Granta City Guides: Athens

Beyond the breathtaking beauty of the Parthenon, which dominates the city and the imagination, Athens is less well known than many other European cities. Surprisingly few guidebooks deal with it as a delightful destination in itself rather than a place to pass through. Based on walks through the city, the visitor is taken from the elegant neo-classical houses of the nineteenth century to arguably the most beautiful metro station in the world at Syntagma, a fantasy of shimmering reflections and a showcase for recent archaeology, or simply tracking down a rebetika club, where the revival of Greece’s indigenous form of the blues continues until morning, this is the guide which reveals Athens in its every mood. This timely guide for both the first time visitor and the long established Grecophile includes an up to date selection of cafes, restaurants and hotels which reflect the best of Athens’ eclectoc character.