August Sunny days in athens! |
August is always sunny and warm in Athens, though, statistically, July is the hottest month of all. Most Athenians take their summer vacations in August, while most tourists, happen to pass by Athens during August. As a result, people coming in my hometown for the first time may think that the locals have abandoned their city -yes, this is an exaggeration- to be replaced by travelers, from all parts of the world. In addition, many businesses, mostly small but that includes restaurants, bakeries, and useful service stores, are also closed for two to three weeks during the month. But, be happy, and don't worry! Wear your carefree mood, buy a straw hat from any kiosk or tourist-shop in central Athens, drink plenty of water, take a collapsible umbrella along just in case or to humor the situation, and wander around in the Athenian neighborhoods. Visit some of the many museums or the several archaeological sites worth paying a visit to, take some pictures to help you cherish the memories and show-off to your friends, enjoy the aroma of a cup of coffee or a refreshing drink in one of the several coffee shops that line the Athenian streets, or better still, taste the delicious and healthy Greek cuisine. Kalimera from Greece!
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Welcome to The Athens Key!
The Athens Key is a travel companion for Athens and all things Greek, in English, designed for the potential visitor to our hometown. 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. 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 that we are not 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. Enjoy! Ion Frantzeskakis, Editor & Publisher
© 2019 Ion Frantzeskakis, Athens, Greece. All rights reserved in all media. |
Athens: A Hot City that is always a Cool Destination!
Athens International Airport, El. Venizelos, (ATH) was named 3rd Best Airport in the Wold for 2019, following Hamad International Airport, Qatar and Tokyo International Airport, Japan, by AirHelp, an organization that specializes in air traveler rights, and seeks compensation in cases of delays or cancellations. The airports are rated based on on-time performance, service quality, and food and shopping options. AirHelp’s data comes from multiple commercial vendors, along with its own database, plus 40,000 passenger surveys collected in 40 countries during 2018.
In 2018, the city of Athens was named World Book Capital, chosen by UNESCO for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The program included 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. Similarly, Athens was awarded the 2018 European Capital of Innovation Award at Web Summit, Lisbon, Portugal.
Athens International Airport, El. Venizelos, (ATH) was named 3rd Best Airport in the Wold for 2019, following Hamad International Airport, Qatar and Tokyo International Airport, Japan, by AirHelp, an organization that specializes in air traveler rights, and seeks compensation in cases of delays or cancellations. The airports are rated based on on-time performance, service quality, and food and shopping options. AirHelp’s data comes from multiple commercial vendors, along with its own database, plus 40,000 passenger surveys collected in 40 countries during 2018.
In 2018, the city of Athens was named World Book Capital, chosen by UNESCO for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The program included 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. Similarly, Athens was awarded the 2018 European Capital of Innovation Award at Web Summit, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Recent years have seen a surge of art galleries, collectives and nonprofit art organizations built for leaner times. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, is now fully functional, and has fast become a cultural beacon for the Greek capital.
Athens was 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 Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
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The Greek islands topped the list of the 20 “Best Islands / Favorite Islands in the World”, by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller 21st Annual Readers’ Awards 2018, due to their “extraordinary scenery and people.” To top it off, Greece was voted as the “Best Country in the World” by the readers of CNT. 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. Crete is TUI’s top holiday destination for European travelers this year, and Greece is the second country of choice after Spain, according to the holiday bookings made through the largest leisure, travel and tourism company in the world. According to TUI, vacationers from Europe this year rank Greece’ largest island Crete first in the destination list. Three of the five most popular destinations for Germans are found in Greece: Crete, Rhodes and Kos. Greece is also very popular among Northern Europeans. For Norwegians, Swedes, Danes and Finns, Greece is the number one holiday destination.
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, make best use of your financial resources and utilize every single day according to your own interests and needs.
Accommodation
Check Hotels in Athens and all over Greece by using the reliable search and booking engine of Booking.com, or browse through each and any of our pages and rely on the accommodation suggestions we offer close to most places of attraction. Alternatively, check out TripAdvisorRentals or TUI Villas!
Accommodation
Check Hotels in Athens and all over Greece by using the reliable search and booking engine of Booking.com, or browse through each and any of our pages and rely on the accommodation suggestions we offer close to most places of attraction. Alternatively, check out TripAdvisorRentals or TUI Villas!
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Car Rentals
For the best prices and availability among the most reputable car rental companies worldwide, including car rental and pre-booked taxi services, visit Rentalcars, or Auto Europe. Cruises Choose among several schedules, destinations, dates and offers among the luxurious and reliable cruises to leisurely explore the Mediterranean Sea! Look for special deals! Destinations Please note Destinations including select places you are able to visit on an excursion from Athens, accessible by land or sea. Some ports of call are popular with most cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean and certainly accessible by the sailing boat or motor-yacht you may charter! Crete, Corfu, Heraklion, Mykonos, Rhodes or Santorini by sea, or Corinth, Delphi, Epidavros, Olympia or Marathon by land, a multitude of destinations await your selection! Eating Greek - The Mediterranean Diet Greece is the birthplace of the Mediterranean Diet, the balanced diet that keeps you healthy and gives you a long life. A delicious cuisine, which comes as a combination of indigenous, ancient practices and recipes, along with hundreds of Mediterranean influences resulting in a delicious tasty, hearty and healthy menu of choices. Check our pages such as Bakeries, Farmers Markets, Olives & Olive Oil, Juice Bars, Greek Cuisine but also International Cuisine, Bistrots, Pastry Shops, Street Food, etc., and bon appetit! |
Hadrian's Arch, Athens.
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Tours & Excursions
There are several tours and excursions, for a few hours or a couple of days, organized or not, that one can take using Athens as a base of operations. You have a choice of three different tours offering add-ons and options, as in seaside Vravrona, very close to Athens. Classical Tours available might include Corinth, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, and, of course, Delphi.
Flights
You may wish to search for and book a flight to Greece via Aegean Airlines, or within Greece via Aegean Airlines or Olympic Air, an Aegean Airlines subsidiary. For bargains in international flights, try Jetradar, one of the largest online search engines for flights all over the world, helping thousands of people to compare airline prices, track down carriers' special offers, and book the cheapest tickets available. You also have the option to use trip.com for the best deals in the market!
There are several tours and excursions, for a few hours or a couple of days, organized or not, that one can take using Athens as a base of operations. You have a choice of three different tours offering add-ons and options, as in seaside Vravrona, very close to Athens. Classical Tours available might include Corinth, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, and, of course, Delphi.
Flights
You may wish to search for and book a flight to Greece via Aegean Airlines, or within Greece via Aegean Airlines or Olympic Air, an Aegean Airlines subsidiary. For bargains in international flights, try Jetradar, one of the largest online search engines for flights all over the world, helping thousands of people to compare airline prices, track down carriers' special offers, and book the cheapest tickets available. You also have the option to use trip.com for the best deals in the market!
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Ferries to the Greek Islands
For ferries to the islands of the Greek Archipelago, book through our affiliate AFerry, the world's leading ferry website and the industry front-runner in booking technology, offering a simple way of easily booking ferry tickets online to make your way to Greek dream islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, or Hydra. Sailing & Yachting 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! |
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The Temple of Hephaestos, Athens.
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The Gate of Athena Archegetis, entrance to the Roman Agora of Athens.
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Among Our Pages
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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, visit this page, and you are half way to Athens already! For a selection of bags, suitcases and travel accessories, check Luggage, featuring some of the very best luggage products from the world's largest manufacturers, at the best prices. Last, but not least, visit our Travel Insurance page. |
The Rider from Delphi, National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
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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!
