The Plaka is the oldest section of Athens. Most of the streets have been closed to automobile traffic, though you should still keep a watchful eye for a speeding motorcycle or delivery truck.
At one time it was the nightclub district, but most of these closed down when the government out-lawed amplified music in the area in the seventies in an effort to get rid of undesirables. The strategy was very successful and it is now an area of restaurants, tourist shops, and cafes.
Though it is quite commercialized it is still a neighborhood and arguably the nicest neighborhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places but the quality of food is not bad and if you follow our leads in the restaurant section of this guide you should have a few enjoyable evenings and not be unpleasantly surprised by the bill.
As for the tourist shops they are crammed full of stuff, some of it junk but plenty of interesting items if you feel compelled to bring back gifts to everyone you know.
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The cafes are generally over-priced if they are on the main roads (Kydatheneon, Adrianou) and around the squares, but in a way worth it for the view.
If you sit in one of these cafes long enough you will see that everyone who comes to Greece walks down these two streets.
From famous basketball players to rock stars and nobel prize winners, these streets below the Acropolis are a major crossroads of civilization.
Some people like to get right out, walking around and shopping. We recommend you to find a nice quiet outdoor cafe and have an ouzo and a snack so you can relax and get into your Greek groove. First of all you need to get your bearings.
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The Plaka is under the Acropolis. There are two main streets. Kydatheneon begins at Nikis st, which is one block down from Constitution or Syntagma Square. The easiest way to find it if you are not already in the Plaka is to find the square. Ask anyone.
The Plaka is full of street musicians, flower sellers, photographers and people who sell beads or will write your name on a grain of rice.
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If you like to Shop and stroll, make a right on Adrianou. Tourist shop after jewelry store after T-shirt store and then repeated again and again.
Everybody who comes to Greece walks up this street and buys postcards, worry beads (komboloi), ashtrays, icons, you name it.
Whether you like hanging out, shopping, eating, or wandering around, the Plaka is a great area.
From it you can walk to all the desirable parts of central Athens with a minimum of contact with the aspects of modern civilization many people find unpleasant: autos, pollution, noise and crowds.
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The Plaka is like a small island in the middle of the city and it was not very long ago that the Plaka was the city of Athens. If you have time to kill get off the beaten paths and walk through the back streets. Admire the architecture of buildings that have stood for hundreds of years or climb the hill and see buildings that have lasted for thousands.
