Top Things to do in Athens Greece

Top things to do in Athens – Living Stones Apartments

The Living Stones Apartments is the place to stay if you want to experience the top things to do in Athens, Greece. This is due to the fact that most of the top things to do in Athens are in or near it. Living Stones Apartments and the Living Stones Diamond are in the heart of Athens, at the vibrant neighborhood of Psirri. Moreover, Living Stones Sapphire and Living Stones Emerald are in the up-and-coming area of Metaxourgheio. Their locations are among their greatest assets. Ultimately, close to metro stations and all major attractions, they offer a solid base for tourists and business travelers alike. The Living Stones Apatment is a unique place to stay for those who wish to discover the top things to do in Athens. Not only its location, but also its amenities and the quality of service it offers, are among the top things one can experience in Athens. It has 8 rooms and studios, which can suit the needs of all kinds of travelers. Additionally, it has a range of amenities that make it one of the best hotels in Athens. And it has a great asset: Its people! Our team knows the center of Athens perfectly. Hence, we know its small secrets and we are happy to share them with our guests!

The apartments

The Living Stone Apartmants Living Stone Apartmants are three incredible short-stay lease apartments that follow the Living Stones style and philosophy: Living Stones Diamond: A 2-bedroom stone house in the Psirri area. In the center of nightlife and in walking distance from the Acropolis, it has everything a traveler could ask for. After all, it is a privileged spot to stay when you want to experience the top things to do in Athens! Living Stones Emerald: A large, 100 sq. m. apartment in Metaxourgheio, Living Stones Emerald can host up to 8 people. Thus, it is perfect for families or groups of friends who wish to discover Athens together! After all, enjoying the sights and sounds with good company, is one of the top things you could do in Athens. Living Stones Sapphire: A cozy studio for 2 or 3 people, Living Stones Sapphire offers one of the best experiences one can have in Athens. Moreover, it offers an unobstructed view of the Acropolis, a rare and magnificent thing for one that comes to the city. Guests can literally wake up, open their eyes and see the ancient symbol of civilization right in front of them! Then, they can just walk outside, take the Metro and be there in a few minutes!

Top things to do in Psirri, Athens

Psirri is the vibrant heart of Athens and a place of wonders. Visitors to Psirri can view a wide range of sights and feel an even wider range of emotions. Its proximity to all other areas of the historic center, makes it one of the best places to stay in Athens. From there, one can experience literally anything Athens has to offer. In fact, the top things to do in Psirri include:

• Enjoy a glass of wine, or a mug of coffee in the roof garden ofLiving Stones . Relax, indulge in conversation, or read your favorite book.
• Stay in one of the stylish rooms of Living Stones . Recently renovated, Living Stones started its journey in May 2019 and it already is a landmark of the area.
• Play at Great Escape Rooms, the best escape room game of Athens.
• Wander around the famous, legal antique shops of Psirri and discover great opportunities of old items. Furthermore, it is the only place in Athens where antiques shops have decades of presence, run by the same families.
• Discover some of the last great craftsmen of Athens, masters of wood, metal and stone. Make some of their unique artifacts yours, as memorabilia of Athens and their crafts.
• Enjoy an elaborate pastry creation in a thematic pastry shop. Psirri has the best and most unique pastry delights in Athens. Moreover, its thematic pastry shops are meeting points for all generations, with decorations that change in fixed periods of time. The two most famous and recognizable pastry shops are:

Zoubourlou

Αuthentic pastry shop with Constantinopolitan feel and tastes! Sweets with syrup, freshly-baked pies of every kind, Greek coffee and all-traditional recipes, right on Psirri sq. The sweetest choice for every traveler in Athens! Address:  Eschilou 4, Athina 105 54, Tel: 30 21 0331 4854 Site: https://zoubourlou.gr

Little Kook

A “fairy-tale shop” as it describes itself, this is a place where the thematic fantasy decoration changes every 6 months. Location: 17 Karaiskaki str., Psirri – Tel: (0030) 210 3214144 Facebook: Little Kook

• Marvel at the incredible street art and murals of the area. Some of them are works of international street artists, who painted them in nearly impossible spots.
• Taste the incredible, top rated brunch selections of the local brunch spots. Savor the rare coffee varieties they offer and notice the morning routine of the locals. Those who know, consider the brunch spots of Psirri the best in Athens!
• Take part in the nightlife Psirri is famous for! There are more bars, cocktail joints and nightlife spots than you can count. Many of them have design awards and even appear in lists featuring the best bars in the world! Their design incorporates many theatrical elements and props, sometimes custom-made. Fan Favorite bars include:

Juan Rodriguez Bar

Cocktail bar with signature cocktails based on rum & tequila and a Central American, colonial feeling. Location: 7 Pallados str., Psirri – Tel: (0030) 2103224496 Facebook:  Juan Rodriguez Bar • Compañia de Bebida

The Clumsies

Regarded as one of the 10 best bars in the world. A near endless selection of cocktails and many guest musicians and DJs throughout the year. Location: 30 Praxitelous str, Athens center – Tel: (0030) 210 3232682 Site: the clumsies

Top things to do in Monastiraki – Thissio, Athens

Monastiraki and Thissio are hard to distinguish from Psirri. Old, lordly and unique neighborhoods of Athens that keep their own secrets. However, they are ready to share them with anyone who visits them and digs deep. Finally, some of the top things to do in Monastiraki and Thissio include:

• Just stand and watch the colorful crowd of people wandering around Monastiraki sq. The Acropolis of Athens in the background and the iconic Monastiraki Metro station provide a beautiful scenery. Moreover, the old blends with the new, as all eras of Athens join in a collage. As in many major cities, the old square is now the meeting point of the younger generation! Ultimately, the history of Athens will continue on.
• Drink a cup of Greek coffee in the winter. Most places in the area serve it with a traditional “loukoumi” or other delights. Surely, you could always ask for more if you want!
• Lose yourself in the small byways between neoclassical mansions, traditional taverns, trendy nightlife spots, tiny galleries and art spaces. You’ll never know where the road will take you next! Ultimately, you’ll never know what you’ll find there!
• Imagine the daily life of ancient Athenians in the Ancient Agora. The Agora was the political, economic and cultural hub of the ancient Athenian city-state. It is where Socrates and the philosophers taught, orators spoke and daily Athenians traded political opinions. Ultimately, this is where the idea of “Democracy” came to be.

More things to do in Monastiraki

• Watch a movie in “Cine Thission”, one of the best open-air cinemas in the world, according to experts.
• Stand in the pedestrian bridge above the Thission Railway station and watch as the trains move under your feet. The Thission railway station blends perfectly with its surroundings. It is undistinguishable from the important archeological site of the Ancient Agora. Definitely, when you think they built it in 1869 and it was the first railway station in Greece, you realize: it is a great feat of engineering!
• Explore the Attalos Gallery. A Hellenistic monument, which through the centuries was a closed market, a Greek temple and a Christian church. Now it is the Museum of the Ancient Agora. It was also the place where Greeks received the first King, Otto, effectively the birthplace of the modern Greek state!
• Taste the street food from one of the many unique parlors. Traditional “souvlaki” in many variations and with many different materials. Ethnic and world cuisine, “fusion” restaurants of famous chefs, vegetarian and vegan choices. Also, you can find some original pastry and dessertsand many other choices! Obviously, Athens is a world capital and this reflects on the culinary options available! “Kosta” is an historic “souvlaki” joint, considered by locals and tourists to make the best, “purest” souvlaki in Athens. Location: 2 Ag. Eirinis sq., Monastiraki Tel: (0030) 210 3232971
• Monastiraki is the spot for a unique type of cultural space – cocktail joint. Enterprising artists and cultural managers took old theatres and transformed them into cultural spaces. The best ones are:

Six d.o.g.s.

Multi-art space with a famous garden, hosting many live performances/events of pioneering artists. Location: 6-8 Avramiotou Str. Monastiraki – Tel: (0030) 210 3210510 Site: six dogs

Faust Bar – Theater – Arts

A bar and cultural space with a Belle Epoque feeling and authentic atmosphere. Location: 11 Kalamiotou Str., Monastiraki.- Tel: (0030) 210 3234095 Site: Faust

Noel

Lavishly decorated with a permanent Christmas theme, Noel is a famous bar – restaurant & cultural space. Location: 59B Kolokotroni str., Monastiraki –  Tel: (0030) 211 2159534 Site: Noel bar  

Top things to do in Metaxourgheio, Athens

• Have a peek at the Acropolis of Athens from the balcony of Living Stones Sapphire apartment, while sipping wine and engaging in conversation. Or just let the feelings flood you. In fact, this is an opportunity you may never have again in your lifetime.
• Stay inside, at the Living Stones Emerald’s living room. Share your adventures in Athens with your friends, while playing a board game. Athens can be in the everyday moments too.
• Pay your respects to the monument of the Fallen Personnel of the Greek Air Force. The unique artistic monument depicts the mythical Icarus, who fell from the sky. In particular, it towers over Karaiskaki sq and is visible from both Living Stones Sapphire and Living Stones Emerald apartments.
• Visit one of the many modern art galleries that opened their doors during the last years.
• Eat at one of the beloved Greek restaurants of the area. Some of them stand here for decades, and their names are synonymous with Greek cuisine! Among the best are:

Elvis Kalamaki

The legendary grill house – “kalamaki bar” that is considered one of the top places for a quick eat in Athens. Location: 29 Plataion & Leonidou str. Metaxourgheio – Tel: (0030) 210 3455836

Seychelles

Quality Greek food, meat, pasta and fish, with a menu changing every season. Beloved food spot of Athenians. Location: 49 Kerameikou str, Metaxourgheio – Tel: (0030) 211 1834789 Site: Seycheles

Top things to do in Plaka, Athens

• Climb the steps of Anafiotika, towards the Acropolis. Explicitly, one of the most picturesque places you will see in your life. You could easily think you are in an island town!
• Visit one or more of the small private museums in the old mansions. Each mansion is a unique structure, dating back to the creation of the modern Greek state. They are all in the Ministry of Culture’s list of protected buildings.
• Wander through the stone promenades and courtyards. Discover a “secret” courtyard or a corner no one else has discovered yet. Make this your “personal”, exclusive spot of Athens.
• Visit the New Acropolis Museum, one of the best museums in the world. It houses a great deal of findings of the Acropolis Hill and the immediate area. Also, it is the spot of many interesting lectures and exhibitions on ancient and modern Greek culture.
• Eat lunch or dinner, or drink coffee in the Acropolis Museum’s open aired café, with a view of the Acropolis. Even better, do it after the sundown, when the Acropolis Hill and the Parthenon is illuminated!
• Watch a performance at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, one of the most famous open-aired theaters in the world. Herodes Atticus, the Roman prefect, ordered its creation during the Roman times. It provided a template for open-aired theaters all over the world. Every year, high-profile international live performances of important world artists take place here.

More things to do in PLaka

• Listen to unplugged performances of Greek songs from the 70s and 80s in small music halls, the “boîtes”. World-famous Greek singers started their careers in those and even today, they attract a great number of visitors. It is a nostalgic trip to the Greek and international repertoire.
• Eat ice cream in the summer, or roasted chestnuts and corn in winter, while walking the narrow stone pathways. Street vendors are almost everywhere and provide several types of street food options, nuts and even desserts to choose from. Most Athenians have a memorable story to tell about the wise words or hilarious jokes of a street food vendor!
• Spot the exact places where they shot scenes from many beloved older and newer Greek movies. In the 50s and 60s, Plaka was the backdrop for many movies of the flourishing popular Greek cinema. Famous Greek comedic & dramatic actors of the era shooting scenes with crowds of fans watching was an everyday occurrence. There are even maps that pinpoint the exact spot of a famous scene or the “house” of the protagonist of a movie! It is a unique opportunity to make yourself familiar not only with the ancient, but the modern culture as well!
• Search for the perfect Athens memorabilia in one of the many tourist shops. There is an unimaginable variety to choose from, some quite elaborate, works of art unto themselves. Many of the shops can send a purchased item to whenever you want in the world. This way you won’t have to carry them!

Top things to do in Syntagma, Athens

• Watch the changing of the Presidential Guard each hour, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A ceremony with precision movements, which a detachment of the Presidential Guard (“Evzones”) performs every hour, 365 days a year.
• Explore the National Gardens, a serene and peaceful spot in the heart of the bustling city. Although they are a favorite spot of Athenians & tourists alike, they never seem to be too crowded!
• Peek at the Zappeion Congress Hall, the oldest dedicated congress hall of Europe. This is where the induction ceremony of Greece into the EU took place.
• Spot all 16 of the different, unique statues in the Zappeion Gardens. They represent national benefactors and fathers of the Greek Independence, or abstract concepts like unrequited love. Some of them are quite hard to find, “hiding” behind foliage in a side courtyard, but they worth the search!
• Visit the athletic facilities of Panellinios, the first athletic club of Greece, established after Greek Independence. Some of the first modern Olympic gold medalists of 1896 trained in these facilities. Today the focus is on the younger generation and during the afternoon you’ll see many children training there. The future Olympians maybe?

Top things to do in Kerameikos – Gazi, Athens

• Watch a concert or participate in a festival at the Technopolis municipal cultural complex. During the last years, a progressively larger number of festivals takes place in Technopolis. Fans of street food, coffee, cocktails, beer, retro design, cars, several forms of music etc know it well!
• Enjoy the soft music in one of the open-aired bars, with a unique cocktail in hand. Famous Greek and international DJs make special appearances in clubs and bars of Gazi sometimes. All the other days, creative music mixes entertain the patrons. Gazi is quite popular with younger audiences and people who follow non-mainstream lifestyles. It is literally a mosaic of color and style!
• See an experimental play or performance by pioneering Greek and international artists, in one of the avant garde cultural spaces.
• Listen to a lecture or attend a workshop on artistic matters, by Greek and international scholars. The cultural spaces and theaters double as lecture halls; here one can attend various seminars and workshops, by a multitude of cultural practitioners.
• Listen to the street musicians outside the Tecnhopolis and the surrounding streets. Some of them are so good, they attract the attention of record executives!

Top experiences in Athens

A visitor of Athens has many opportunities to create beautiful and meaningful memories. As in every major city in the world, literally everything can be an experience on its own. People of different tastes can make their next beautiful memories in Athens. Some experiences you can have in Athens include:

• Climb to the top of the Acropolis Hill to see the Parthenon. The ancient temple of Athena is inscribed in the UNESCO Heritage Catalogue. It is, undoubtedly, a symbol of western civilization and one of the most recognizable structures in the world! Synonymous with Greece in general and Athens in particular, the Acropolis is the sight of Athens you must absolutely visit.
• Run a lap at the Panathenaic Stadium, the place of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. If you are a professional or amateur athlete, or if you support the idea of sports, it will be the experience of a lifetime!
• Enjoy a night at a “rembetadiko”, a small live stage where artists sing old “rembetika” and “laika” songs. A popular and cheap form of entertainment, it attracts many university students and groups of friends. “Rembetadika” offer food, Greek barrel wine of the highest quality and entertainment for hours. Murals and photos of old singers and songwriters adorn the walls. Mockups of wine barrels (or actual wine barrels) are close to mandatory decoration! Patrons can dance to traditional sounds of timeless Greek songs which remain popular for decades. Artists, both musicians and singers, receive requests for “laika” songs. Sometimes the entire clientele sings together with one voice, when a very popular song comes up!

Some more top expreriences in Athens

• Spot the decorations of the various thematic cafes and pastry shops of Athens. During the last years, coffee houses and other establishments compete for the most unique thematic decoration. Talented and inspired internal decorators and artists work for months on original concepts. They utilize old props from defunct shops and theaters. In addition, they employ master craftsmen to create works of wood, metal and stone. Also, they import authentic materials and objects from abroad. Their goal is to make instantly recognizable entertainment facilities. Can you guess in which nightlife spot a particular prop belongs to? Even better, can you guess its previous use? It’s an exciting mind game to play!
• Create the best Instagram feed you could ever have! Athens is full of Instagrammable sights, old and new! Every corner, every building, every monument, the bright sun and the reflections it creates. The thought-provoking street art, the lighting plays in various public and corporate buildings. There are literally a thousand good spots for the perfect shot! With creativity and imagination, your Instagram feed will be on fire!

More culinary experiences in Athens

Living Stones apartments are in the literal heart of Athens. That means that restaurants, bars and coffee houses in Psirri, Monastiraki, Kerameikos, Syntagma, even Kolonaki, are minutes away by foot. Small cantinas and street food specialists await, if you know where to look. And of course, you never know what YOUR favourite spot in Athens will be! Below are some more food and drink suggestions for visitors of Athens. The staff of Living Stones recommends all of them. Sometimes it is hard to pick. Believe us, we know!

Bread Factory

24-hour bakery, coffee station and pastry shop, very close to the Living Stones apartments, Location: 2-4 Achilleos Str. Karaiskaki sq. – Tel: (0030) 210 5202789 Site: Breadfactory

Nikitas Traditional Cook House & Tavern

One of the oldest cook houses of Athens still in operation for decades. Here you find the famous “Nikitas” meat patties, “kontosouvli” and fava beans. Location: Ag. Anargyron 19, Psirri Sq. – Tel: (0030) 210 3252591

The 7 Jokers

Near Syntagma sq., an awarded bar with decoration inspired by the theatrical foyer. Location: 7 Voulis str, Syntagma – Tel: (0030) 2103219225 Facebook: The 7 Jokers (official)

LUKUΜΑΔΕΣ

A pastry shop offering the traditional “loukoumades” delight with a variety of side offerings and fillings, ice cream and many other options. Location: 21 Aiolou str. & Ag. Eirinis – Tel: (0030) 210 3210880

Da Vinci Gelato

Authentic Italian hand-made gelato in many flavors. Location: 50 Andrianou Str., Monastraki Tel: (0030) 210 3253863 Site: Davinci gelato

The Living Stones experience

Living Stones apartments in Athens is an experience on its own! It is certainly one of the top things to do in Athens by itself! The Living Stones Boutique Hotel and the Living Stones Diamond apartment are in Psirri, Athens, the bohemian neighborhood close to the Acropolis. Living Stones Sapphire and Living Stones Emerald apartment are in Metaxourgheio, an up-and-coming area of art and culture. Soon, more Living Stones properties in the central parts of Athens will offer the same level of design and service! The Living Stones experience consists of many things. To enumerate, It has many facets:

• Excellent location in the heart of Athens. Psirri and Metaxourghio both have a Metro station, which gives them access to the extensive Athens transportation network! You can literally get anywhere you like in the Attica region!
• Unique decoration, the BoHo style of design and the concept of Stylish Simplicity.
• 8 different rooms and studios, each a unique hospitality experience on its own.
• Wooden, hand-made furniture, from chestnut wood of the Holy Mount of Athos.
• Incredible roof garden with a view of the entire neighborhood of Psirri, Athens.
• Serenity of a relaxing day in the roof garden, with the hand-made wooden furniture and the 15 different varieties of Greek herbs.

Some more facets

• Quality of service and attention to the needs of each individual quest.
• Easy and automatic check-in procedure, during all hours of day or night.
• Knowledge of our staff about things to see and do in Athens.
• Extensive knowledge of the Psirri – Monastiraki area, its best places to sightsee, eat, drink and have fun!
• Partnerships with the best professionals in the area, to offer our guests more options.

Living Stones apartments await all guests who wish to experience the top things Athens offers. We know Athens, we know its features and sights. Also, we know its best spots to eat and drink. We know the top nightlife options and we know the top things a visitor can do in our city! With a stay in an Living Stones property, comes one more privilege than just great hospitality and comfort: our extensive and in-depth knowledge of the top things to do in Athens!