Athens

This guide celebrates Athens as it really is: a wonderful, complex city which has lived with the contradictions of its extraordinary heritage for 2500 years. Athens, invigorated by the prospect of hosting the Olympics, has never looked better; its spirits have never been higher. This guide explores the pleasures and curiosities of this most fascinating of destinations: the courtyards and lanes of Plaka and old Anafiotika and the bazaars and food markets of Monastiraki; tiny tucked-away Byzantine churches and unfamiliar gems of antiquity; and the peaceful cemetery at Keramikos and converted warehouses in increasingly fashionable Psirri and Thisio. From resinous amber shops or 1930s patisseries, to one of Europe's outstanding museums and its most beautiful underground station, Athens has it all. This timely guide for both first-time visitor and long-established Hellenophile includes an up-to-date selection of cafes, restaurants and hotels which reflect the best Athens has to offer the visitor.