Athens in winter isn’t the obvious choice for a city break. In fact, it might not even feature on your radar this time of year. The bustling capital of Greece is often used by travellers in summer as a stopover en route to the islands, but ask any local and they’ll confirm that winter is not only a good time, but the best season to visit.
Athens heaves in the warmer months, with hour-long (or longer) waits for museums and restaurants, scorching temperatures and clogged streets.
In winter, Athens is quiet, with mild weather (10-17C temperatures in mid-December), queue-less entry into monuments that charge half-price admissions from November to March, off-peak hotel deals, and locals enjoying their own city.
In the words of local Athenian ceramicist Hercules: “Athens is an ugly, dirty city but it has vibe.” And at this time of year, Athens has vibe in buckets. The streets, lined with orange trees, broken pavements and graffiti art, hum – especially at night when lit up by Christmas decorations. While there are no ‘traditional’ Christmas markets (many Greeks go to the Czech capital, Prague, for those), central hubs such as Syntagma Square, Plaka and Monastiraki are aglow, and shops stay open late for holiday trading. One place to visit is the Meet Market’s pop-up Christmas Market, housing more than 40 local craftmakers for local present-buying. Feast on Greek Christmas cookies, melomakarona (honey) and kourabiedes (almond), and try mastika, a woody digestive Greek liqueur made from a tree grown only on Chios island, which feels especially festive.
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Early sunsets mean theatre is a natural fit for winter holidays. Head to the newly built €630m Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), designed by Renzo Piano – of London’s Shard and Paris’ Pompidou fame. The SNFCC houses the Greek National Opera (GNO), National Library of Greece, and the largest public Mediterranean garden in the world, filled with olive, carob and cypress trees, and aromatic indigenous Greek herbs. It’s a serene and sensory stroll all the way to the top of a man-made hill, where you are rewarded with sweeping sea views. With special winter programming of pop-up art installations, concerts, free lectures, children’s craft activities, an ice rink and a half-hourly fountain light display, the centre is a feast of design and culture until late in the evening. Climb to the ‘lighthouse’ at the top for an unobstructed 360-degree vista of the city, and make the most of the cosy season with a new Greek play – I saw Mataroa on the Horizon, a historic political play about the immigrant experience of 125 artists and intellectuals looking to escape the Greek Civil War. For those who prefer visual art, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens is well worth a visit and open until 7pm.
Swap summer island-hopping for trendy winter neighbourhood-hopping like the locals. Nightlife in Psiri is a reliable choice, especially for artsy cocktails and the soothing Greek blues, rebetiko. Daytime exploration of Anafiotika, a colourful neighbourhood on the Acropolis slopes, will momentarily transport you to a sunny corner of the Cycladic islands with its tiny white and orange-washed homes covered in bougainvillea. For a hidden gem, venture to the hipster inner-city neighbourhood of Koukaki. It’s a creative hub vibrant with a LGBT+ history, barista coffee (Bel Ray wins for best flat white in Athens), independent bakeries and leafy streets with an almost city-meets-jungle feel. The area has a high density of artists who have shopfronts for their studios. Trabala Studio, owned by ceramicist couple Jenny and Hercules, has a particular charm with its unique glazes and practical homeware designs.
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Mild winter temperatures means al fresco dining is still very much an option, and it’s worth taking advantage of off-peak accommodation prices to splurge on fine dining; Athens has 36 restaurants in the Michelin guide. For something extraordinary, try Merceri in the trendy central Thisio area. Chefs Melina Chomata and Maria Ntioudi serve seasonal seafood dishes rooted in Greek cooking with unconventional contemporary flavour combinations. The dining experience is a whirl of crisp and floral local April sparkling rosé along with hot lobster cake and an unusual, but delicious, pairing of creamy potato and lobster with nutty, aged graviera cheese from the island of Skyros.
The true star of Athens any time of the year is the 2,500-year-old roofless columns of the Parthenon that sparkle atop the Acropolis. You can see it from almost every street corner, but it is particularly special up-close. In winter, not only can you enjoy half-price entry, but you can usually walk straight through without any queues and scale the 160m ascent in cooler weather (it was 17C when I did it). It would have been almost unfathomable to attempt in warmer conditions; last summer, the Acropolis paused tours around midday because of dangerous 40C+ heat.
Opt for a walking tour from a licensed guide who will unpack the history and mythology of not just the Parthenon – temple for Athena, patron and protector of Athens – but monuments like the Erechtheion (site of the first olive tree) and Odeon of Herodes Atticus (5,000-seat open-air theatre). Tag on entry to the Acropolis Museum to see preserved Acropolis artefacts, and don’t miss the top floor glass-walled chamber that exactly matches the Parthenon’s dimensions and delicately houses the Parthenon Frieze.
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Where to stay
Taking advantage of low-season availability, I spent the first night at Crowne Plaza Athens – City Centre, a vibrant hotel with authentic Greek dining and views overlooking Mount Lycabettus.
The next two nights were at the luxurious InterContinental Athenaeum Athens, which served as a perfect base to recharge in comfort after long days walking. To slow down the pace, try dining at one of its three on-site restaurants (the Greek salad from Artbistrot and the seabass ceviche at the rooftop Premiére, paired with views of the Acropolis, are outstanding), or visit the spa, which offers a wide range of wellness treatments.
For travellers with late evening arrivals or those jetting off early in the morning, consider staying at Holiday Inn Athens – Airport for its proximity to the terminal.
Maryann Wright travelled as a guest of IHG Hotels & Resorts
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