Athens Shopping

Athens is the commercial capital of Greece and therefore it has a great variety of shops dealing in all kinds of goods such as, clothes and shoes, jewellery, books, CDs, antiques, souvenirs, etc. Athens has an impressive variety of goods on offer, from top designer labels and exquisite jewellery to rugs, carpets and high quality leather goods. A large section of the city centre is now for pedestrians only, making shopping a real treat.
The major shopping areas of Athens are gathered around Omonia and Syntagma Squares, making them easily accessible to tourists. Ermou Street is probably the busiest of them all filled with anything your heart desires, making it a shopping lover's paradise. Literally hundreds of people shop daily on Ermou and its neighbouring streets. It has recently been paved, which further facilitates shoppers, and street performers have become a permanent feature of the area.

Just below Ermou Street, visitors will discover Monastiraki, the old bazaar, where bargaining is an absolute necessity, but is also its charm. Shoppers can purchase traditional Greek art, jewellery, and souvenirs. After a long day of shopping, you can enjoy your lunch or a cup of coffee in nearby Plaka, Thision or Psyri.
Kolonaki district is situated close to Syntagma Square, towards Lycabettus Hill. It is considered the most posh commercial area in Athens, packed with shops, designer boutiques high class delicatessens and pastry shops. Kolonaki also offers many cafes and restaurants for shoppers to relax at after a tiring shopping spree. Tsakalof Street is Kolonaki's most famous and is rated among the six most expensive streets in the world. In Kolonaki you will find the boutiques of top Greek fashion designers with successful international careers in Paris, New York and Milan.
Also major shopping sites are the suburbs of Kifissia in the north and Glyfada on the south coast, both relatively close to the airport. Other streets in Athens city i.e. Patission, Agiou Meletiou, Stadiou, etc, have many commercial stores, and generally most districts in Athens have a few main roads which are bursting with shops of all kinds. The best shopping therapy in Athens is done on foot, combining trade and tourism at the same time.