Athens

The cradle of modern civilization, Athens is a fascinating place. Continuously inhabited for at least 7000 years, it has much more than just the Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena high above the city, to enchant you. This is a city where nearly every time someone digs in the ground, another antiquity is unearthed. Work on new subway lines has to be stopped regularly as ruins of temples are discovered.

The gay scene here is growing every year. Makrigianni and Kolonaki are the traditional gay neighborhoods, but Gazi (or Gkazi) has become very trendy lately. Most gay businesses here are within walking distance of one another. Athens Pride takes place early each June.

Getting here

Athens International Airport has great connections to everywhere in the world. The subway, Metro Line 3, is the best way to get into the city, and 24-hour buses and taxis are also available.

Trainose, the national rail service, connects Athens from the south with Pelopponese and from the north with Thessaloniki, northern Greek cities, and Istanbul.

Getting around

Metro subway trains are the quickest, easiest way to get around the city and also to the port at Piraeus for ferries to the islands. See GoFerry.gr for information and bookings. One "integrated" ticket allows travel for 90 minutes on any metro or suburban train, tram, trolley or bus - except the airport lines. There are also one, three, or seven-day passes at a discount. Automatic ticket machines at the airport metro station sell them. Taxis are everywhere, but tend to be slow and expensive.

English is widely spoken here, especially in the gay scene, and tourist areas, and signs, menus and websites are often in both languages. German and French are also used in tourist areas.

What to do

You’ll want to set aside plenty of time for visiting the Parthenon and the other attractions near the Acropolis. The New Acropolis Museum hold many original archeological treasures, and has stunning architecture as well.

For at-your-leisure walking tours with an iPod Audio Guide, see Pocket Tours. Language options include English, French, Greek and Italian.

Currency and Money

Greece is part of the Euro Zone, so the euro is the accepted currency. Check with your home bank before departure for possible ATM savings with local partner banks. Chip/pin credit cards are also handy here, as in most parts of Europe, for machine purchases.

Media and resources

Deon is the national gay publication, with information about events all around the country, and an annual guide with maps for all of gay Greece, including Athens in both Greek and English.

Antivirus, is a free activist/political gay magazine, and Screw Magazine, is a queer monthly lifestyle giveaway.

GayAthens, 10percent.gr, Deuxelles.gr, Gaygreece.gr, gayguide.gr, gaywebtv.gr, gayworld.gr, and GayAthens Blogspot are some other online sources about the gay scene here.

AthensInfo and InYourPocket each has a gay section in addition to general-public info.

EOK, the Greek National Gay and Lesbian Organization also has information about the local community on their website.

See our maps & listings pages for listings of gay and gay-friendly businesses in Athens.