Visual Treats & Unique Vibes: Athens’ Most Scenic Areas

Built into the Acropolis’ northeastern slope, picturesque Anafiotika is like having a slice of the Cyclades in the heart of Athens. Built in the 19th century by skilled stone masons from Anafi, who came to work on King Otto’s palace, the neighborhood still carries the island’s imprint. Narrow paths and steps in unexpected spots lead you past whitewashed facades with wooden shutters, bougainvillea spilling over and colorful plant pots lining the streets. Weathered by time and in parts, sprayed over with graffiti artworks, cracks in denigrated walls reveal astounding views of the city and the Parthenon above. This neighborhood, once the home of immigrants and today part of some of the city’s priciest real estate, offers a peaceful and romantic escape where only the occasional toll of a church bell or a cat shifting in the sun breaks the stillness.

Closest metro: Akropoli

Once an aristocratic enclave, now a meeting point of classical grandeur and modern energy, Makrigianni (really Koukaki) unfolds beneath the Acropolis drawing tourists and Athenians out for a lovely stroll, especially during the weekend. Named after Greek War of Independence hero Ioannis Makrigiannis, whose mansion still stands here, the district is best known for the New Acropolis Museum, with its glass panels mirroring the Parthenon above. Pedestrianized streets, chiefly Dionissiou Aeropagitou, which leads from Sygrou Avenue around the foothills of the Acropolis, are lined with beautiful neoclassical buildings that are now offices, homes of wealthy Greeks, museums and embassies. As the sun sets, marble facades take on a soft glow, and between the elegant architecture, bursts of greenery and street art, the air is abuzz with a sense of getting away from the monotonous hum of the city. For an idyllically scenic walk, come at dawn or on a rainy, moonlit night.

Closest metro: Akropoli

The city’s oldest inhabited neighborhood, Plaka has worn many faces – an Ottoman stronghold, a Byzantine enclave, and a neoclassical retreat. Today, its tangled, greenery-framed alleys and ivy-wrapped staircases wind toward hidden courtyards, lively cafes, Byzantine chapels, and quaint tavernas that have outlasted waves of tourism. Neoclassical buildings, some residential, others turned into boutique hotels, offices or stores, stand resilient, some left to near-ruin, others beautifully renovated. Street musicians nestle to play in corners and softly lit, artsy cafes add to the atmosphere, while antique stores and designer souvenir haunts contrast with bold flashes of graffiti. Layers of history unfold in every corner, from Roman ruins to forgotten hammams, making this so-called “Neighborhood of the Gods” feel timeless yet ever-changing.

Closest metro: Monastiraki or Akropoli

Mets, especially its upper part, is where Athens slows down, revealing a city within the city—one shaped by history, artistry, and a quiet elegance. Its name traces back to Bavarian brewer Karl Fuchs, who set up shop here in the 19th century, when the Ilissos River still ran along Ardittou Street. By the early 20th century, it had become a refuge for artists and intellectuals, drawn to its neoclassical townhouses with wrought-iron balconies, interwar villas with arched windows, and mid-century apartments softened by bougainvillea. Narrow streets curve past pastel façades and hidden courtyards, leading up to Ardittos Hill, where pine trees frame glimpses of old and new Athens—marble columns, terracotta rooftops, and the distant hum of the city. Walk its paths at sunset, and you’ll understand why poets, architects, and dreamers have never left.

Closest metro: Akropoli

History clings to the ancient stones of Thissio, where neoclassical mansions line a promenade (Apostolou Pavlou street) with one of the best views of the Acropolis soaring above. Once a gathering place for ancient philosophers, the area still exudes an introspective calm, its quiet streets concealing remnants of workshops and shrines lost beneath the surface, with views of the National Observatory above. Across the station and alongside the metro railway lines, Adrianou Street is lined with cafes and eateries, from where one can gaze out to the ancient agora, in which the Temple of Hephaistos stands. In Thissio, Byzantine churches nestle among leafy squares, the park outside the train station is lined with peddlars selling everything from crystals and jewelry to home decor items and portraits, and further up along Apostolou Pavlou Street modern cafes sprawl out, In the heart of the neighborhood, Iraklidon Street is alive with youths drinking coffee or raki and playing backgammon or death scrolling on their phones. At night, the Acropolis glitters above against the midnight blue sky.

Closest metro: Thisseio

In the lower part of Kolonaki, grand 19th-century townhouses, art deco façades, embassies and museums like the Benaki sit behind gates and tall trees. Roads branch from Vas. Sophias Ave up to the Flikis Etairias main square. This is where all the action is – the streams of cafes, restaurants, bars and polished stores. Heading up towards Xenokratous street, you’ll find roads that turn into seemingly endless staircases (Marasli, from Evangelismos station, Ploutarchou and Loukianou) leading up to the greener, upper part of the neighborhood, where on Aristippou there’s the cable car that takes you up to the Church of St George atop Lycabettus hill, or stairs for the brave. Along theses verdant paths, the city’s gritty urban energy quietens down and fades into something more refined – pine-scented forest trails bursting with nettles, prickly pears, cactuses, bay, wild poppies and mustard flowers accompany you all the way up the hill, and all the while you can pause anywhere to gawp at many stunning vistas of the city below.

Closest metro: Evangelismos

A neighborhood of raw contrasts, Exarchia has long been Athens’ epicenter of anarchic spirit and counterculture. Emerging in the late 19th century as an intellectual and artistic hub, it remains a place where history, resistance, and creativity collide. Politically charged graffiti covers derelict neoclassical facades with beautiful, detailed carvings and large windows, while tucked between the urban grit are tree-shaded squares and communal areas like Navarinou Park, indie bookstores, vinyl record shops and hidden rooftop cafés with soul-pleasing views of Lycabettus Hill. Beneath the layers of street art and activism, Exarchia pulses with an independent, unapologetic energy that can be felt just by traipsing its streets, in places filled with tables outside cool, awarded wine bars, trendy restaurants and youthful meze haunts perfect for flirting and gossip. For soulful respite via beautiful city views, hike up to Strefi hill.

Closest metro: Omonia

Monastiraki is Athens at its most frenetic – a crossroads where Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques, and ancient ruins sit shoulder to shoulder with a bustling flea market. By day, vendors spill onto cobbled streets selling everything from antiques to street food, while musicians and dancers turn the neighborhood into an open-air stage. By night, low-lit alleyways lead to hidden courtyards and trendy rooftop bars with some of the city’s most mesmerizing Acropolis views. Monastiraki impacts the senses with its cacophony of colors and mishmash of architecture. Packed with people during the day, the Flea Market is on Ifestou Street, which starts on the right side of the Monastiraki train station, is lined with tourist triket and sandal stores. Heading up, you’ll reach the sunken Byzantine Kapnikarea Church on Ermou the city’s key shopping street. To the left of the station is Athinas street where the rowdy, pungent Varvakeios Market stands and maze-like roads lead to the spice shops of Psyrri, and down from the station on Ermou you’ll reach Avissinias Square, where antiques are sold.

Closest metro: Monastiraki

Once a stronghold of craftsmen and revolutionaries, Psiri has evolved into Athens’ creative playground. Neoclassical townhouses now house eclectic bars, artisan studios, antique shops and concept cafés, while its walls serve as an ever-changing canvas for street artists – bold murals, surrealist sketches, and intricate scribbles weave stories of the city’s restless spirit. By day, its quiet courtyards, shisha bars, cafes, souvlaki joints and century-old workshops recall a different time; by night, the glow of streetlights and the throng of crowds out for a good time at its many restaurants and bars transform it into one of Athens’ most electric pockets. Surrounding the central area of the neighborhood are small streets leading to an endless variety of stores selling everything from spices and cured meats to Indian or Pakistani foods and sweets to crockery, artificial foliage, horse accessories and olives. Definitely worth exploring.

Closest metro: Monastiraki