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Regional Guides
Are you Belgian and plan to spend time in Athens, but want recommendations from fellow Belgians? This article focuses on Athens sights besides the Acropolis and shows you worthwhile sights away from the tourist crowds. Throughout the article, you will see quotes from Vera and Hendrik, 2 Belgians will a lot of experience in Greece - and even their own Greek olive oil company.
Meet Vera and Hendrik
Vera and Hendrik are a Belgian couple who recently lived in Athens for six months and were captivated by the generosity of the country, as well as the giving nature of the Greek landscape. By selling artisan olive oils and olive products with a respect for the people who created them, Vera and Hendrik hope to share this generosity with the world. In their blog, Vera and Hendrik share their expertise with visiting Belgians.
Vera and Hendrik’s Philosophy:
Vera and Hendrik note that “life in Athens doesn’t differ much from our weekends in Ghent, where we take the first available excuse to get out the door. The newspaper or city magazine only has to report something - an adapted facade or a renovated street is enough - or we go for a walk. It's about being together, discovering something, having a beer and cheese afterwards and talking about the week.”
Find Vera and Hendrik's olive oils here.
The Acropolis Μuseum
Vera and Hendrik enjoy this area because it is a space you can enjoy even when it is crowded, “because of the small video of stolen artifacts, and because of the way you travel through history as if climbing the hill of the Acropolis itself.” There is a splendid view from the top floor, and it is perhaps one of the best-kept museums in Athens.
2. The Keramikos Αrchaeological Site
Also a well-known site in Athens, the Keramikos site is a great stop for Belgians because “it helps you imagine how people entered the city in ancient times, and how the festivities of Athens started.”
3. Syntagma Square and the National Historical Museum
These sights are a must for Belgians because they tell you some critical information about the history of the city of Athens. “ The exhibit shows life in Athens from 1832, at the start of a country that was almost governed by Belgium’s own first King Leopold I. He chose Belgium, and the Greeks got Otto.”
4. Apostolou Pavlou Street
This path is also known as Apostle Paul Street, and it is part of the Grand Promenade of Athens. It is not a long walk because it spans 800 meters, starting at Philopappos Hill and ending at the Thissio Metro Station. Vera and Hendrik call it one of the most pleasant walking routes in Athens. You can view historic buildings dating from the early 20th century. Vera and Hendrik also mention that you can “buy a way too expensive coffee at the entrance of the Acropolis” because the view is worth it.
5. Folklore Museum Men & Tools
This unique sight is not visited commonly by tourists in Athens. But for Vera and Hendrik, they love to look at the beautiful pitchforks and pruning axes. They add that it is an “unexpected glimpse at the craftsmen who came from Asia Minor.” The museum, until recently, was called the Museum of Greek Folk Art. Its collections have objects from everyday life, home and work, from the 18th to the 20th century.
6. The Sea
Vera and Hendrik argue that as a Belgian in Athens, you can’t leave without seeing the sea. The coastline of Athens runs along the Gulf of Saronikò for 20 kilometres and has breathtaking views. The bright blue of the sea contrasts beautifully with the white of the Athens houses.
7. Veranda
This coffee bar in central Athens is a popular spot for coffee, cocktails, and famous Greek sweets. An empty space with shaky tables, but what a view and what peace. Veranda is “great for an afternoon ouzo in winter.” Some of the favorite dishes on the menu are moussaka, eggplant baked with feta cheese, stuffed tomatoes & peppers, meatballs with fries & rice, and dolmades avgolemono. As the name suggests, the coffee bar has a veranda in the Plaka area in Athens.
8. Cafe Avissinia
To eat and drink a full Greek meal, this is one of Vera and Hendrik’s favorite places to eat, and especially to bring Belgian visitors. They recommend eating like the Greeks: “Don’t order food for yourself. Order for the table.” Cafe Avissinia has all the Greek favorite dishes. "The restaurant is a curious mix of a French bistro and a Greek mezzodopolio, with a good view of the Acropolis at night."
Vera and Hendrik have the most fun figuring out which restaurant in Ghent would most resemble the restaurants in Athens. “We think of some restaurants at Sint-Baafs or at the Graslei.”
9. Cafe Melina
Vera and Hendrik love this spot in Athens more for its photographs of Melina Mercouri than for its food and drink. Over the years, the cafe has hosted famous celebrities from Greece and from all over the world. They call themselves “A space that connects old Athens, the history of Melina, the political developments, and the modern history of Greece, but with a completely Greek style.”
10. Karatza on Athinas
This cheese shop sells more than just Feta. For a Belgian, it is a Greek cheese paradise. In Greece, cheese production has a long history. In fact, for ancient Greeks, cheese was considered a sacred food. Almost every region of Greece has a traditional way of producing cheese. In all, more than 60 different species exist in Greece. They differ by their form and color. Some Greek cheeses are white or yellow, fresh or ripe, and soft or hard.
