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MARKETS AND SHOPS |
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Hotels in Athens |
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You can buy just about anything in Athens and even on a purely visual level the city's
markets
and
bazaar
areas are worth an hour or two's wandering. Among the markets, don't miss the Athinás food halls, nor, if you're into bargain-hunting through junk, the Sunday morning
flea markets
in Monastiráki, Thissío and Pireás. The
Athens flea market
spreads over a half-dozen or so blocks around Monastiráki square each Sunday from around 6am until 2pm. In parts it is an extension of the tourist trade - the shops in this area are promoted as a "flea market" every day of the week - but there is authentic Greek (and nowadays Soviet refugee-Greek) junk, too, notably along (and off) Iféstou and Pandhróssou streets. The real McCoy, most noticeable at the Thissío metro station end of Adhrianoú and the platía off Kynéttou near the church of Áyios Fílippos, is just a bag of odds and ends strewn on the ground or on a low table; dive in.
The
Pireás flea market
- at similar times on Sunday mornings - has fewer tourists and more goods. The market is concentrated on Alipédou and Skilítsi parallel to the railroad tracks about 500 metres from the sea. It is a venue for serious antique trading, as well as the sale of more everyday items.
In addition, many Athenian neighbourhoods have a
laïkí agorá
-
street market
- on a set day of the week. Usually running from 7am to 2pm, these are inexpensive and enjoyable, selling household items and dry goods, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, dried herbs and nuts. The most centrally located ones are: Hánsen in Patissíon on Monday; Lésvou in Kypséli and Láskou in Pangráti, both on Tuesday; Xenokrátous in Kolonáki, Dragoumi in Ilisia, Tsámi Karatássou in Koukáki and Arhimídhous in Mets, all on Friday; and Plakendías in Ambelókipi (one of the largest) and Kallidhromíou in Exárhia, both on Saturday. Finally, if you're after Greek
plants
or
herbs
, there's a Sunday morning gathering of stalls on Vikéla in Patissíon and plants and flowers on sale daily at the Platía Ayías Irínis near Ermoú.
For electrical gear, now about as cheap in Greece as elsewhere in Europe, the best place to look is in the streets off Patissíon, just north of Omónia square. The selections listed include some of the most enjoyable shops for souvenir-hunting, plus a few more functional places for those in search of books, music and outdoor gear
Books
Archeological Service Bookstore
, Panepistimíou 57, in
stoa
on left. Outlet for the high-quality if dry archeological service publications.
Compendium
, Níkis 28 (upstairs), off Syndagma. The friendliest and best value...
read more >>
Crafts and antiques
Greek handicrafts are not particularly cheap but the workmanship is usually very high. In addition to the stores listed below, consider those at the
National Archeological Museum, Benáki Museum
and
Cycladic Art Museum
, which sell...
read more >>
Health and speciality food
Herbs and herb teas are sold dry and fresh at most street markets and at the Athinás bazaar. Otherwise, the following central outlets are useful.
AB Vassilopoulos
The three huge main stores are at Leofóros Kifissías, Psihikó and above...
read more >>
Outdoor supplies
Aegean Dive Shop
, Pandhóras 42 and Zamanou 53, Glyfádha, on the coast to the southeast tel 010/89 45 409. Diving lessons, equipment rental and good value one-day dive trips to a reef near Vouliagméni, sporadically during the week but regularly on...
read more >>
Records and CDs
If you hear music you like, or want to explore Greek sounds of bygone days (or today), try the outlets below. When shopping, beware of records warped by poor stacking in the racks. The big advantage of shopping here is that the
vinyl industry
...
read more >>
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