Kypseli flourished around the mid-20th century. Between the decades of 1920 and 1970 it was one of the most sought after upper-middle class areas of Athens. Its architectural heritage is containing many interesting interwar and early postwar buildings. Unfortunately only some of them are still alive, among them is the renovated Athens Olive House building! Kypseli is 100% urban neighborhood. In a city that has vast expanses without any architectural interest, Kypseli is an “anthology of 20th century architecture”, as architecture Professor Eleni Portaliou said.
In nowadays, Kypseli is one of the most attractive districts of Athens for both permanent citizens and visitors. Numerous modern and classic shops (clothes’ shops, art galleries, antique stores, food markets etc) restaurants, taverns, bars and coffees are located among the pedestrians and backstreets of Kypseli. The route from Kypseli to the historic center of Athens is suggested to be done by walking; it is just a 25-30 minute!
Athens, the capital of Greece, was the heart of the ancient Greek civilization. You can still visit the early Greek landmarks such as the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The Acropolis Museum and a tour of the sacred rock of the Acropolis preserve sculptures, vases, jewelry, and more from Ancient Greece. There’s no end to the list of important monuments and attractions you can see in this region of Athens, Greece, but if you spend some time around Acropolis the result will be justified you!
The district of Plaka, Monastiraki and Psiri present the history of the city through interesting aspects of the present day. The Plaka is like a village within the city! Is the oldest section of Athens and is under the Acropolis and stretches almost to Syntagma. There two main pedestrian streets are: Kydathineon and Adrianou. Monastiraki, one of the favorite destinations of both locals and tourists, is suitable for walks at the countless small stores and the benches of the street vendors. Hundreds of Athenians come here every Sunday to wander at the large outdoor marker and to enjoy their coffee/lunch under the sun. Next to Monastiraki is the charming neighborhood of Psiri. In our days Psiri has endless choices of taverns, bars and coffee shops.
Photos by Yiannis Vardaxoglou
Although a feast of colors give meaning to our lives, sometimes the same picture if be transformed in Black & White mode an unexpected magical feeling overwhelms us!! Try to see the pictures among the Athens’ backstreets as a professional photographer and be sure everything “unsavory” will be disappeared!!
Photos by Yiannis Vardaxoglou