A trip to Attica’s wine country makes for the perfect fall excursion. Wine tourism is a great alternative for a getaway in nature that combines learning, gastronomy and total euphoria. During your visit you will have the chance to tour the premises and learn about the production process from harvesting to fermentation and bottling.

You can also attend tasting and gastronomy courses which employ traditional recipes and use local products. In some wineries, you can even pair a delicious lunch or dinner with one of their wines, hand-selected to perfectly complement your meal! Various cultural events and wine-tasting seminars are also offered at wineries throughout the year.

Make sure you contact the winery in advance to find out about its opening hours and tours.

Attica’s vineyards

According to Greek Mythology, Dionysus, the God of wine and mirth, entrusted the residents of Attica with the secrets of viticulture and the art of wine drinking.

The district of Mesogeia is the oldest and largest wine-producing region in Greece. With more than 26 winemakers, the area has been distributing wine throughout Greece for ages – literally.

Due to the area’s microclimate, Savvatiano grapes are predominant; these produce golden-coloured wines with a light taste, delicate aroma and low acidity. Savvatiano are mainly used for the production of Restina. Many red wines are also produced in Mesogeia and distributed not only within Greece (in liquor stores, grocery stores, taverns, etc), but also abroad, primarily in Germany and the United States.

Viticulture in the area has been carried out without the use of pesticides and sprays for centuries, resulting in grapes of unparalleled quality and premium wines. Thanks to the new generation of oenologists, winegrowers, and agronomists Attica’s wines are more and more competitive in the international wine market today.

Meanwhile, the wider Attican wine country is continually enriched with new Greek varieties such as Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Athyri, and Agiorgitiko, as well as with international varieties such as Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

Wine museum

While in Mesogeia, don’t forget to visit the Wine Museum. Explore the magical world of wine, its history and related art. The Markou family, owner of the Ampelones Markou Winery, has created a lovely space within the Museum for cultural events and exhibitions where you can also see old artefacts, like a rare portable press with a wooden ripper, traditional cooper tools and many objects related to viticulture and the production of wine in Attica.

The Athenian Trilogy consists of three neoclassical buildings; Academy - University - Library.

Athens Academy

The Academy of Athens consists of aesthetically distinct parts that form a harmonic ensemble of built mass. A corridor connects the two lateral wings to the main body of the building, which -in its proportions of line and mass- is set-off by its Ionian-style entrance and its big pediment. The entrance has elements originating from the eastern side of Erechtheion, on Acropolis. The predominant material on the facets is marble. Overall, the building is a characteristic example of mature Neoclassicism.

Athens University

The University of Athens forms part of the so-called "Neoclassical Trilogy" of the City of Athens: Academy - University - Library. It consists of a group of built masses that shape up a double "T", with two symmetrical courtyards. The facade is strictly symmetrical to the arcade of rectangular pillars, set-off by an Ionian-style entrance. The bases of the columns and the capitals of the entrance are perfect replicas of the equivalent found in the Propylaea of Acropolis. The building follows the basic aesthetic rules of early Neoclassicism, while at the same time is adapted to the Greek Mediterranean climate. The outside statues complete the entrance's composition, that is evidently distinguished to "base," body" and "crowning" parts.

Today the building serves as headquarters of the University of Athens, housing the offices of the Rectorate, the Juridical Department, the Archives and the Ceremonial Hall for official ceremonies of national esteem that refer to the University community.

By a ministerial decree of 1952, the building was identified as preserved monument "in need of special protection" according to the relevant 1950 Law.

National Library

The National Library consists of three solid parts, out of which the one in the middle -which is also the biggest- houses the Reading-Room. To enter this part, one has to pass through a Doric-style row of columns (designed after the Temple of Hephaestus in the Ancient Agora of Thission, which served as its model), after climbing on a monumental curved double staircase of a Renascence style. The Reading-Room, surrounded by Ionian-style columns, is covered by a glass ceiling. The cast-iron constructions of the bookstands were referred to as exceptional back in their time. In general, the building is considered to be a characteristic sample of mature Neoclassicism.

Athens' Tomb of the Unknown Soldier commemorates all those Greek soldiers who died in service of their country over its long history. Among its inscriptions are quotes from Pericles Funeral Oration as written by Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War : 'and one bed is carried empty / made for the unknown ones.' During major holidays, politicians and officials lay wreaths at the tomb.

The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by the Presidential Guard (the Evzones). These are the hand-picked strongest men of the army - also the most handsome! Their traditional uniform features a skirt, stockings and pom-poms on their shoes, all of which makes the hourly Changing of the Guard ceremony even more worth seeing. On Sundays at 11am they stage an impressive full ceremony with formal uniform and an army band.

The Old Royal Palace is the former royal palace in Athens, Greece. The palace faces onto the Syntagma Square and now houses the Hellenic Parliament.

The palace was designed by Friedrich von Gärtner for King Otto of Greece and was completed in 1843. As it served originally as a palace for the Greek monarchs, it is sometimes still referred to as the "Old Palace". After suffering fire damage in 1909, it entered a long period of renovation. The King and Royal Family moved to what was from 1897 until then the Crown Prince's Palace, from then on known as the "New Palace", one block to the east on Herodou Attikou Street, while some royals continued to reside in the "Old Palace" until 1924, when a referendum abolished the monarchy. The building was then used for many different purposes—functioning as a makeshift hospital, a museum, et al.—until November 1929, when the Government decided that the building would permanently house Parliament. After more extensive renovations, the Senate convened in the "Old Palace" (Παλαιά Ανάκτορα) on 2 August 1934, followed by the Fifth National Assembly on 1 July 1935. Although the monarchy was restored that same year, the building has housed Parliament ever since.

Greek cuisine is a blend of indigenous traditions and foreign influences. Neighboring Italy and Turkey have left a major impact on Greek cuisine, and there are shared dishes with both of these nations. The traditional Greek diet is very Mediterranean, espousing vegetables, herbs, and grains native to the Mediterranean biome. Being a highly maritime nation, the Greeks incorporate plenty of seafood into their diet. The country is also a major producer and consumer of lamb; beef, pork, and especially chicken are also popular. Olive oil is a staple in Greek cooking, and lemon and tomatoes are common ingredients. Bread and wine are always served at the dinner table.

The cuisine in Greece can be radically different from what is offered in Greek restaurants around the world. Greek restaurants abroad tend to cater more to customer expectations rather than offer a truly authentic Greek dining experience. One example is the famous gyros (yee-ros), a common item on Greek menus outside Greece. While it is a popular fast-food item in Greece today, it is actually a relatively recent foreign import (adapted from the Turkish döner kebap) and is considered by Greeks as junk food. It is never served in the home and is generally not found on the menus of non-fast-food restaurants.

Eating out is Greece's national pastime and a rewarding experience for visitors; however, not knowing where to go or what to do can dampen the experience. In the past, restaurants that catered mostly to tourists were generally disappointing. Thankfully, the nation's restaurant industry has grown in sophistication over the past decade, and it is now possible to find excellent restaurants in highly-touristed areas, particularly areas that are popular with Greek tourists as well. Thus, it remains a good idea to dine where Greeks dine (Go search them at the times greeks dine: 21:00-23:00). The best restaurants will offer not only authentic traditional Greek cuisine (along with regional specialties) but Greece's latest culinary trends as well. A good sign of authenticity is when you get a small free dessert when you ask for the bill. Bad signs are when desserts are listed on the menue, and also when the waiter is taking your plates away while you are still sitting at the table (traditionally everything is left on the table until the customer is gone, even if there is hardly any space left).

Psiri is an up and coming district of Athens, full of stylish cafés, bars and small shops.

You can see the Greek youth in crowds walking up and down in the former poor and industrialized part of Athens center. The place is full of contradictions. There are some inexpensive cafeterias which serve beer, wine and ouzo until very late at night which attract the more bohemian part of Greek youth. There are also some very stylish clubs, bars and cafeterias which attract the more trendy and fashionable part of Greek youth. There are also expensive restaurants with live music which attract older crowds. All these people are crowded in the small and old pavements of Psiri among an industrialized environment of the past decades. It is worth visiting if someone wants to see how Greeks spend their nights out and is right next to Monastiraki so it can be included in a walk in the Athens center.

Mount Lycabettus, also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos, is a Cretaceous limestone hill in Athens, Greece. At 277 meters (908 feet) above sea level, the hill is the highest point in the city that surrounds it. Pine trees cover its base, and at its two peaks are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant.

The hill is a popular tourist destination and can be ascended by the Lycabettus Funicular, a funicular railway which climbs the hill from a lower terminus at Kolonaki (The railway station can be found at Aristippou street). Lycabettus appears in various legends. Popular stories suggest it was once the refuge of wolves, possibly the origin of its name (which means "the one (the hill) that is walked by wolves"). Mythologically, Lycabettus is credited to Athena, who created it when she dropped a mountain she had been carrying from Pallene for the construction of the Acropolis after the box holding Erichthonius was opened.

The hill also has a large open-air theater at the top, which has housed many Greek and international concerts.

Built by the Municipality of Athens between 1878 and 1886, the Municipal Market on Athinas Street came into being after a devastating fire burned the huts of the old market to the ground in 1884. Located at the eastern side of the Hadrian’s Library, the market has operated continually for more than 125 years and now houses a large number of food stores selling mostly meat and fish.

During the last decades of the 20th century, the marketplace was renovated by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Athens.

It still bustles with shoppers every day, and is especially busy on Saturdays and before holidays.

Gazi is a neighborhood of Athens, Greece. It surrounds the old Athens gasworks, which is an industrial museum and exhibition space, widely known as Gazi, next to Keramikos and close to the Acropolis.

It is home to the Technopolis of Athens, that spreads in an area of about 30,000 m2, an industrial museum of modern architecture.

In the past ten years it has been growing rapidly as the new, and expanding, Athens gay village. Gay bars had been located in Kolonaki and at the beginning of Syngrou avenue. Gazi is now home to numerous gay and lesbian bars, clubs, cafeterias and restaurants.
Kerameikos metro station on Line 3 of the Athens Metro is adjacent to the Technopolis of Gazi.

Behind the Tomb of the Unknown soldier on Amalias street, at the top of Syntagma (Constitution) Square is what my brother calls "Athens greatest treasure". Formerly The Kings Garden, now the National Garden, it is like a tropical paradise right in the middle of the concrete jungle of Athens. You can spend hours wandering around the shaded pathways past flowers and trees and ducks. There are two duck ponds and a duck population that has gotten completely out of control. There are the remains of ancient Athens scattered around and several dozen cats. The National Garden is a great place to escape the noise and heat of Athens. Especially if you like ducks.

In what used to be the private garden of the king an event took place that changed the course of history for Greece and made it what it is today, a small country in the eastern Mediterranean, instead of a large country spread over two continents with its capital in Constantinople. This event was a the bite of a monkey.

Athens National Gardens After the first world war things were looking up for Greece. The Germans had been defeated and Turkey which had been allied with them, was falling apart. Under Eleftherios Venizelos, Greece's greatest statesmen and one of the most intelligent and respected leaders in Europe, the country had tripled in size and it's army controlled Smyrna on the coast of Asia Minor, an international city full of Greeks who had lived there for thousands of years, as well as many other towns on the coast which were also full of Greeks. The Greek army had the support of the European powers and what was left of the Turkish army was disorganized and on the run. It seemed that Greece would achieve it's dream of the megalo idea: the Great Idea, a greater Greece with it's capital in Constantinople (Istanbul): A second Byzantine Empire. Then on Sept 30th 1920, while walking in the gardens, King Alexander was bitten by a monkey. He died three weeks later. His brother Constantine, a Germano-phile who was unpopular with the European powers, returned to Greece and in elections the Royalists triumphed over the Venizelists.

To make a long story short, the king removed the Venizelists officers from the army just about when the European powers withdrew their support. The French, sensing a change in the winds, began to supply weapons to the young Turks, led by Mustapha Kemal, also known as Attaturk . The Greek army overextended in an ill-advised plan to take Ankara was soundly routed and retreated back to the coast of the Aegean sea bringing with them every Greek from every village, who feared retribution by the Turkish army in hot pursuit. Smyrna was burned to the ground and thousands of Greeks and Armenians were massacred while the British, French, Russian and US Navy just watched from the harbor, waiting to do business with the new Turkish Government. The burning of Smyrna and the evacuation of a million and a half Greeks and Armenians put an end to three thousand years of Hellenic and Christian civilization in Asia Minor and their flood into Athens and the cities and towns of Greece created a refugee problem beyond the scope of any country, much less a small poor one like Greece. Even today the neighborhoods created to house these refugees like Nea Smynri and Kokinia, still have a character of their own.

Athens National gardens zoo But in the National gardens you can forget about history and wars and the ills of modern society and take in the plants, flowers and trees that have been collected from all over the world. There is even a botanical museum on the grounds. In the old days the gates of the park were locked and the people of Athens could only stroll around Zappion, the gardens being the realm of the king and his family. Now it belongs to the people which is as it should be. There is also a small zoo featuring wolves from Bulgaria, strange antelope like creatures, monkeys, peacocks, hawks, buzzards, a lion, parakeets, canaries and goats, all sharing their cages with the ducks. (Be sure to see the real Athens Zoo too)

Athens national gardens ducks You can walk along the paths admiring the exotic fauna and the ducks. There is even a small cafe near the Irodou Atikou street called O Kypos where you can get a nice frappe, an ouzo and mezedes, and enjoy the afternoon while you feed your leftovers to the ducks who come to your table begging for food.

There is also a very nice duck pond where you can feed them but be careful that you don't become a meal yourself. We always save our bread from lunch to bring here, or you can buy doughnuts (koulouria) from a little man near the large pond.

Athens National Gardens turtles Besides the ducks there is also a water turtle population that seems to be on it's way to getting out of control and space has become so hard to find they have begun stacking themselves. While less of a problem than the ducks because of their inability to escape the National gardens or even their pond, the abundance of these turtles raises this interesting question. Are these the same turtles that used to be sold in pet stores in America with little plastic palm trees? And if they are why did they leave America and come here? The good news is that according to the US Dept of Agriculture in their travelers tips pamphlet, any American can import up to six turtles as long as the shells are 4 inches long and they are for personal use as pets and not for commercial purposes. But don't grab one of these or you may get arrested. These turtles are property of the Greek state. That goes for the ducks too.