Athens, Monastiraki,

Monastiraki is located at the northwest of the Acropolis, and its exact translation means 'little monastery'. Its small and narrow streets are mainly taken up by the flea market stalls that sell all sorts of souvenirs, jewelry, clothes. You could literally find anything there, from antiques to transistor radios, phone cards; used cell phones, books, old collector edition records and generally stuff that might be classify as sheer junk but might be the exact thing that someone else was looking for on that particular instance.

The flea market is the best place to buy souvenirs from Greece at reasonable prices. If you think that the asking price doesn’t necessarily represent the value of a particular item bargaining is always an option. Much of the flea market is not actually a flea market throughout the week. It is only on Sundays that the majority of Athenians come down for shopping and socializing. During the week it is a collection of small shops of which most of them are tourist shops. Only on Sundays you could find an antique market in Avissinias Square, where merchants sell old furniture and bric-a-brac. The large number of cafes and restaurants will make your experience even more delightful. At Monastiraki Square especially you will find many kebab and souvlaki restaurants which are constantly full of locals and tourists alike.

If night life is what you are after, then Monastiraki is definitely one of the places in down town Athens you should visit. Its large variety of bars and night clubs will provide the visitor with a unique Athenian experience. Getting to Monastiraki is fairly easy. The subway system in Athens expanded its route by adding a Moanstiraki stop in late 2003. This made commuting to Monastiraki a breeze, with the two subway exits leading to the main Monastiraki square and the other leaving you a minute’s walk away from the Psirri neighborhood. Athens is full of these neighborhood gems. Mostly around The acropolis, in the center of the modern city, and in the area where ancient Athens was based.