Plaka and Monastiraki (Athens)

Ancient Landmarks, Major Museums, Mosques, Traditional Villages
Geo Area: Attica

A paved lane in Plaka beside a yellow house with green shutters, with café umbrellas and the Acropolis rock above — Acropolis from a lane in Plaka, AthensSource: Dreamstime

Plaka and Monastiraki are two old quarters in the centre of Athens, in Attica. They lie side by side at the northern foot of the Acropolis, and it is easy to walk through both on the same day. Plaka has low houses, narrow streets and the small white houses of Anafiotika under the rock. Monastiraki has a square with a metro station, a church and a mosque of 1759, and a flea market starts a few steps away. In and around the two quarters are three ancient sites: the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora with the Tower of the Winds, and Hadrian's Library. Tavernas, cafés and shops fill the streets of both quarters.

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Neighbourhoods

Plaka

Plaka covers the north-eastern slope under the Acropolis, between Syntagma Square and Monastiraki Square. Adrianou Street is its main street and divides the upper part from the lower part. Strict building rules have protected the quarter since the 1980s. On Tripodon Street stands the Monument of Lysicrates of 335–334 BC. At the top of the quarter is Anafiotika, a group of small white houses under the rock of the Acropolis. Builders from the island of Anafi made them in the 19th century, in the style of their island. A few dozen houses remain, and people live in them.

Monastiraki

Monastiraki takes its name from the small Church of the Pantanassa on Monastiraki Square. The church dates from the 17th century and once belonged to a monastery. A mosque of 1759 stands beside it, and the metro station is on the same square. From the square, Ifestou Street is lined with shops and ends at Avissynias Square, where the flea market sells old furniture, lamps and second-hand goods. The streets around are full of tavernas, cafés and souvenir shops.

A stone-paved alley in Plaka with lit restaurant tables under awnings — Restaurants in an alley of Plaka, Athens Source: Dreamstime

A church bell tower with a clock beside a palm tree on a pedestrian street in Monastiraki, with two women walking in the foreground — Church bell tower, Monastiraki, Athens Source: GNTO / Y. Skoulas

Outdoor taverna tables and umbrellas between houses covered in bougainvillea in Plaka — Taverna terraces in Plaka, Athens Source: Dreamstime

Whitewashed steps between a yellow house with red shutters and an ochre wall in Anafiotika, with the Acropolis rock and its wall above — Steps in Anafiotika below the Acropolis, Athens Source: Ranssom, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Illuminated Acropolis hill glowing above rooftop restaurants and city lights at dusk — Monastiraki by night, Athens Source: Dreamstime

Monastiraki Square with the domed mosque on the left, the yellow metro station building on the right and the Acropolis in the distance — Monastiraki Square with the mosque, Athens Source: Barcex, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

History & Culture

The Ancient Agora

The Ancient Agora was the centre of public life in ancient Athens. It lies north-west of the Acropolis, and Adrianou Street leads to it from Monastiraki. The Temple of Hephaestus, from the classical period, is very well preserved. The Stoa of Attalos, a long hall with columns from the 2nd century BC, was rebuilt in the 1950s and houses the museum of the site.

The Roman Agora and Hadrian's Library

The Roman Agora was built between 19 and 11 BC as the new market of the city. Inside it stands the Tower of the Winds, an eight-sided tower twelve metres high from about 50 BC. It worked as a sundial, a water clock and a wind vane. Close by, next to Monastiraki Square, are the west wall and the columns of the library that the Roman emperor Hadrian built in AD 132.

Museums

The Museum of Modern Greek Culture fills a block of eighteen old buildings near Monastiraki Square. It shows how Greeks lived from the 18th century to 1970. The Jewish Museum of Greece is in Plaka.

The eight-sided marble Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora, with old houses and the Acropolis rock behind — Tower of the Winds, Roman Agora, Athens Source: Dreamstime

Ancient marble columns with carved capitals, framed by pink bougainvillea — Columns of Hadrian's Library, Athens Source: Dreamstime

A row of marble statues along the colonnade of the Stoa of Attalos, under a wooden roof — Sculptures in the Stoa of Attalos, Athens Source: greekdestinations.gr

The Doric Temple of Hephaestus among trees in the Ancient Agora, with hills covered in houses behind — Temple of Hephaestus, Ancient Agora, Athens Source: George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where to Stay

Prices shown per night for a sample 3-night stay. Rates and availability vary by season — select your dates for live pricing.

Practical information

Plaka and Monastiraki (Athens):

Getting there

Monastiraki metro station is on Monastiraki Square, in the centre of Athens, and Lines 1 and 3 stop there. From the station, the Roman Agora is about five minutes on foot, and Hadrian's Library is beside the square. The Ancient Agora is a short walk along Adrianou Street. Plaka lies between Monastiraki Square and Syntagma Square, so you can walk into it from either square.

Getting around

Everything here is reached on foot, and the distances are short. Adrianou Street runs through both quarters. Anafiotika is on a steep slope, with steps and very narrow lanes, so wear flat shoes. The Roman Agora, Hadrian's Library and the Ancient Agora are all within a few minutes of each other, so you can see them in one walk.

When to go

From April to October the archaeological sites stay open until the evening, and in winter they close in the afternoon. Check the hours of each site, because they are not all the same. Entry to the sites is free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March, and on a few national days. The flea market at Avissynias Square is held once a week, usually on Sunday.

Good to know

Each archaeological site has its own ticket. The single ticket that covered several sites in Athens was abolished in 2025. Check prices and opening hours on the official ticket website of the Ministry of Culture before you go. The mosque on Monastiraki Square belongs to the Museum of Modern Greek Culture, so check whether it is open. The houses of Anafiotika are homes, so keep your voice low and stay out of the yards.