A brand new, non-profit project from Athens Municipality and Impact Hub Athens has begun in the market of Kypseli.

Focusing around people, the environment and a sustainable growth strategy, 8 organisations will be the first stores to set up shop.

The Kypseli Market will include products from local farms, some of which will be given to people in need.

Included at Kypseli Market is a flowershop, which offers opportunities, skills and work to people with disabilities, a store selling second hand products in order to assist people with psychological problems find a job, and many others who will help raise money for the environment and people in need.

The market will become a point of connection between locals in this historic and multicultural area and will promote a collaborative and creative spirit!

Two new ferry routes, one began on June 15, 2018 and the other to begin soon, will connect Thessaloniki with the Sporades islands, Cyclades, and Crete. The Greek ferry company Golden Star Ferries recently launched their service departing from Thessaloniki and going to Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos.

Itineraries of both vessels will be daily and run until September 9.


The Golden Star Super Cat

Departure 09:00 from Volos - Skiathos - Volos
Departure 12:15 from Volos - Skiathos - Skopelos - Alonissos - Skiathos - Thessaloniki (arrival 19:00)

The Golden Star Super Speed

Departure 10:00 from Thessaloniki - Skiathos - Skopelos - Alonissos - Skopelos - Skiathos - Volos (arrival 17:00)

There will also be a local Volos - Skiathos - Volos route, which will depart every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning.

Additionally, the Cyclades islands will be linked with Thessaloniki and Crete via a bi-weekly ferry service, which will be launched in the near future. This ferry service was recently announced by the Alternate Shipping Minister Nektarios Santorinios during the 15th Regional Conference held on Syros.

The route will run twice a week for three months and will connect Thessaloniki, Skiathos, Syros, and other Cyclades islands with Heraklion, Crete.

Santorinios also announced that every Friday and Sunday, a high-speed ferry will depart from Piraeus linking Heraklion with the Cyclades, Syros, and Santorini.

Please click here and and here to visit Greek Travel Pages for more information.

From the center of the city, the Athenian Riviera is easily accessible by car or public transport. Locals and visitors come to this part of town to find beautiful beaches, seaside tavernas, lively beach bars, and excellent nightlife! Here is a list of some of the best beach bars in Athens, perfect for a coffee, cocktail, or meal.

 

@nalu_cafe

Located at the Akti you Iliou beach (Costa del Sol), Nalu is a trendy spot, very popular among Athenians. This beach bar has relaxed, boho-chic aesthetics, offering a homey and cozy feeling. Nālu is open from early in the morning and keeps serving till late at night when it turns into a great bar with delicious cocktails. Nālu is also a popular destination to watch the sunset, as it offers stunning views. 

Address: Leof. Poseidonos
Telephone: 210 9880990

 

2. Bolivar - Alimos


@bolivarbeachbar

Relaxed vibes and a true island experience awaits you at this beachside bar which is surrounded by palm trees and huts that are made of straw and wood. This is a great place to relax take in the sun during the day, enjoy great dishes from the Mediterranean cuisine, and maybe even stay for dancing with well-known DJs, at night.

Address: Akti tou Iliou,  Leof. Poseidonos
Telephone: 210 9831018

3. L'amico - Anavissos

Just an hour from the city center, in Anavissos, this beach side bar has a bit of everything. Crystal-clear, calm waters, great food, and cocktails - this is the perfect destination for a day trip!


@lamicoathenianriviera

Address: 21 Souniou Avenue, Palaia Fokaia, Anavissos
Telephone: 2291 041834

4. Moana Beach House - Varkiza

@moana_beachhouse

 

An all-day bar at Varkiza Resort, Moana Beach House is a great place to escape the scorching summer heat. Hammocks, plush pillows, swings, sun loungers - the relaxation options are unlimited. Add the invigorating cocktails and boho aesthetics and this beach bar will make you feel like you're in a far away place, like an exotic beach in Honololu. 

 

Address: Akti EOT, Varkiza Resort
Telephone: 698 314 1116

The Athens & Epidaurus Festival recently premiered on June 1st with three brilliant performances at Peiraios 260 and the Athens Concert Hall. Performances included Ivo van Hove's masterpiece 'After the Rehearsal-Persona,' a stage adaptation of two Ingmar Bergman classics.

The festival will run through August 2018. Below is this year’s Festival trailer, which was directed by the distinguished Pericles Hoursoglou. It is visually conceived as a series of thousands of footsteps, which is meant to portray the thousands of spectators rushing to the ancient and contemporary theatre venues from 1955 to our times.

 

This year at the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, all performances will have English and Greek subtitles for the first time, accommodating Greek and foreign audiences alike, as well as for the hearing impaired.

It is Greece’s foremost cultural festival and one of the oldest performing arts festivals in Europe (1955). Each year, the Athens & Epidaurus Festival presents performances from acclaimed artists in theatre, dance, and music and attracts large audiences from around the world.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus - The Festival’s main performance venue, located at the foot of the Acropolis.

Peiraios 260 - A former industrial area of several buildings just off Athens’ centre, at Peiraios 260 str.

Opening to the City - Launched in 2017, this section is more of a concept than an actual venue. Site-specific performances are presented in various neighbourhoods of Athens and Piraeus, including outdoor spaces and archaeological sites, thus expanding the Festival’s scope and audience and encouraging spectators’ active engagement.

Other venues include EMST, Megaron, Epidaurus Theater, Little Theater of Ancient Epidaurus, Ancient Stadium of Epidaurus, Odeon of Herodes, Benaki Museum, National Acheological Museum, Benizelos Mansion, the Athens Conservatory and more.

For more information, please visit: Greek Festival

Photo Credit: Athens Festival

The beloved film-loving summer date, the Athens Open Air Film Festival, in collaboration with the City of Athens Cultural, Sport and Youth Organization, returns in its 8th edition with magical screenings from June to August. Special city corners, archaeological monuments, parks, squares, beaches and some of the most beautiful museums and sites in Athens transform into an open-air cinema with free entrance to the audience.

This article outlines all of the screenings for July so keep scrolling for full program info...

Wednesday, July 4th / French School at Athens

The Athens - Epidaurus Festival continues with a special tribute to the great Loula Anagnostaki.

A number of people, actors and musicians come together to create a world made up entirely from her 12 works, all through the eyes of those who saw her, met her or just imagined how she was.

In just two incredible plays, the public will have the chance to enjoy ''The White Performance'' in space B of Peiraeus, which will cover the works of Loula Anagnostaki as a standard psychoanalytic writing and ''The Red Performance'' in space E, which observes her work from a standard political writing point of view.

Critically acclaimed as one of the best museums in the world and with a collection spanning over 1,500 years, the Acropolis Museum with its stunning architecture opened its doors in the summer of 2009. The museum provides visitors with a comprehensive image of the Acropolis and its finds within the comforts of a modern building. 

The Athens Conservatoire has been serving the theater and music scene in Greece for almost 150 years. As a non-profit arts institution, it plays a significant role in the advancement of those studies among young people.

Internationally acclaimed artists have graced Conservatoire's Music and Drama Schools, either as students or members of the faculty, inlcuding Maria Callas, Gina Bachauer and Mikis Theodorakis.

It works as a major cultural center in the heart of Athens, participating in a variety of artistic events and projects, such as theatrical productions, music events, workshops and conferences.

The Benizelos Mansion has been recorded as one of the oldest houses in Athens. It belonged to Angelos Benizelos, born in 1490 and a student of an important philosopher of the time. At the time, he was elected as a represantative of the Greeks living in Venice and was also a teacher, just like his father.

The mansion was then a home to the daughter of Angelos Benizelos, Regoula Benizelou, who in the 16th century became a nun and died after the Turks tortured her for her Christian works.

Today the house stands as a place to visit and admire. Visitors can also enjoy events, such as theatrical plays, photography exhibits and classical music concerts.

For several centuries, the theatre of Epidaurus has been home to the theatrical arts, offering audiences ancient drama plays and comedies, as well as performances of opera, dance and classical music.