How to Green Up your Stay in Athens

Until recently, first-time visitors to Athens could be forgiven for assuming that Athenians subsist solely on souvlaki, Freddo iced coffee (in disposable cups) and exhaust fumes. Yes, Athens still has some way to go to catch up with its more environmentally conscious European counterparts. But as entrepreneurs, activists and local authorities join forces to develop ways big and small to become more sustainable, the Greek capital is taking big steps towards its goal of becoming a green and global metropolis. From where to enjoy the best vegan souvlaki in the city to eco-friendly hotels and recycled shopping, here's our guide to making your stay in Athens as green as possible.

In short, everywhere. The Greeks have always loved meat, but sticking to a plant-based diet in Athens is surprisingly easy. Most taverns serve hearty vegetarian dishes such as pitas (pies with spinach, wild greens or mushrooms) and ladera (vegetables cooked in fresh tomato sauce and olive oil). Opt for delicious classics like fasolakia (green beans and potatoes) or gemista (stuffed tomatoes and green peppers), and add horiatiki (Greek salad), zucchini fritters (kolokitokeftedes) and some traditional sauces. Melitsanosalata (eggplant); tirokafteri (spicy whipped feta); and tzatziki (cucumber, garlic and yogurt) are popular choices. In general, there are many places in Athens that serve dishes according to the season, giving preference to local ingredients and adhering to the zero waste principle.

Menus across Athens are becoming greener, with more and more great vegan and vegetarian options to suit every budget. Special mention goes to Cookoomela Grill in Exarchia, the first vegan steakhouse in Athens, for their excellent mushroom souvlaki and eco-friendly ethics (i.e. green sourcing and biodegradable/recyclable packaging). For a light and healthy meal, Peas Vegan Cafe in Kukaki has a delicious range of beautiful vegan dishes, served with locally sourced ingredients and committed to a zero waste policy.

Great news for those who cook their own food. Most supermarkets in Athens now stock plant-based milks, vegan cheeses and meat substitutes such as tofu. Want to buy more than just basic products? Shop at Bamboo Vegan in Exarchia, an innovative mini market and cafe with a wide range of local and imported vegan products. There's everything from meat substitutes like tofu, seitan and tempeh to organic grains, legumes and other healthy foods, plus vegan cosmetics, cleaning products (and a convenient café where you can sip your fair-trade drink). trade).

Sto Vathos Kipos in Keramikos (which translates to “the garden behind”, since there really is a garden behind the store) sells organic produce daily. Brothers Lukas and Stefanos not only have an eye for greens, but they also have great taste in music, which you'll hear for yourself when you visit the store. Check out the gorgeous loaves of bread at Betty's Bread, one of the best third wave bakeries in Athens.

To find ingredients for a plant-based dish without compromising on taste, the impressive Varvakios Agora (Athens Central Market) in the historical center is your one-stop shop shop for the freshest seasonal products. Have you chosen fruits and vegetables? Now head around the corner to the fragrant spice markets on Euripidou Street and pick up some of Greece's finest herbs and spices to improve your cooking.

Unlike many European cities, where overpriced farmers' markets try to challenge the dominance of supermarkets, the Greeks have never lost touch with where their food comes from. Laiki agora (people's market) remains the best place to buy fruit, vegetables and herbs, usually sourced from farms around Athens or throughout Greece, at incredibly reasonable prices (though you'll have to fight the stall owners' tendency to put everything in plastic bags). Every area of ​​Athens has a weekly laiki, so just ask a local when and where. To experience a lively atmosphere with buskers, head to Kallidromiou Street Likes (every Saturday morning in Exarchia).

Kypseli Municipal Market, a hub for social entrepreneurship in the multicultural Kypseli district, every Wednesday you can experience a new model of community-supported agriculture. Eco-minded Bostani sells weekly fruit and vegetable hampers to help small independent farmers reduce waste and plan their harvests more efficiently, while also educating consumers about seasonal produce and how to use lesser-known local vegetables. You can order boxes online and pick them up from the market each week. Or buy directly from the producers themselves, who come to the Kipseli municipal markets to sell their goods every Wednesday from 16:00 to 20:00.

There is no excuse for relying on taxis or rental cars to get around the city. Athens' public transport system is accessible, reliable and covers most of the city and suburbs, while the metro (underground) is among the best in the world and quite easy to use. The city's trams are not only elegantly designed, but also the fastest and most environmentally friendly way to reach the remote areas of Neos Kosmos, Palio Faliro and of course the Athens Riviera.

To to understand the buses and trolleybuses of Athens, you can download the convenient OASA Telematics app. There's an English language option, and you'll also find helpful maps, route planning, ticket information and real-time vehicle locations.

Prefer your own electric wheels? In Athens, where the goal is for one in three new vehicles to be electric by 2030, there is a growing network of electric vehicle charging stations, some of which are free. In addition, all municipalities are now required to provide electric vehicle charging points.

Of course, cycling is another eco-friendly way to explore Athens, especially if you don't mind a few hills. Cycling infrastructure still lags behind other major European cities, but new cycle paths are popping up everywhere, and there are some great traffic-free cycling routes where you can see the sights on the go. To stay up to date, start in the historic district of Thissio and head down the coast to visit Renzo Piano's flagship beacon of sustainable development, the cultural center of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in Faliro. Check out our comprehensive guide to cycling in Athens for more scenic routes and tips for the best bike rental options in Athens, or opt for a cycling tour of the Athens Riviera.

Do you want to complicate the task? Embark on a thrilling two-wheel exploration of the stunning Mount Parnitha National Park - the closest to a national park capital in Europe - with GR Cycling, offering amazing road, mountain and e-bike rental services and a wealth of experiences.

But, of course, the most sustainable mode of transport will always be your own feet. The center of Athens is compact, easily accessible on foot, and much has been done in recent years to make the city more attractive to pedestrians. Large areas have been pedestrianized, such as the Commercial Triangle, while the “pocket parks” initiative is reclaiming previously neglected corners of the city to create new green spaces. Overall, Athens is aiming for a less car-centric future with more greenery and plants to improve air quality and the city experience for everyone.

Upcycling is picking up steam in Athens as eco-conscious designers find ways to turn all sorts of discarded items into chic clothing and homewares everyday life. Those sun-faded colored awnings you see everywhere in city apartment buildings? To keep them out of the landfill, brother and sister John and Garifalia Pitsak founded 3Quarters and turn them into stylish backpacks and bags.

Take home some Posidonia Oceanica sea grass. collected in the Peloponnese, in the form of a fancy phone case or beach racket thanks to PHEE, which turns expired sea grass into a versatile biomaterial. Or buy some of their seaweed sunglasses (designed in collaboration with Greek eyewear brand Zylo).

At Shedia Home on cool Kolokotroni Street, you can give love to the homeless and marginalized people of Athens, as well as the planet. This innovative social business includes a cozy restaurant and café where you can buy art made from recycled copies of Shedia magazine (sold by homeless vendors on the streets of Athens), as well as home goods and jewelry made from recycled materials by elderly people. who were previously unemployed.

When in 2017, a couple from Spain and Greece, Daphne Marneli and Francisco Vargas-Bianchi, opened their plastic recycling laboratory, which became creative, neighbors warned them that a store that told people not to buy things would never survive. But Plastikourgeio survived because, as Francisco says, “we only sell what people need.”

Plastikourgeio, built entirely from recycled items (like shells ) and materials sourced from other local businesses in Exarchia, specializes in environmentally friendly products that allow people to ditch single-use items. You'll find everything from bread bags and bottle brushes to zero-waste cleaning products and bathroom products and wheat straw.

Plastikourgeio also has a laboratory dedicated to finding creative uses for recycled plastic with using modified 3D printers and other methods. If you're in town for a long time, join one of their workshops and watch them turn your trash into recyclable treasures.

Take some time away from the hustle and bustle of central Athens with a stay at the Radisson Blu Park Hotel. This 5-star location on Alexandras Avenue offers stunning views of the city, the Acropolis and the nearby Pedion Areos Park - Athens' largest green space - and is a great base from which to explore Athens' longest street, Patission Avenue. Committed to achieving science-based net zero by 2050, Radisson Blu Park takes its environmental credentials seriously, employing a variety of environmentally friendly practices such as energy saving initiatives, water management and recycling, as well as the use of eco-friendly products (toiletries, cleaning products etc.). Plus, the hotel's restaurant and catering services use local and organic ingredients, so you can be confident in what's on your plate.

Green Suites Hotel in Ano Patisia is another eco-friendly option close to the city center (about 5 km from the Acropolis). Inside, you'll experience a calming, modern design without any of the wasteful practices that can be found in high-end hotels. The building's striking façade looks as if it was built from bamboo poles, but underneath it all lies high-tech features such as solar mirrors, rainwater recovery and photovoltaic systems that work together to make the building energy neutral.