The Atlas Obscura Guide To Athens

79 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Athens, Greece

Updated July 1, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Athens

Antikythera Mechanism

Athens, Greece

Antikythera Mechanism

A 2,000-year-old computer demonstrates remarkable engineering and astronomical precision.

Ancient Agora, Athens

Athens, Greece

The Athenian Agora

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.

The funicular.

Athens, Greece

Lycabettus Funicular

The railway carts travelers to central Athens's highest peak, which offers stunning vistas of the city.

View from the North

Athens, Greece

Anafiotika

The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Interior of reservoir.

Athens, Greece

Hadrian's Reservoir

This ancient hydrological marvel is now the base of a modern outdoor cinema.

Magic Sphere of Helios.

Athens, Greece

Magic Sphere of Helios

This mystical orb covered in strange symbols is thought to have been used in ancient Greek magical rituals.

Tower of the Winds.

Athens, Greece

Tower of the Winds

An ancient octagonal weather station named for the eight Greek gods of wind.

First Cemetery of Athens.

Athens, Greece

First Cemetery of Athens

The oldest cemetery of modern-day Athens blends the modern and ancient worlds.

See All 79 Things To Do in Athens

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Athens

Athens, Greece

The Olive Tree of the Acropolis

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

Look for the two unmarked doors on a graffiti-splattered building.

Athens, Greece

Diporto

With no menu and no sign, this 130-year-old taverna doles out affordable home cooking.

The interior of the cafe is covered in historical bric-a-brac.

Athens, Greece

Kafeneio Oraia Ellas

Luminaries of all stripes have sipped strong Greek coffee at this cafe since 1839.

Sheep's milk cheese gets drenched in honey.

Athens, Greece

Stani

Savor sheep milk yogurt at the last of Athens' dairy bars.

See all 8 Places to Eat in Athens

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Architecture 24

Ruins 17

History & Culture 16

Ancient Greece 15

Churches 15

Archaeology 13

Ancient 11

Sacred Spaces 10

History 10

Museums 8

Military 6

Buildings 5

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wants to go to Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris (Saint Demetrius the Bombardier)
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Stories About Athens

At Stani, the last surviving dairy bar in Athens, milky treats get doused in honey.

A Gastro Obscura Guide to Athens

What’s old is new again in Greece’s dynamic, ancient polis.

by Diana Hubbell

Dimitrios Katsikis bangs away with a hammer, which he crafted himself from scrap metal, to shape a bronze greave, or shin guard. One of the very few modern technologies he allows himself is ear protection.

Meet the Blacksmith Resurrecting Greek History

Dimitrios Katsikis geeks out on making ancient armor with traditional methods.

by Demetrios Ioannou

December 16, 2022

Hermes, back on the surface after ages amid the filth.

We Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised to Find a Sculpture of Hermes in a Sewer

Filthy infrastructure has long been a site of artistry and civic pride.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

December 4, 2020

A Bangladeshi mosque in a rented apartment in Petralona.

The Makeshift Mosques of Athens Are About to Disappear

The Greek capital will soon open an official place of worship for the city's 200,000 Muslims.

by Demetrios Ioannou

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