MONASTIRAKI & the Flea Market (must see)
Monastiraki is a downtown Athens neighborhood surrounded by the neighborhoods Plaka, Psyrri and Thission. It’s famous for its flea market, which is actually a pedestrian street with small shops that are open daily.
Reason to Go
It’s almost impossible not to walk through Monastiraki since it’s so centrally located. Monastiraki Square, where the Monastiraki train station is located, has been photographed a million times so when you’re there you may recognize it! Even though the Monastiraki flea market is not exactly a flea market, I think is really cool to visit. It’s located in Ifestou Street and starts on the right side of the train station. It’s full of people and there are many types of shops. You’ll see shoe and sandal shops (there are also sandal shops in Monastiraki Square and Adrianou Street), shops that sell modern and alternative clothing), beads (if you want to make your own bracelet), army equipment (army boots, hats and raincoats with army print), CDs, vinyls and antiques.
In the middle of the “flea market” you will find Avissinias Square which has three or four shops that sell antiques.
Even though I rarely buy any (I don’t think I have the knowledge to judge which is the right price for an old item), I’m always amazed with antiques. They were made with love and were treated with care for so many years, which is such a contrast to today’s mass-produced goods of questionable quality that are meant to be used for only a short time. Every Sunday, an actual flea market takes place in Monastiraki, on Ifestou and Ermou Streets (the part that is parallel to Ifestou Street) where people sell all sorts of random stuff.
Places to go for coffee:
One option is to go to one of the cafés with terraces that offer some extraordinary views of the Acropolis and Parthenon. Some are:
Another option is to go to the Adrianou Pedestrian Street (the part of the street that is in Monastiraki, not Plaka) which offers a really beautiful view of the ancient market and Stoa of Attalos (this is also where you’ll find the entrance to the Stoa). I love going there, especially during spring! There are plenty of cafés and I don’t have one in particular to recommend, since the street is quite popular. I’d suggest sitting wherever you can find a free table.
Another café/bar I like in Monastiraki, which is not on Adrianou Street and doesn’t have a terrace, is TAF. It has a big hidden yard isolated from the busy crowds and is quite a relaxing environment.
