Athens – Attica is an ideal city-break destination. Easy to reach from any European country has multi delightful experiences to offer. Any time of the year you can enjoy unique moments either you searching for leisure, activities, entertainment, culture, gastronomy, shopping, festivities. The choice is yours. We will suggest thematic city-breaks to Athens – Attica.
CULTURAL CITY BREAK
A city-break focused on monuments, museums and archaeological sites is enough to enjoy the same time unique areas of natural beauty, monuments of world cultural heritage with shopping and leisure.
Athens city and the region of Attica & Argosaronic are an open museum with dozens of archaeological sites and more than 80 museums. You can schedule a cultural city break, either for archaeological tour or contemporary art tour.
Note that every Metro/Tube station in Athens displays excavation findings or contemporary art installations (large scale).
A tip that many visitors don’t know is that with the entrance fee for Acropolis you can also visit the Ancient Agora & Museum, Kerameikos Ancient Cemetery & Museum, Roman Agora, and Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Also with a Special Ticket Package you can visit 4 emblematic Museums, National Archaeological Museum, Byzantine & Christian Museum, Numismatic Museum and Epigraphic Museum.
NETWORK OF MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OF ATHENS HISTORICAL CENTRE
17 Museums and Cultural Institutions suggest an interesting cultural stroll in Athens historical centre. The network presents their cultural agenda, events and educational programs. Yearly scheduled you can easily see what’s on in the city by specific dates prior to your arrival. For more information: www.athensmuseums.net
MUSEUMS & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES FREE ADMISSION DAYS
State museums and archaeological sites have free admission days around the year, that would be a great opportunity to get the best of them on a city-break.
Free admission dates are:
- 6 March – Melina Merkouri Memorial Day
- 18 April – International Museums Day
- 18 May – International Monuments Day
- 5 June – World Environmental Day
- The last Weekend of September – European Days Of Cultural Heritage
- Sundays from 1 November until 31 March
- 27 September – World Tourism Day
Gastronomy & Wine City Break
Greek gastronomy comes with 3.500 years of history and it is based on pure, fresh, Greek ingredients, proper use of herbs and spices, fish and seafood, lamp and goat meat and the master of all, olive oil. In Attica, popular Mediterranean nutrition it is not about fashion or trend it’s an everyday way of life for inhabitants and visitors.
You can find various guided city food tours: strolling, tasting, and cooking. You can join a 5senses journey inside the heart of Athens, with spices, small shops with products from all over Greece,Varvakeios Central Market, street vendors and local delicacies.
New arrival at the city is The Museum of Greek Gastronomy, an initiative of young people with the vision to create a holistic experience for the visitors, who learn about the Greek food from the stage of production to that of consumption, while participating and tasting various traditional tastes. Also to highlight the unique characteristics of the Greek countryside, its landscapes and people, through the local recipes, traditions and eating habits.
Combine an Athens City-break with a tour at Attica’s wineries, stroll around vineyards and taste Athens wines along with traditional cheese, seasonal fruits & local products.
Many varieties of grape are grown today, but the Savatiano variety is characteristic of Attica. There are more than 60,000 acres of vineyards in the region, and many wineries which still continue Attica’s long tradition. Athens has yet another reason that makes it special. It is the only European capital where vineyards and wineries are just a stone’s throw away of the city center.
Attica has many remarkable wineries that continue the tradition of Attica’s vineyard producing every year several of Greece’s white and red wines. By tradition Attica was the home of “retsina”, wine with unique flavor is an excellent accompaniment for Mediterranean cuisine. Twice a year Attica’s wineries open their doors to public. On September, when they celebrate “The Vine Harvest Days”, ideal occasion for a fest, as you may know Dionysus is the ancient god of wine and celebration of joy and on May. Also they open for scheduled wine tasting and guided tours. Combine an Athens City-break with a tour at Attica’s wineries, stroll around vineyards and taste their wines along with traditional cheese, seasonal fruits & local products.
See more: http://www.winesofathens.com/index.php/en/map-en/map-routes-en
Shopping City Break
Brand name stores and high end boutiques, young Greek talented designers, antiques, jewels, local traditional products and flea markets everything is in reach within walking distance. On Sunday head to Ermou, Pandrossou, Monastiraki & Thissio if you are up for buzz and colorful atmosphere.
You can search for offers and best buys around the year. Ideal time for a really “value – for – money” shopping is Sales period which is twice a year and also two midseason Sales.
– Winter Sales: Right after Christmas Holiday during January & February
– Summer Sales: From July 20th till the end of August.
– Fall midseason Sales: first 10 days of November
– Spring midseason Sales: first 10 days of May
