Kydathineon: the best shopping street at Plaka!
Welcome: An open market on real marble!
A pedestrian path covered with marble, that connects Plaka with Acropolis metro and Syntagma metro, via Philellinon street. The street is the extension of the road that was around Acropolis. Kydathineon has one main square, Filomousou, that is surrounded by taverns and cafes.
Aristophanes was a Kydathineon citizen himself, but the street is now famous for Brettos, open-air Cine-Paris and many more. Kydathineon is the second main Plaka street (the main is Andrianou), where you can find shops with accessories, clothes, jewellery and a wide variety of souvenirs. Apart from shops there are some neoclassical building worth passing by and see them.
Kydathineon POI’s
Kydathineon is named after the Deme of Kydathineon. There are two museums nearby, Frissira and Children’s art, taverns at Filomousou square, many shops with gift options, famous Brettos and Cine Paris.
Moreover there are some special neoclassical buildings there. The first building is located in number 27, the Paparigopoulos House, the place where the first Christmas tree arrived in Athens. Paparigopoulos arrived in Athens in 1843 as the interpreter in Russian consulates and Former Consulate of Russia in Greece. Ludwig, father of Otto was hosted here, as well as the Russian embassy in Athens.
There are many interesting churches in Plaka, three of them are there. The Orthodox one is Metamorfosis Kottaki or Sotiros, built in the 11th century. Russians were given in Athens the church in Kydathineon in 1824, which they repaired in 1834. In the yard of Sotiros Church, the body of Odysseas Androutsos was buried after his murder from Kolettis, now he is also buried in Athens Cemetery. Few meters from there, there is the Russian church and the Anglican church, on Filellinon street.
In the same street was the house of famous politicians and poets Seferis, and later Konstantinos Tsatsos, Head of Greek Republic (1975-1980).