Athens Line (13): Thession - Monastiraki

The district of Thession can be found south-west of Monastiraki. It is a place, famous for its great number of cafés and bars, with a beautiful view on the Acropolis. Most of the Athenians love this area and often go for their night walk and amusements. This is the reason why it is usually crowded, especially during the week-ends, from 10 p. m. to 3 a.m.
In the area around you can also see:

 Technopolis: this enormous complex used to be a toxin-spewing foundry, hence the name of the neighborhood, “Gazi” (gas lands). These days it’s been converted into a huge arts center, hosting Top-notch exhibits, concerts and arts spaces – hence the building’s new name, which means “art city”. The conversion to Technopolis has prompted a revitalization of the entire area, with trendy bars and restaurants springing up among the gas lands.

 Athens’ Flea Market: Small, seedy Avissynias Square comes alive on Sunday mornings when Athens’ biggest and most colorful flea market fills the space and spills out to the streets around it. _ Monastiraki Square: there has been a church and monastery on this site since at least the 10th century. The current church was built in 1678. The monastery once owned many of the surrounding buildings, which were later destroyed, but the area’s name Monastiraki means “little monastery”, still derives from its glory days. The Pantanassa church, or church of the Dormition of the Virgin, is well worth a visit.

Kerameikos: this fascinating site around ancient Athens’ walls should not be missed. It contains evidence of all the activities that take place at a city’s edge: tombs (raised circular mounds for war heroes, pompous marble statues for great statesmen), temples, important roads, pottery workshops, and a brothel. It’s also a shady oasis in the congested city centre. _ Hadrian’s Library (3 Areos Str. & Andrianou Str.): Roman Emperor Hadrian built this sumptuous “library” in AD 131. It had a marble courtyard, mosaic floors, concert areas and a small area for storing library scrolls, all surrounded by exquisite Corinthian columns. Following an extensive excavation and restoration project, part of the site is now open to the public. Tel: +30 (210) 3249350.