Athens: Getting into Greece by Matt Morley
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Athens is a chaotic beast of a city that occupies a geographical no-man’s land somewhere between Europe and Asia. Countless pockets of overt modernism are waiting to be discovered, while some of the world’s most visually impressive cultural remains are also only ever a short distance away – the Pantheon will forever loom large over the city centre it seems.
Due to its layout and apparent lack, or the practical impossibility of, urban planning, this is a city to take in on foot; provided it is not peak summer when the temperatures can rise as high as 46 degrees in the midday sun! Autumn is therefore a far more sensible time to visit as it provides a perfectly clement climate in which to leisurely absorb your surroundings.
So, having climbed to the top of Acropolis Hill, be sure to take time for a wander around the historic area of Plaka, sampling the myriad forms of coffee on sale in the local cafes along the way. Leave time for the museums around Syntagma and perhaps take a stroll through the National Gardens for a break from the intensity of the urban centre.
Panoramas are something Athens does remarkably well; whether it be the Parthenon’s 360 degree version by day or the Galaxy bar’s 180 degree version by night, you’ll be snapping digi-pictures faster than a Japanese tourist at a royal wedding.
We stayed in the Fresh Hotel while in town, another venue with a top-floor vista to boast of, this time complete with open-air lap pool and a daytime lounge scene that even hard-to-please locals have taken a shine to.
The Fresh is exactly that: a cool and vibrant hotel with a relaxed, informal atmosphere designed to appeal to the younger end of both the local and international visitor markets. A colour scheme dominated by fuchsia pink, white and black sets the unrelenting tone; this is categorically not somewhere for those looking for understated luxury in the classical mould; head to the Grande Bretagne for that.
This is a hotel that represents Athens’ contemporary face then, much more than its past. A hotel prepared to pair daringly coloured plexiglass panels against stark white walls, use Korres products (Greece’s hippest beauty range) in their bathrooms and promote ‘nouvelle Grec’ cuisine in its restaurant.
Built on the site of a decrepit old hotel and entirely re-constructed in less than a year, located at the heart of one of the city’s most up-and-coming quarters, designed by locals Zeppos, Georgiadis & Associates; the Fresh is a sign of how the new generation of Athenians see their city taking shape over coming years.