Vivre à Athènes

Founded over 3.400 years ago, Athens really does make you feel like you have travelled back in time. With relics from many various times, including the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman periods, every step can lead to another wonderful discovery. This city is a must-see for everyone interested in archeology.

In this blog, we will give you some insights about the city, environment, activities, public transport, housing, and healthcare. We will provide you with some links which give you even more information on the topics we are about to share with you.

Did you know:

• Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities with a history spanning 3.400 years
• Plato is a famous Athenian philosopher who is credited with starting the first institution for higher education in the Western world. Plato was also the teacher of Aristotle, who is known as the ‘Father of Western Philosophy’.
• Athens is considered to be the hottest city in Europe. The average high temperature during the summer months is 34 degrees Celsius. Athens also has the highest recorded temperature in Europe at 48 degrees Celsius in July 1977. Be prepared for hot, dry weather if you visit Athens in the summer months.

City overview 

Athens is Greece’s capital and largest city. It is the centre of all centres in the world. Athens is the city of the Olympic Games, the city of world-famous artists, a cultural hub with festivals and international events, and a scientific centre with countless museums with unique finds and exhibitions. From the Acropolis, you have a beautiful overview of Athens, the historic Agora, the church Agia Apostoll and the cosy Plaka.

Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a history of approximately 3.400 years and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between the 11th and 7th centuries before Christus. Athens was a powerful city-state. It was a centre for arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent, especially ancient Rome.

In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to Greece’s economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life. In 2021, the urban area of Athens hosted more than three and a half million people, which is about 35% of the entire population of Greece.

Environnement

Athens is surrounded by mountains. The mountains that surround Athens separate the peninsula into three plains: Pedia, Mesogeia, and Thriasia. 

Athens has a mild winter, but sometimes there can be outbreaks of cold air from December to March. This happens via the Balkan Peninsula, which brings cold and rain for some days and sometimes even snow. Snowfalls occur more in the northern part of the city. Acropolis, the city centre, is whitened with snow more easily than the lower surrounding areas. 

The summers in Athens are hot and sunny. Athens is in summer the hottest capital of Europe. In July and August, the temperature reaches quite easily 35 degrees Celsius. But during heatwaves, it can reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius. 

Precipitation is not plentiful in Athens since it amounts to 365 millimetres per year. Most rain falls in November to February, the least rain falls in summer. The amount of sunshine in Athens is great in summer. On average there are almost 28.000 hours of sunshine per year. This means that Athens is one of the sunniest cities in Europe. 

Activités

Athens is filled with archaeological treasures. The Acropolis and Parthenon are the big draw for visitors, but the city is littered with ancient Greek and Roman ruins. Athens feels like taking a step back in time, a wonderful history lesson that is great for everyone.

Acropolis

The Acropolis is the most popular place to visit in Athens. The best time to visit the Acropolis is at the opening time and the last two hours before closing, to avoid big crowds. The Acropolis, a fortified limestone plateau topped with the Parthenon and several other historical sites, rises from the heart of Athens. Other historical monuments around the Acropolis are the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the Theatre of Dionysus.

Ancient Agora & Temple of Hephaestus

Located near the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora. The ground is littered with the ruins of buildings and walkways. There are two important places to visit, the Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos.
The Temple of Hephaestus is one of the best-preserved Greek temples. It was constructed to honour the god Hephaestus, the patron god of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship.
The Stoa of Attalos is a building that was built in the 2nd century. The building was reconstructed in 1950.

Plaka

Plaka is a neighbourhood in Athens that stretches from the Acropolis to Syntagma Square. It is one of the best places in Athens to go shopping. Ermou Street is a pedestrian street lined with popular stores. Anafiotika is a charming, older section of Plaka with narrow, photogenic streets and shops.

Monastiraki square

Monastiraki Square is known as a busy, bustling spot in Athens. It is located in the heart of Athens, near Hadrian’s Library, and the Ancient Agora, and it is a short walk from the Acropolis. From this square, you can visit the Greek Orthodox church, a mosque, a metro station, the pillars of Hadrian’s Library, and a lot of shops. On Sunday there is a big flea market.

Transports en commun

You can easily discover the city on foot. Even the beach is a stone’s throw from the Old Quarter. Walking is a good opportunity to discover the city, but public transport is also generally good. There is a network of trams and city buses. City buses of the bus company TAM (Transporte Alicante Metropolitano) run through the city. There are also five tram lines in Alicante.

A single bus ticket costs €1,45, which you can buy on the bus. Please note, bus drivers give change up to €10. If you think you are going to use the bus a couple of times, it could be a good idea to buy a rechargeable card named Móbilis. You can buy a rechargeable card at the TAM office, located at Calle Díaz More 6 (near the Central Market) and Muelle de Poniente (close to the Port, in the Central Bus Station of Alicante). A rechargeable card costs €2,- or €4,- when you personalise it with a picture. You can put money on it depending on how many rides you want to make. A single ticket costs €1,45, but with a 10-ride Móbilis card it costs €8,70, or a 30-ride Móbilis card for €26,10. These cards can also be used for the tram.

The Athens Metro has 3 lines. 

• Line 1 (green line): Kifisia – Piraseus
• Line 2 (red line): Anthoupoli – Eliniko
• Line 3 (blue line): Airport – Douk. Plakentias – Nikea

The metro connects important landmarks of the Greek capital, such as Acropolis, Athens Airport, Port of Piraeus, Central Railway Station, and Olympic Stadium. It also connects to the centre of Athens with the suburbs. Archaeological exhibits found during Metro’s construction and modern works of art are exhibited in many stations.

The Suburban Railway is part of the national railway network of Greece. It is operated by the private company TrainOSE.

There are 3 main routes:

• Piraeus – Athens Central Station (Larissa Station)
• Airport, Piraeus – Athens Central Station 
• Kiato and Athens Central Station – Halkida

There are also extra trains between Ano Liosia and Airport station as well as Ano Liosia and Koropi stations. 

Taxis are yellow in Athens, while other colours are preferred elsewhere in Greece. They can be a more convenient means of transportation. While many taxi drivers are excellent professionals, some of them may try to gain more opting for the longest route when their passenger is not familiar with their destination.

Logement

Rental prices in Athens are divergent. A one-bedroom apartment in the city centre costs an average of €470. Outside the city centre, a one-bedroom apartment is on average €430. Of course, this depends on the area you are going to live in Athens. Athens has so many beautiful neighbourhoods to live in. For you, we will highlight the best neighbourhoods in Athens.

Plaka. Many of the establishments in what was formerly the nightlife sector were shut down by the government to deter undesirable elements. It’s now a bright and airy neighbourhood that attracts both tourists and locals. There are plenty of opportunities to look in the many shops and explore the cafes and restaurants. Plaka is great for families and calmer sorts.

Gazi. Is a little bit cheaper than Plaka. Gaiza is just a 20-minute walk to the key attractions and it is a lively place in itself. In Gaiza, there is a cultural neighbourhood. There is an old factory that has been turned into a unique museum.

Psyri. Has great nightlife. If you like to go out, dance all night long and drink in a hipster cocktail bar then this area is perfect for you! Psyri is a relatively cheap neighbourhood for drinks.

Exarchia. It is a busy area with a lot of art spaces, street art and coffee bars are popping up everywhere.

To help you a little bit with searching, we created a list special for you! Some websites for renting apartments in Athens are:

• Housing Anywhere
• Nestpick
• Gabino Home
• Airbnb

Santé

Le niveau global des soins de santé en Grèce est généralement élevé. À Athènes, vous trouverez un grand nombre d'excellents médecins capables de traiter tous les problèmes médicaux. Bien qu'il existe certaines variations entre le continent et les nombreuses petites îles, en raison de la crise financière du passé.

La Grèce dispose d'un Système national de santé (ESY) qui vise à fournir à tous les citoyens un accès gratuit et égal à des soins de santé de haute qualité. Le système est composé d'une combinaison de prestataires de services de santé publics et privés, divisés en trois catégories : soins primaires, secondaires et tertiaires.

Si les résidents étrangers et leurs familles cotisent à l'Institut d'assurance sociale (IKA), ils ont accès à des soins de santé publics gratuits ou à faible coût. L'IKA est une compagnie d'assurance publique qui gère la sécurité sociale grecque. Les expatriés doivent demander une assurance maladie nationale, gérée par l'IKA, dès qu'ils commencent à travailler, et se verront remettre une carte de sécurité sociale AMKA. Les patients doivent payer un forfait pour les médicaments sur ordonnance, bien que les soins médicaux fournis par les praticiens agréés par l'IKA soient souvent gratuits.

Les services de laboratoire gratuits, les soins maternels, les appareils ou dispositifs médicaux et le transport d'urgence figurent parmi plusieurs avantages. Les autres citoyens de l'Union européenne peuvent également bénéficier de soins de santé gratuits s'ils disposent d'une Carte européenne d'assurance maladie, qui donne droit au titulaire à une assurance maladie publique pour une certaine période. Les retraités des pays de l'UE qui envisagent de s'installer en Grèce et de recevoir leur pension de leur pays d'origine sont également éligibles aux prestations de santé de l'État.

Dans les grandes villes, les services d'ambulance publics, connus sous le nom d'EKAV, sont largement disponibles et les délais de réponse sont généralement bons. Cependant, l'accès à certaines îles et zones rurales peut être limité. Les ambulances privées, les hélicoptères de l'EKAV et les taxis peuvent être des alternatives viables en cas d'urgence dans les zones plus rurales.

En cas d'urgence, vous pouvez appeler le 166 ou le 112 !

Si vous appelez le 166, les opérateurs peuvent ne pas parler anglais. Vous pouvez donc préférer composer le numéro d'urgence 112 pour un opérateur anglophone.

Quelques mots pour commencer

Le grec n'est pas une langue facile à apprendre en raison de son orthographe différente. C'est pourquoi nous vous aidons un peu avec les mots les plus courants en grec. Il est souvent très apprécié si vous faites un effort pour dire quelque chose en grec, même si tout ce que vous pouvez faire est de dire bonjour ! Si vous traversez une ville moins touristique en soirée, vous verrez les habitants assis devant leurs maisons, généralement avec plusieurs voisins. Dès que vous les saluez, vous verrez un grand sourire sur la plupart des visages et bien sûr, ils vous salueront en retour.

Anglais

Grec

Comment prononcer 

Bonjour

Γειά σου

YAH-soo

Enchanté

Χάρηκα πολύ

HA-ree-ka po-LEE

Bonjour

Καλημέρα

Kah-lee-MER-ah

Bonne nuit

Καληνύχτα

Kah-lee-NEEKH-tah

Merci

Ευχαριστώ

Eff-kha-ri-STOE

Oui

Ναί

Neh

Non

Óχι

OH-hee