The Athens Key

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens, Greece.

The Secret of Happiness is Freedom. The Secret of Freedom is Courage.
Thucydides, Epitaph to Pericles

a Sunny Day in Athens!

Today is Saturday, May 26th, 2018! The rainfall washed our streets and trees, and made colors bright and fresh in Athens. Should you be planning a trip to Athens any time soon, make sure to pack a collapsible umbrella along. Afternoon rains are becoming regular. The forecast today calls for sunny and clear skies, and a slight increase in temperature. Kalimera from Greece! And, do not forget: This still is a perfect time of the year to visit Athens, when the city is at full pace, full of events and activities, and the prices are a bit lower than the Summer peak!

Welcome to The Athens Key!

The Athens Key is a travel companion for Athens and all things Greek, in English. It is designed for the potential visitor to our hometown, or for the curious mind. From the research to the text to most photographs, we strive to highlight the most interesting landmarks of this historic city worth seeing, but also some of the lesser known, quaint, yet ever so intriguing, attractions of our city. We tirelessly look for, and suggest, places, events, services, shops, museum shows, curiosities in Athens, as if a friend from abroad was about to visit for a short stay and was asking for our advise on how to best plan their visit.

For decades now and up until recently, during the official ceremony of welcoming a foreign dignitary, the Mayor of Athens would hand them the Golden Key of Athens in a well-staged photo opportunity. It used to be a somewhat exaggerated gesture in recognition of a goodwill visit and signified that the guest would always be welcome back to the city as a friend. Well, we ran out of gold, and our city is now in need. But, as citizens of Athens who love our hometown and have nothing to gain from sharing this love, to you who dropped by, we decided to offer you The Athens Key, without the hoopla and the decorum, but from the bottom of our heart!

We should note here that we are not endorsed by, supported from, or financially aided by any official or unofficial state or local government, we have no ties or affiliations with any enterprise that could possibly influence our opinion or alter our objectivity. At the same time, we can not and do not claim to have included all that is worth seeing in Athens, nor that our coverage of the subjects is complete. Thus, we strive to improve, to keep an open mind, to be informed, and to constantly add material to The Athens Key. Enjoy!

Ion Frantzeskakis, Editor & Publisher
© 2018 Ion Frantzeskakis, Athens, Greece. All rights reserved in all media.

Athens: A Hot City that is always a Cool Destination!

Athens is World Book Capital for 2018! The city of Athens was chosen by UNESCO for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The program includes meetings with writers, translators and illustrators, concerts, thematic exhibitions, poetry readings and workshops for publishing professionals and aims to make books accessible to the city’s entire population, including migrants and refugees. Members of the Advisory Committee also praised Athens’ cultural infrastructure and its expertise in organizing international events.

In 2017 Athens earned a spot on the New York Times' top 52 destinations for 2017. Recent years have seen a surge of art galleries, collectives and nonprofit art organizations built for leaner times, like Radio Athènes, which hosts pop-up lectures and performances, and the immigration-focused Nomadic Architecture Network. The renovated EMST National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens opened in the former FIX brewery, while the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, opened last August.

Athens is 7th Best European Destination for 2018, in online polls conducted by the European Best Destinations organization, whose purpose is the promotion of culture and tourism in Europe, and works alongside with the biggest tour operators in Europe covering 355 destinations. Ever since its participation in this competition, Athens has ranked among the top most favorite destinations of travelers worldwide. With a recorded history of 3,500 years, the Greek capital is constantly undergoing urban renewals to keep up with the evolution of time. Athens lives up to all the hype!

The Greek islands topped the list of the 20 “Best Islands in the World”, as voted by the readers of prestigious Condé Nast Traveller, due to their “extraordinary scenery and people.” To top it off, Greece was voted as the second “Best Country in the World” by the readers of CNT after Italy. The readers of the luxury travel magazine voted for what they love most about travelling, including favorite countries, cities, islands, ski resorts; top hotels and spas; best airlines, airports, cruise lines, villa rentals and tour operators.

Offer Valid in Greece only!

Elafonissi Beach, in Crete, was voted 9th among the best 25 beaches in the world by Trip Advisor's Traveler's Choice Awards! The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature announced that 486 beaches and 12 marinas were awarded the “Blue Flag” in 2017, boosting Greece to the number two place in the world rankings of countries with the cleanest beaches. The “Blue Flag” is an eco-label awarded to beaches that follow requirements such as Environmental Education and Information, Water Quality, Environmental Management and Safety and Services.

Travel, Cruises, Sailing & Yachting, Car Rentals, Tours & excursions

You can always plan your travel or vacations in Greece on your own, relying on your experience and the advice of friends or trusted sources, including The Athens Key. This way, you will enjoy the absolute independence, and utilize every single day according to your interests and needs.

Check Hotels in Athens and all over Greece through Booking.com or look around and see the accommodation suggestions we offer close to most places of attraction.

Instead, you may find complete travel packages with one visit by opting for the concept of All-Inclusive-Holidays, offered by a reliable company such as TUI, and relax during the precious time of your vacations having nothing to worry about. Meals, drinks and entertainment are paid for upfront. So, not only is it a lot easier to budget before you go, but when you get there, you can relax and get on with the important bit – enjoying yourself.

For car rentals alone, go for AutoEurope! Ask for your free e-book "RENTING A CAR IN EUROPE" that will help you answer all possible questions on the subject by the experts!

You may want to search and compare flights to Greece or any other destination in the whole wide world from among hundreds of airlines on the comparison search engine of Kiwi! If you wish to fly to Athens from San Francisco, or from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Athens, check out Etihad Airways. Among European airlines you may prefer Brussels Airlines, or Lufthansa. Should Spanish be your mother language you may choose Iberia as your carrier. Or, you may wish to search and book a flight to or within Greece using Aegean, the Greek flag carrier.

Choose one of the large, luxurious and reliable cruises to leisurely explore the Eastern Mediterranean Sea? Look for several schedules but also for special deals! We are directly affiliated with P&O Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, and Marella Cruises, by TUI, formerly Thomson.

Can one charter a motor-sailer, a motor yacht or a sailing boat, barefoot or with a skipper, to cruise the magnificent Aegean Archipelago or the green islands of the Ionian sea? Need we say yes? Visit our page Sailing & Yachting in Greece!

For ferries to the islands of the Greek Archipelago, book through our Affiliate Let's Ferry, an award winning company connecting over 80 destinations in the Mediterranean. Let's Ferry mainly operates in Greece, offering a simple way of booking ferry tickets online to make your way to Greek dream islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, or Hydra.

Please note our tab Destinations which includes select places you'd visit on an short or a longer excursion from Athens, accessible by land or sea and popular with most cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean or accessible by the sailing boat or yacht you may charter!

Greece is the birthplace of Mediterranean Diet, the balanced diet to keep you healthy and give you a long life. A delicious cuisine, which comes as a combination of indigenous, ancient practices and recipes, along with hundreds of Middle Eastern, Southern European and other influences resulting in a tasty, hearty and healthy menu of choices. Please check our FOOD section, and the several pages under it, such as Bakeries, Farmers Markets, Juice Bars, Lunch or Dinner, etc., etc., and enjoy! Bon appetit!

Are there excursions, for a few hours or a couple of days, organized or not, that one can take using Athens as a base of operations? Take, for example, the Athens Shore Excursion. This Hop on - Hop off tour, taking around 2.5 hours from the port of Piraeus to timeless Athens, is a mix of ancient history and modern development.

There are also Classical Tours available that may include Corinth, Epidavros, Mycenae, Nafplion, Olympia, and Delphi from Athens. Or maybe you want to try the Acropolis Walking Tour or a Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon Trip! For Tours and Activities in Athens and all over Greece, visit Viator now for an unforgettable trip! Make sure to check Viator's Athens Super-Saver: An Athens Sightseeing Tour plus a Delphi Day Trip! And, of course, you may decide to get married in Greece, and take advantage of the rich experience of TUI !

The Temple of Hephaestos.

The Gate of Athena Archegetis, entrance to the Roman Agora of Athens.

Among Our Pages

The Rider from Delphi, National Archaeological Museum.

Within the Resources of The Athens Key, take a look in the Basic Architectural Terminology as well as the 3 Orders of Architecture for better following the descriptions of the ancient temples but also the Byzantine churches. Also, a biography of the great romantic poet and philhellene Lord Byron. Check our Brief History of Athens, and the Greek Pantheon pages. They may remind you of key-facts that may be useful in better utilizing information that can be found throughout our website and during a potential visit to Athens. For a page full of travel resources, including links to flights to Greece or within Greece, hotel, villa, or home rentals, cruises, yachting and sailing, car rentals, tours and excursions, even travel insurance, visit this page, and you are half way to Athens already! Look for discriminating selections of Swimwear and Beachwear to wear this coming Summer on the gorgeous Greek beaches. And then, for the time of relaxation, check our Lingerie page. Checkout this page for Fashion ideas and here for Jewelry or Fragrances! For your indoor gym exercise but also for your outdoor sports activities check out our Activewear!

For a large selection of bags, suitcases and travel accessories, check Travel Luggage & Cabin Bags, who are passionate about bringing the finest quality, stylish yet lightweight luggage products from the world's largest manufacturers to their customers. in an unrivaled range, at the best prices. Last, but not least, visit our Travel Insurance page. Select one of the major insurance companies we are affiliated with, and you'll find the coverage you need!

In our constant quest to improve and enhance the effectiveness of the Athens Key we keep making additions and navigational changes here, within the technical limitations of the platform, and our own abilities. We hope you'll find the changes practical and effective, but, if not so, we would love to hear your input and suggestions!