EU ROPE FIRST-HAND
ATHENS by Yannis Ploumis Ploumis Sotiropoulos Real Estate Brokers. Athens, Greece.
Athens has been described as a contradiction that assaults the senses. Would you say this is so? YP - Athens is a beautiful city harmoniously built around the Acropolis. Poetry and prose has been written about this city which is a feast for the eyes. Athens is a city full of life, one time is never enough to visit and experience the history behind the charming architecture of ancient buildings and beauties of the culture and nature it has to offer. If tourists head in one direction, where do locals go to relax, enjoy and socialise? YP - Locals enjoy the Kolonaki area in the centre of Athens, Glyfada in the south and Kifissia in the north. In the summer months most locals spend their weekends in the sandy beaches in the southern suburbs of Attica. What’s better, classic Athens or modern Athens? YP - Both can be enjoyed if one knows where to go and what to see. Athens offers the best of both worlds ancient and modern. You could be walking in the streets of Plaka and on one side view remnants of the ancient city and on the other amazing contemporary buildings. What are the must-see discoveries off the beaten track? YP - If you have already experienced the fairness of great historical buildings and museums, then you should definitely walk through the flea market of Monastiraki. Make a stop for a Greek coffee in the streets of Plaka, visit and enjoy the peaceful environment at the National Garden off Syntagma square, and finish by walking all the way up to Mount Lycabettus and enjoy the breathtaking view. After that, take a short drive to the south. Sit back and relax while the calmness of the blue Mediterranean Sea does all the work. Don’t forget to visit the Vouliagmeni Lake and the temple of Poseidon in Sounio. Which are the residential zones you recommend, and why? YP - Other residential zones include Plaka and Makrigianni in the historical centre, Kolonaki and the Presidential Palace in the centre, Palaio Psychico and Filothei in the north and Vouliagmeni and Kavouri in the south. How do you endear yourself to Greek people? YP - By speaking the language and by having some knowledge of the history and civilization. Learn and understand the culture. You will not find it difficult to socialize with Greeks since they are very open and outgoing. So just listen and dance to their traditional music, taste the local food with them and you shall win their hearts.
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