The Plaka - Athens

World › Europe › Greece › Athens › Athens Things To Do

The Plaka

based on 2 reviews

The Plaka Reviews

stevemco 39 reviews	The Plaka District Oct 31, 2009 Ok... it's a place to shop. Every city has one and Athens is obviously no different.
	Leave a comment Create a free TravBuddy account or login to leave comments, meet travelers, and share experiences with the TravBuddy travel community.

travelma…
39 reviews

Athen's Most Picturesque Neighborhood Oct 17, 2005

THE PLAKA

The Plaka is the oldest and most picturesque section of Athens. It’s the neighborhood immediately northeast of and at the foot of the Acropolis. Most of its stone-paved, narrow streets are closed to automobile traffic, though you still need to keep an eye out for a speeding motorcycle or delivery truck.

At one time, the Plaka was the nightclub district, but most of the clubs relocated or closed when the government outlawed amplified music in the area in the 1970s in an effort to get rid of undesirables. The strategy seems to have worked; it’s now a fun, exciting and entertaining place dominated by restaurants, cafés, hotels, churches and tourist shops amidst colorful, modest homes with attractive tiled roofs. The area also offers breathtaking views of the Acropolis.

Some complain the district is not what it used to be. You can say the same thing about any beautiful, popular place: Mykonos' south beaches, Venice's Piazza San Marco, San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, etc. In this Yank's opinion, the Plaka is still the nicest neighborhood in central Athens and the heart of the city.

Part of the Crete, Greece (Elounda, Athens) - October 2005 travel blog

Plaka-oldest neighborhood in Athens

Tiny Kapnikarea Church

Plaka view of the Acropolis

6 comments

10 smiles

Squeak123 says:

I call into Athens on the way to Ios when i go. Your review is spot on. The plaka area is a must see !! The highlight of Athens for me is the Metro system though. It took years to build, as every shovel of dirt dug found a relic (must have been frustrating for the construction company though). And they are on display in all the stations.

Posted on: Mar 28, 2008

leblanc says:

Have to agree with everything you said :-)

Posted on: Mar 22, 2008

poohstanggt says:

I wish we had more time there - we are on the tour from the cruise ship so it was rush, rush, rush. We did have a great lunch there...of course, I didn't have one bad meal on that whole trip!! :-)

Posted on: Mar 22, 2008

See all 6 comments

The Plaka Blogs

TYoungTX

Mar 03, 2005

After a late night and lots of travel, I slept in and did not get up until 11! Vacations are wonderful for that. Problem was, I missed breakfast though. The hotel restaurant had stopped serving breakfasts so all I got was a couple …Plaka to make our way up to the Acropolis. One thing I noticed immediately about Athens: it is full of stray dogs! They are everywhere. They just lay around being fat and lazy. There were dogs laying in front of the Parliament… Athens, Day 2: The Acropolis

irmayu

Aug 19, 2007

Whell, I was going to Athens from Skiathos, it was 1-day journey. But, i still have a planty of time to see and smell Athens. From harbour in Skijathos we leave at 8 AM with catamaran "Flying cat". It was very comfortable journey. I like boats of an…Plaka. The Plaka is the oldest section of Athens. Most of the streets have been closed to automobile traffic. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places. An attractive approach to Plaka is to follow Odos Kydathineon Kythathineon, a pedestrian walkway that starts near the Aglican… athens- greece

mariemak

Jul 15, 2007

For our first night in Athens, we decided to wander a bit and see where we would end up. We headed in the direction of the Plaka and first stumbled upon a rocky hill at the base of the Acropolis where we climbed up to watch the sunset over the city…Plaka and first stumbled upon a rocky hill at the base of the Acropolis where we climbed up to watch the sunset over the city! It was great because on one side was the sunset and the other was the Acropolis as it was illuminated… First Night in Athens

lacarte

Mar 19, 2008

I had a plan to visit cape Sounion and another place on the day. But when I was walking across Syntagma square last night, there was many people holding signs before the parliament, and there were many police men around. I asked one of them from cur…Plaka district and to find some traditional music CD. Got up at 8:00, steal out of the dorm room not to awake a Brasilian couple and a Japanese girl, chat with the Japanese guy I met on the acropolis, then set off for the streets… Day of strike

melissak

Jun 20, 2007

So when we got to Athens it was in the early hours of the 20th. We didn't know where our hostel was except that it was close to the Acropolis. We wandered around for a bit and asked some people for directions. It was a good time, and then a sketchy …Plaka for 2 hours I swear, which wasn't bad because Plaka is pretty awesome. Everyone kept pointing us in different directions it was so frusterating. After a certain point we didn't even care about the internet we just wanted to know where this… Athens is sketchy at 4am..and scorching hot at 2pm!