Athens Agora
The Athens Agora or ancient market is a must-see site and one of the best things to do in Athens with its restored arcade building, the Stoa, and its museum.
After the Acropolis and National Archaeological Museum, the market place of ancient Athens is another of the best things to do in Athens. It features some good remains and a fine, small museum.
Athens Agora
Imagine the Agora filled with stalls and shops, its streets and squares packed with buyers and sellers. It helps to buy a plan or to consult one of the information boards dotted around the site. The area was first used as a market place in about the 6th century BC. Before that it was a cemetery.
The site was at the heart of Athenian life for centuries, along with the Acropolis, which rises behind it. In fact, a good overview of the Agora can be had from the Acropolis, or from the neighbouring Areopagos.
At ground level the foundations of many buildings are still evident, with signs in English for some of them. Two buildings dominate opposite ends of the site. One is the Temple of Hephaistos, and the other the Stoa Atallou (Stoa of Attalos), which contains the Agora's excellent little museum.
Athens Agora: The Stoa of Attalos
The Stoa is a two-storey arcade, first built in the 2nd century BC. It has been immaculately restored by the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, giving us a rare opportunity to see what Greek buildings of the period actually looked like when they were in use.
Athens Agora Museum
Inside, the museum is full of quirky finds that bring old Athens to life: a child's commode, a fragment of a library rule-book, a clever machine used for the selection of officials. Between the museum and the Acropolis is another restored building, the Church of the Holy Apostles.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
Some other Athens pages
Best Views in Athens
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
A Walk around Kolonáki
This walk around the Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens starts and ends in Syntagma Square and takes you to several museums, Kolonaki Square and Mount Lykabettos.
Amusing Children in Athens
Amusing children in Athens is easy as there is lots to do including a children’s museum, planetarium, beaches, and easy excursions to the nearest islands.
The Best Hotels in Athens
Greece Travel Secrets gives its choice of the best hotels in Athens from budget and moderate options through to 5-star luxury choices.
Food Tours in Athens
Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes.
Mount Lykabettos
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
Athens National Historical Museum
The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.
National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.
Pictures of Athens
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
Athens Acropolis
The Athens Acropolis has the city's most iconic building, the Parthenon, along with other historic buildings and is where the Elgin Marbles were taken from.
Cape Sounion and the East Coast
The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.
Easter in Athens
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
Athens to Santorini
There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.
Athens Food Tours
Athens Food Tours are being introduced by new company The Greek Fork, and will include tours of the Central Market, and the best street food.
Athens Airport Hotels
Athens Airport hotels include the luxury Sofitel at the terminals, Holiday Inn near the airport, and others close by like the Hotel Pantheon.
Athens Olympic Stadium
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
The Best Things to Do in Athens
The best things to do in Athens, Greece, include top archaeological sites like the Acropolis and must-see attractions such as the National Archaeological Museum
Piraeus
Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
Athens Eaters Guide
Athens, an Eater's Guide to the City, is published by Culinary Backstreets, who do walking food tours in Athens and the book recommends the best places to eat.
Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
A History of Athens
A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.
Best Time to Visit Athens
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
Changing of the Guard in Athens
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum
The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.
Artistic Athens
This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..
Latest Posts
-
Syros’ Hidden Soul: The Timeless Charm of Apano Meria
Apano Meria, rich in geology and Cycladic history, captures the timeless charm of the Greek islands. -
Santorini Remains on Cruise Schedules as Companies Monitor Seismic Activity
Royal Caribbean, the world’s second-largest cruise operator, confirmed it will not cancel itineraries to Santorini at this time, despite recent seismic activity on the island. -
Athens Taxis to Strike for 24 Hours on Wednesday, February 19
Taxi drivers in Athens will hold a 24-hour strike beginning at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, February 19, in protest of changes to street mobility regulations and increasing competition from ride-hailing apps. -
Kastoria’s Hidden Delights: 3 Must-Visit Stops in Western Macedonia
From world-famous giant beans and crisp mountain apples to alpine-raised beef and legendary chestnuts, Kastoria is a food lover’s paradise waiting to be explored. -
Kerameikos: An Oasis in the Ancient City
The Kerameikos archaeological site provides a peaceful escape, transporting visitors to the history-rich northwestern gates of ancient Athens. -
Greece Tops Mediterranean in Hotel Satisfaction Ratings
Greek hotels lead the pack with 87% guest satisfaction, surpassing Spain, Italy, and France, but challenges remain in peak-season management. -
Frygana Honey: The Rare Wild Lavender Honey of Serifos
The honey derived from the wild lavender of Serifos is a premium Greek product. Beekeeper Nikos Kokolakis produces one of the finest varieties on the island. -
Top 5 Archaeological Discoveries in Greece in 2024
From a mysterious Minoan structure to a rediscovered ancient city, these five archaeological finds from 2024 offer fresh perspectives on Greece’s rich history. -
Food Tours in Athens
Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes. -
Patras – Pyrgos Motorway in Western Peloponnese to Open by December 2025
The 75-kilometer-long Patras–Pyrgos Motorway in the western Peloponnese is expected to be completed and open to traffic by December 2025, significantly upgrading the region’s road transport system and…
Why not sign up for our Greece Travel Secrets newsletter? Each week you'll get emailed our regular Greece Travel Secrets Magazine for news, information, and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece.
As a welcome gift you'll also get a free e-book, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, but at no cost to you.
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
LEARN A LITTLE GREEK BEFORE YOU GO!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
