NEIGHBORHOOD

Discover Athinas Street, the quintessential thoroughfare of downtown Athens

Part of Schaubert and Kleanthis’ 19th century masterplan for Athens, the 1km avenue was designed to connect, literally and symbolically, the oldest part of town (Plaka) with the new areas in the north of the city. Running between Monastiraki Square on the foot of the Acropolis hill and modernist Omonoia Square, Athinas Street is a palimpsest of the city’s 200-year history as Greece’s capital.

Here is where the City Hall and the central food market are located, both housed in grand neoclassical edifices that speak of the street’s prestigious past at the turn of the 20th century, as well as a plethora of rundown dime stores, hardware emporium and cheap clothing shops, which attest to the street’s decline in the post-war years as well as its enduring role as a commercial hub.

Comprising an assorted mix of architectural styles, and peppered with old-time tavernas, street food eateries, and trendy bars, Athinas Street is a multicultural microcosm of contemporary Athens, bursting with colourful juxtapositions and diverse aromas.

Learn More about the neighborhood’s history and the historic building at the heart of Fresh Hotel.