Paul Mason

Where it’s all kicking off in Athens nightlife

A savvy visitor's guide to the post-crisis Greek capital

View to the Acropolis [Getty Images/Shutterstock/iStock/Alamy]

[audioplayer src=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_16_April_2014_v4.mp3″ title=”Paul Mason on why Athens is the place to go” startat=1192]

Listen

[/audioplayer]Where in the developed world can you ride a moped, minus helmet, at 2 a.m. under the noses of weary riot cops, when your night out has only just begun? Athens of course. Greece is in its sixth year of recession and crisis but this is still one of Europe’s great cities for culture, food, drink and entertainment.

First stop: Bouzoukia. Forget all your troubles as you spend the small hours listening to live Greek pop music of a kind that makes The X Factor look underproduced. Despite the austerity, young Greeks say they will never sacrifice their nightlife and here is the proof. Most of the Bouzoukia venues are found along the coast between Glyfada and Pireas: April to July is the summer season. The respectable hour to leave is when all the carnations have been thrown and the street cleaners are starting their morning shift.

After a stiff freddoccino at dawn, a walking tour is called for. The Dopios team is a Greek start-up which pairs tourists with locals for a unique way to discover the city. Immerse yourself in the spirit of resistance and tour the graffiti of anarchist Exarhia; or learn more about the everyday life of ancient Athenians by strolling through the alleys of Plaka and Monastiraki; or trek up Lycabettus Hill for a two-hour painting session.

If you’re lucky you may even be able to catch philosopher James Head, whose Tuesday morning walk-and-talk beneath the Acropolis takes you to the best viewpoints in Athens, where you will consider Aristotle’s views on how to structure cities.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in