Monastiraki Flea Market
Athens
Mike Gerrard of Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market in Athens, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square.
Monastiraki gets its name from the monastery that used to stand on this square in central Athens. Anything less monastic these days it would be hard to imagine, especially on a Sunday morning when crowds flock to the weekly flea market that starts here and flows through the streets around. Monks would perhaps avert their gaze from the stalls selling second-hand copies of Playboy and Penthouse and browse instead at the one right next door which has beads, Bibles and candles. The sacred and the profane are neighbours in these Athenian streets.
No doubt they were in ancient times too. Across the railroad tracks is the site of the market-place of ancient Athens, the Agora, a market since the 6th century BC. The foundations of the shops are still there, making it easy to picture the scene, then as now – people sniffing round for a bargain, checking the quality of the fruit and vegetables, or just mooching about.
No-one then would have found what caught my eye on one visit: a large inflatable aubergine, the use for which beggared the imagination. Perhaps it was to decorate a restaurant. Along here you could fully equip any eating place, with chairs and tables, hat stands and mirrors half-blocking the road in a way not many cities would tolerate. But Athens has never lost its human touch.
Here are rare first editions, bootleg CDs, a bouzouki maker, fading postcards and typewriters so old they look like they do date back to the 6th century BC and have only just been dug up.
As you head towards the Keramikos Cemetery (this part of Athens was named after Keramos, the patron saint of potters, hence the word ceramics) the roads can get impossibly crowded. Wallets and purses should be well tucked away. Take a diversion into the cemetery, the main burial place of ancient Athens, with tombs dating back to the 12th century BC. It's a peaceful respite from the crowds, with chaffinches dashing and chattering in the olive trees, and terrapins lurking in the grass.
If the smells from the market food stalls make you hungry, try not to spoil your appetite with a snack but head back to Monastiraki Square and hope you can find a table at Sigalas (full name Bairaktaris Taverna Sigalas). It's not quite as old as the ancient market, and dates back only to the late 19th century (as do some of the waiters, it seems).
Life is a cabaret, in Sigalas, with its intriguing mix of local characters and more adventurous tourists. Black and white photos of film stars and politicians gaze down from the wooden walls, and there are all kinds of nooks and crannies, upstairs and down. Don't expect a waiter to greet you at the door and show you to a table. You're on your own. Walk in and hope you can find an empty place somewhere. Menus? Who needs them. Take a look at what's cooking. It won't be gourmet dishes but it will be tasty and generous and easy on the pocket.
Whenever I'm in Athens I eat at Sigalas as often as I can manage it. Turn up twice and you're a regular. More than that and you're one of the family. After one Sunday lunch I was relaxing with a newspaper when one of the waiters began clearing the table next to me. They'd left half a bottle of retsina, which he plonked down in front of me with a wink. A few minutes later he brought a plate of chips to go with it. When I'd finished that lot he gave me a juicy apple for a dessert, and then a cup of coffee. All unordered, and none of them on the bill.
Suitably sozzled, I tried to imagine that happening in any other European capital city, and couldn't. Only in Athens, where the generous spirit lives on.
More Athens pages
A Drive around Attica
This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.
Athens: Travel Information and Advice about Athens, Greece
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
Restaurants with Acropolis Views
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.
Where to Eat in Athens and Piraeus
If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.
The Best Hotels in Athens
Greece Travel Secrets gives its choice of the best hotels in Athens from budget and moderate options through to 5-star luxury choices.
Athens Airport Hotels
Athens Airport hotels include the luxury Sofitel at the terminals, Holiday Inn near the airport, and others close by like the Hotel Pantheon.
Greek Architecture
This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.
Athens to Santorini
There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.
Cape Sounion and the East Coast
The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.
The Pnyx
The Pnyx hill near the Acropolis is one of Athens' true hidden gems, a place to wander freely away from the crowds and discover ancient places and mysteries.
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens include eating in the Central Market, watching the sun set over the Acropolis and seeing one of the world's oldest theatres.
Ten Best Museums in Athens
Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.
Piraeus
Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
Pictures of Athens
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.
My Athens: a Portrait by Travel Writer Mike Gerrard
In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis and eating!
Mount Lykabettos
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
Monastiraki and Around
Around Monastiraki is the flea market, Athens cathedral, Kerameikos Cemetery, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art and the Psirri and Gazi nightlife districts.
A History of Athens
A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.
Entertainment in Athens
There's all kinds of entertainment in Athens whether you're interested in theatre, dance, classical music, jazz, Greek music, rock music, disco, opera or movies.
Easter in Athens
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
Changing of the Guard in Athens
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
Best Views in Athens
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
Best Time to Visit Athens
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
Latest Posts
-
Kerameikos Ancient Site in Athens Getting New Visitor Facilities
Visitors to the Kerameikos archaeological site in central Athens will soon have new access through an entrance-exit point being developed on Agion Asomaton Street, directly across from Dipylou Street. -
Central Greece Motorway E65 Adding More Kilometers
A new section of the E65 motorway, often referred to as the “backbone road” of Central Greece, was opened to traffic in the second week of July, with 136 kilometers now operational. This road provides… -
AirDNA: Greece’s 3 Cities with Affordable Airbnb Rates
Iceland, Monaco, the UK, Greece, and Spain are Europe’s most expensive countries for short-term rentals, according to analytics experts AirDNA. -
Seaplane Test Flights Connect Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros
Greek seaplane company Hellenic Seaplanes on Friday laid the groundwork for some of the Greek islands that will welcome seaplanes and carried out its first flights between three islands of the Sporade… -
Travel + Leisure: Four Greek Hotels Among Best in the World and Europe
The World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure recently ranked four Greek hotels among the best in the world and Europe, honoring them for their luxurious atmosphere and top-notch hospitality. -
Santorini Cannot Support Even One More Hotel or Airbnb Bed
Santorini is now coping with the repercussions of overtourism generated by cruise ships and day-trippers from Crete and other adjacent islands. -
9 Tasty Stops in the Cyclades for Authentic Flavors
Restaurants, tavernas, and grocery stores that highlight the local flavors of the Cyclades. -
Where to Eat on Symi
Greece Travel Secrets picks where to eat on Symi, down by the harbour or in the upper town, and whether you like fish, meat, vegetarian, traditional or modern. -
Restaurants with Acropolis Views
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars. -
The Ilisian: Reimagining an Icon of Modern Athens
The former Hilton Athens is being transformed into a multi-faceted destination that aspires to forge exciting new connections between the Greek capital and the rest of the world.
Why not sign up for our Greece Travel Secrets newsletter? Each week you'll get emailed our regular Greece Travel Secrets Magazine for news, information, and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece.
As a welcome gift you'll also get a free e-book, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
LATEST NEWS
Latest Posts
-
Kerameikos Ancient Site in Athens Getting New Visitor Facilities
Jul 16, 24 08:46 AM
Visitors to the Kerameikos archaeological site in central Athens will soon have new access through an entrance-exit point being developed on Agion Asomaton Street, directly across from Dipylou Street. -
Central Greece Motorway E65 Adding More Kilometers
Jul 16, 24 08:46 AM
A new section of the E65 motorway, often referred to as the “backbone road” of Central Greece, was opened to traffic in the second week of July, with 136 kilometers now operational. This road provides… -
AirDNA: Greece’s 3 Cities with Affordable Airbnb Rates
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
Iceland, Monaco, the UK, Greece, and Spain are Europe’s most expensive countries for short-term rentals, according to analytics experts AirDNA. -
Seaplane Test Flights Connect Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
Greek seaplane company Hellenic Seaplanes on Friday laid the groundwork for some of the Greek islands that will welcome seaplanes and carried out its first flights between three islands of the Sporade… -
Travel + Leisure: Four Greek Hotels Among Best in the World and Europe
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
The World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure recently ranked four Greek hotels among the best in the world and Europe, honoring them for their luxurious atmosphere and top-notch hospitality. -
Santorini Cannot Support Even One More Hotel or Airbnb Bed
Jul 13, 24 04:03 AM
Santorini is now coping with the repercussions of overtourism generated by cruise ships and day-trippers from Crete and other adjacent islands. -
9 Tasty Stops in the Cyclades for Authentic Flavors
Jul 13, 24 04:03 AM
Restaurants, tavernas, and grocery stores that highlight the local flavors of the Cyclades. -
Where to Eat on Symi
Jul 12, 24 11:40 AM
Greece Travel Secrets picks where to eat on Symi, down by the harbour or in the upper town, and whether you like fish, meat, vegetarian, traditional or modern. -
Restaurants with Acropolis Views
Jul 11, 24 12:12 PM
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, but at no cost to you.
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
