Athens

At a glance

Redolent with mythology, smeared with grime, Athens is an affable city enlivened by outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks, gardens and urban eccentrics. If you get into the Athenian mindset, you might not even notice the layer of nefos (smog) overhead.

The city may look like a concrete jungle, but beyond this off-putting veneer is a kind of dilapidated charm. Almost every house and apartment has a balcony bulging with geraniums, and many of the city's streets and squares are fringed with orange trees.

When to go

Spring and late autumn are ideal, by skirting around the summer months you can save yourself experiencing hell on earth. 40°-plus days make even the simplest activities a sweat and hordes of people in transit to the cooler islands make it hard to get around. Winter will save you money in accommodation and extras and, besides the odd rainy day, is quite a pleasant time with few tourists.

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