Small Boutique hotels in ATHENS

It is difficult to consider Athens as anything other than a historical entity. The Acropolis, that great rock that rises above the city crowned with the Parthenon and other ancient temples, is symbolic of not only Greek but Western civilization. Yet Athens is also a thriving modern city.

The 2004 Olympics kick-started the regeneration of Athens from busy, polluted to clean, elegant cityscape. The pedestrianization of large parts of the centre has sparked the emergence of cafe terraces, trendy bars and boutique hotels in the central Psyrrí and up-and-coming Gázi neighbourhoods. The chic Kolonáki area is also a popular location for small luxury hotels.

One of the most intriguing areas in Athens is the Pláka quarter with its narrow stepped streets, curious blend of architectural styles, from Neoclassical to Greek Island to Turkish, and plethora of arts and crafts museums. The lively street markets around Odhós Athinás are also well worth a visit.

The National Archeological Museum houses the world's greatest collection of Greek antiquities and in conjunction with the Acropolis should not be missed. And if, in the end, the compact centre and summer crowds leave you dreaming of calmer quarters, the National Gardens offer a quiet, shady corner in which to escape and Athens' beaches are just a short hop from the centre.