The Atlas Obscura Guide To Athens

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

Updated March 26, 2026

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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.

Athens, Greece

Magic Sphere of Helios

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

The theater from the Acropolis.

Athens, Greece

Theatre of Dionysus

Heralded as the world's first theater, these ruins are often overlooked as they reside in the shadows of the Acropolis.

See All 87 Things To Do in Athens

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Athens

From NW

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.

See all 9 Places to Eat in Athens

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Explore Athens, Greece

Architecture 28

Ruins 18

Ancient Greece 17

History & Culture 16

Churches 15

Archaeology 13

History 12

Ancient 11

Sacred Spaces 10

Museums 9

Buildings 6

Military 6

Restaurants 5

Architectural Oddities 5

War History 5

Art 4

Walls 4

Sculptures 4

Temples 3

Columns 3

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has been to The Gennadius Library
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has been to Antikythera Mechanism
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has been to Church of Agia Kyriaki
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has been to Philopappou Hill Pathways
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has been to Botanical Museum of the National Garden

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, Atlas Obscura

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, Atlas Obscura

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, Atlas Obscura

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, Atlas Obscura