Welcome to All About Athens

Hello, and thank you for visiting me here on this little corner of the internet! I moved to Athens in 2023, after spending three months here in 2022 and completely falling in love with the place.

I’ve lived in other countries around the world, but Athens has a unique rawness, a rough edge and a certain magic that’s hard to define.

Maybe it’s the history, the people, the culture, the architecture, the ancient sites or the food – or maybe it’s all of those things at once – but the city just crackles with a magnetic, liberating energy.

When I first arrived, I knew absolutely nothing about Athens, and it took me a while to figure it all out. I didn’t want to just see the Acropolis and the centre. I wanted to see all of Athens, real Athens, in all its diversity.

So during those first three months, I made a point of choosing a different metro stop to explore each day until I knew the entire city inside out. Sometimes I’d find a leafy square, sometimes a busy market, sometimes a neighbourhood that felt like a completely different city. Even now, there are very few neighbourhoods in Athens I don’t know.

Since I’ve lived here – first in the centre, and now in the south – I’ve used what I’ve learned to help tourists and expats on Reddit and Facebook to navigate their way around and discover all that this incredible, vibrant city has to offer.

Over time, I realised how much I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and helping people get to know the real Athens, not just the version you see in guidebooks.

So this summer, I decided to compile everything I’ve learned in one place, to make Athens even more accessible to everyone. This blog is for anyone who wants to go beyond the obvious, who’s curious about the city’s quirks, hidden corners and everyday life.

Whether you’re just visiting Athens for 48 hours or you’re about to relocate here, All About Athens provides an honest, practical guide to the city, based on real experience. We’ll cover not just the highlights, but some of the challenges too.

I really hope you enjoy it, and that it helps you get to know Athens in your own way.

Lara x