Neighborhood
Exarchia: Athens' Student & Anarchist Quarter
Murals, secondhand bookshops and some of the best coffee in the city — plus a genuinely distinct political character.
Exarchia has a reputation that precedes it — Athens' historic center of anarchist and left-wing activism, the site of periodic clashes with police that make international news. That history is real, but it coexists with a neighborhood that's also home to the National Technical University, some of the city's best independent bookshops, and a dense, excellent café scene.
What to see
- Street art — some of the densest, most striking murals in Athens, many with direct political content.
- Exarchia Square — the social heart of the neighborhood, ringed by cafés.
- Strefi Hill — a small, unpolished green space with a good, uncrowded view over the neighborhood.
Visiting sensibly
Exarchia is generally safe to walk through during the day and for a coffee or dinner in the evening. Large protests do occasionally escalate, so it's sensible to avoid the area if you see a major demonstration underway — a quick local news check is enough to know.
Combine it with
The National Archaeological Museum sits just at the edge of Exarchia — an easy pairing for a morning.