Areopagus (Ares Rock) as viewed from the Acropolis. down It was the the steps ancient site of Valletta’s homicide Triq San and arson trials
WORDS: ALEXIS AVERBUCK. PHOTOGRAPH: JANA JANINA/GETTY IMAGES
Athens is an incredible fij Bp palimpsest of history, politics apd edginess, its cultural and social life unfolding in Arid around landmarks that are centuries - if not millennia - old. The relics of Ancient Greece get most attention, of course; the Acropolis is ever-present, a daily reminder to citizens of their magnificent heritage. But there’s great architecture from later periods, too. Thousand-year-old Byzantine churches stand unruffled on busy streets and hillsides. Ottoman traces are present in buildings and in food, while the Neoclassical style of the 19th century lends elegance all over the centre. Though citizens have endured tough times since the economic crisis began ten years ago, the city crackles with energy – in politics, street art and fashion. Leave room in your schedule for spontaneous discovery. Buy a ticket to that dance show that’s just starting as you walk by, or stop in the square where the musicians are setting up. You’ll be rewarded with grunge and grace in equal measures.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ADRIENNE PITTS/LONELY PLANET. FIVE OF THE ORIGINAL SIX KARYATIDES IN THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM/ACROPOLIS MUSEUM/PH. NIKOS DANIILIDIS, COURTESY OF ELECTRA PALACE, COURTESY OF BARLEY CARGO, MEL MANSER/4 CORNERS IMAGES, COURTESY OF PSARAS TAVERNA, MILAN GONDA/SHUTTERSTOCK