Plaka, the old town of Greece

Plaka, the old town of Greece

By Daniel and Josh

Daniel:

As we learned from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaka, Plaka is a historical neighborhood in Athens. The name Plaka is the most recent one, but this beautiful area went by the names Alikokou, Kontito, and Kandili until after the "Greek War of Independence." Plaka is very close to the Acropolis and is sometimes referred to as the "Neighborhood of the Gods." The area resembles a labyrinth and is full of neoclassical architecture.  Plaka is on the northeast side of Acropolis. Adrianou Street is the largest and central street in Plaka and divides it into two areas: Ano Plaka and Kato Plaka. This neighborhood has always been inhabited since antiquity. In 1884 a fire burned down a large part of the region, this gave the opportunity for the archaeologists to conduct excavations in several areas of Plaka.

Josh:

Our experience was very pleasant. We didn't expect Plaka to be so small, we thought it was going to be dirty and not very interesting, but now we realize that Plaka, for how small it is, has an enormous range of activities and fun stuff to take part in. You can walk to the Acropolis if you want a swim in Ancient Greek culture, or just sit down in the town square of Plaka and relax, drinking a regular Greek coffee, or simply walk around the welcoming souvenir shops and buy lots of marvelous and exciting things. And let's not forget about the delicious restaurants there are, always happy to welcome you to eat a Mousaka or some Greek salad. This trip changed our minds completely about this city. The people are very friendly too; they can't wait for a tourist to look around and enjoy it.