You’ve already been wandering around downtown Athens for two days, going from museum to taverna? Are your feet aching and do you feel like you’ve seen the same souvenir store a hundred times? So it’s time to take a break! I suggest you visit Kifisia.
Kifisia is a chic suburb to the north of Athens, a fashionable district for golden youth. Here, there’s little sign of the economic crisis.
You’ll love the spacious sidewalks, world-food-tinged restaurant menus, tempting fashion and design store windows and trendy bars and cafés.
How to get to Kifisia
The Kifisia district is located some fifteen kilometers from the center of Athens.
- You can of course come by car, but traffic is often congested, parking is difficult and expensive (around €8/hour).
- Alternatively, a convenient and economical way to get to Kifisia is simply by metro . Kifisia station is the terminus of the green line (line 1).
- Kifisia is also criss-crossed by numerous shady cycle paths. But beware of the steep gradients!
If you arrive by metro, cross the Alsos Kifisias Square. It’s a pretty, shady garden, where events are often held: Christmas market, flower market…. It will take you to the end of Kassaveti Street.
Shopping in Kifisia
From here you enter the shopping area of Kifisia. You’ll pass dried fruit stores and mouth-watering bakeries. Don’t miss Varsos (ΒΑΡΣΟΣ). Here you can enjoy a coffee and a sweet pastry (ask for the Chantilly supplement, it’s divine). Take the opportunity to buy some culinary souvenirs.
Wander along Kassaveti and Levidou streets and lose yourself in the little lanes around Agiou Dimitriou square, where you’ll find lots of attractive fashion and interior design boutiques to discover.
Entertainment
If you are with children and still have a fascination for nature, I recommend the Goulandris Natural History Museum. It has the old-fashioned charm of a provincial natural history museum, with stuffed animals to delight children (and adults), and a fine collection of stones and shells. What’s more, a more modern, interactive exhibition has been added to this traditional museum: the Gaia Exhibition, which traces the workings of the earth from its formation to the present day.
Take a coffee break or lunch in the courtyard the museum courtyard sheltered from traffic and shaded by the great cedar. It is open to all, with free admission.
For those in the mood for folklore, a horse-drawn carriage carriage ride is a must. They usually park at the corner of Levidou and Kolokotroni streets.
Alternatively, if it’s hot and you’re desperate to cool off, sit back at the Séramis hotel bar and enjoy its bean-shaped pool .
In the late afternoon or early evening, enjoy an open-air open-air cinema. A change of scenery guaranteed, with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere under the stars. Choose an English-language film or cartoon. Check out the programs, there are two open-air cinemas in Kifisia: Cinema Mpomponiera and Cinema Chloi.
Going out in Kifisia
In short, enjoy a quirky, unusual day out, far from the usual idea of Athens.
Sophie B.
Updated April 18, 2024