hill.Not so difficult @Kaja

Uhh, u make me wanna go there even more.

Athens is fantastic 👏

Hey Kaja. This vlog did convince that Athens is a cool place to visit and I shall try to visit it for sure. And of course the cheese level in your blood becoming low is funny. May be cheese companies can use that line for advertisement 😅

Check out the southern suburbs a little off the center but you have beautiful neighborhoods. (Alimos, glyfada, voula vouliagmeni..) The tram gets you to all these neighborhoods. The upside is you have the beach! Plus nice restaurants super clubs..

I'm from Brazil so Athens should be great in safety therms

Oh I also have a video about Athens and other places in Greece! I love Greek culture and their friendly mentality

I think you chose the worst and most dangerous location to stay to! 🤣I'd suggest to avoid places like Metaxourgio, Viktoria, Omonia Square, Attiki during the night.

I'd love to go to Athens but I just don't have the time. I'll just have to go back lol

People don't avoid Athens. I lived there for a couple of years and i can tell that you have a lot of tourists.

You should have visited ΆΡΙΣΤΟΝ for tasting pies at Voulis 10th str. above Syntagma square. It's the most known along with ΜΑΜ.

How was the air conditioning in the hotel?

People confuse ugly/dirty/neglected for dangerous.

Very interesting visit of Athens. Please try to improve audio.

Athens is different from almost any other city in Europe. And it's this difference that makes it so beautiful and enjoyable.

I'm an American who'll be there for 2 1/2 months this winter.

Just got to spend a couple of days in Athens on the tail end of a vacation, a week ago. Personally I loved it. Yeah, a lot of it looks pretty rough, couldn't help but notice graffiti everywhere. We stayed on the Brown Acropol on Omonia Square. Great rooftop space. Central location for the subway. I read that part of that area is a little sketchy but honestly on the last night I was out late walking by myself, getting back around 1:00am and I didn't feel at all threatened. I don't know if I would be out walking any later than that.

The feta cheese in bloodstream joke was pretty funny :-) Agree Athens is a wonderful city to visit no matter what, though it's so different to the islands and other coastal cities like Nafplio that's it's hard to compare. I'd say enjoy as many different types of environments as Greece can offer, and you'll never go wrong.

Honestly, I still regret to this day cancelling my trip to Athens for the Olympics... what, 18 or so years ago? I was pregnant and decided it was best not to travel out of the country at that time.

I don't know why but as an Athenian this video was extremely entertaining

Very nice video. You have such a great personality... I love following your travel adventures. Thanks for the great content you offer us.

Remember Athens also have beaches too!!!

Thinking of heading there for my birthday in September. Great video.

Hello! Nice video and a good topic to discuss. Well since i am from and live in Athens i would like to mention the below: As i have see in many videos most (if not all) tourists come to Athens for 2-3 nights max and then they go to the islands (which most of the time are Myconos or Santorini that maybe is bad decision ill mention later). This is of course ok if your original plan is to see some of the islands. The tricky part here is when are you gonna visit Greece? Because if you plan to do it on August the best place to be is Athens because at least half of the people are off to the islands (or their summer house whatever) which makes them MUCH crowded. Anyway. Why you should visit Athens: 1)History (duh :P ) A LOT more (than the most notable) ruins or places to see. Also very close to other historical cities with notable ancient ruins too 2)Entertainment. Huge amount of bars, coffe shops, restaurants etc in every possible way. Seaside, Hillside, Mountainside, Lakeside. Which lead us to... 3)Food. Its hard to be very objective here. So since i have visited many European countries but never got out of Europe i must say that Greek cuisine(plus almost every other choices you have in foodwise) is the best in Europe together maybe with the Italian one. 4)Sea. Many beaches across the South Suburbs (Starting from Alimos) which are getting better the southern you go until maybe the best part around Sounio (more ruins :P ) However i must be objective here. Not counting the beaches around Sounio all others is for sure WORSE than the ones in the islands and not too clean from July to August since are too crowded. And Last but not least 5)Prices. Not too cheap but certainly cheaper than Central or Northern Countries. Generally speaking the city centre is pretty ugly (especially around Omonoia square). If you already saw most of the sightseeing and went to Plaka then you don't need to stay there. There are great restaurants, bars etc there but you can find the same or even better to... The best parts. That are be far Southern and Northern suburbs. But since the south has better transportation and the sea... well the choice is simple :P . Glyfada ,probably, is the best region to live if the above conditions are met :D As about safety... I never felt nervous except from some places in city centre like Omonoia, Monastiraki, Metaxourgeio...places that most tourists as i can see stay propably because of the location). I never been pick pocked (though they did steal from me once openly) although , i want lie, it is ofc a possibility in the center. And that ends PART 1 Part 2 will be about the Islands! Bye for now

Love from India

I loved Athens when I visited Greece. Only change I would make is instead of staying there then going to the islands, I'd stay in Athens, then hit the islands, then comeback to Athens for a day or two before heading home. My trip home to the US was really, really long.

I would say you should try to look into a bit less touristic places in Greece so you can get a big more authentic experience than Ios Milos Santorini.. Sure every island is touristic in summer but your view of Greece will still be skewed

Where is the church located at 9:45 ? Does it have a name ?

Do you think Athens is worth visiting? or would you rather go straight to the islands?

Planning to visit Athens on October, what is the safest ride to visit places around??

You stayed in the worst area in Athens

good❤❤❤

athens has great potential if only the mayor realise it but as it stands now its just a sea of concrete

Where is best area to stay please ??

Heading to Athens in a couple of weeks and have booked this hotel for three nights. Was just wondering if you felt unsafe in the hotel area or was it just the fact it was rundown and dirty?

Athens Riviera is by far the best part of Athens. If you missed it, then check it next time you are visiting Athens.

Looks like you stayed in Mataxourgio near Omonia Square, which I would NOT recommend. Basically Omonia Square, Victoria Square, Exarchia, Metaxourgio should be avoided, that's like the ''hood'' areas of Athens ( drugs, prostitution, violent anarchists/antifa gangs). Sadly, the Center of Athens has gone downhill since the financial crisis.Most of these abandoned buildings were shops or office buildings of companies, that went bankrupt and because the rents in downtown Athens are pretty high, most small businesses & companies just ''fled'' the city center, when the economy tanked & never returned when things got better financially. Syntagma, Plaka, Monastiraki, the ''tourist areas'' are relatively save, clean but the rest of ''Downtown Athens'' looks very bad. If you want to stay somewhere near the city center and all the sights, but don't wanna pay an arm & a leg for a hotel, I would recommend Pagrati. There are some nice, cheap hostels and small hotels located there. Or even better, I would recommend staying somewhere at the coast ( ''Riviera of Athens'') like Alimos, Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Elliniko. You can go to one of the many beaches there and take public transport like the tram or ''Metro'' subway to visit Syntagma and all the sights.

What month was that!

Is there any destination you actually like? Apart from Turkey, as you mention in your last vlogs?

Gr8 stuff - very personal ,which is good. My only gripe is those yellow captions, top screen. Impossible to read. Blue would be better...🙂.....or anything else dark....🙂BTW - like you I am a Greek salad and FETA cheese nut. I crave Hummus though, not Tzaziki....🙂And Falafel...🙂Basically what I live on...🙂

People expecting Athens to be like Rome are going to be disappointed. Aside from a relatively small central area , most of the city is a traffic choked messy urban sprawl . In other words , much like every other city in the world. However there are many gems to be found in Athens which make it a rewarding place to visit ( the Acropolis , its museum , the National museum , stroll around the old town / Plaka , explore Anafiotika ) . Two full days , three max , and you should have seen the best the city has to offer before moving on to the Peloponnese or the islands for some space and fresher air.

I believe it is beautiful too! I have dreamed of visiting Athens way back when I was a kid and looking forward to exploring it soon with my favorite carry-on bag / Bento Bag from Nomad Lane.

Best food and value is in Athens and the Beaches aren't shabby at all.....

Dude your a RU-vidr one of the things people love in travel videos is looking at the food but you always order the same thing! I know you clearly love it but maybe just for your videos here and there try some other things so people can see it! Not a biggie but in a travel video people like to look at the different culture on food and locations. But otherwise interesting to watch.

30 celcius degrees is not hot for Athens. Above 40 is an issue...

Well that's your opinion!

She gave the city a very bad reputation and then says hope you come and visit 😅