Back in May, I embarked on yet another Open Walk by Atenistas. This time I explored the hidden courtyards of Athens located in Plaka. It was sweltering hot that day, but equipped with a wide brimmed hat and water I explored as many as I could. Courtyards are typical in the old houses and especially in Plaka. They are not gardens though, but many of them had some trees and flowers.
The first stop is the mansion of Benizelos family. It is the older house in Athens dating to the 16th century AD. It is the family home of Saint Filothei, a local charitable Athenian saint. The house was recently renovated and is used as a museum. There is no furniture in the house.Benaki Museum features furniture for this type of houses.
Related: 5 Museums to visit in Athens
Then we stopped by a couple of school courtyards: 1st Experimental Middle School, 74th Elementary School and Hill School. We also popped in Alice Inn Athens to explore the courtyard!
Related: 4 Design Hotels in Athens you should check out
Then we started walking/hiking towards the Acropolis and visited the churches of Panagia Chrisoskalitissa, Saint Simeon, and Saint Anne. We finished our walk by stopping by the yards of Museum of Folk Art and Vryssaki art space/cafe.
This is a walk you can definitely “do it yourself”. You can find the map at Atenistas website and explore Plaka’s courtyards. Some of them are closed to the public, but you can check them from outside.
P.S. Check out my other Open Walk posts: Exploring Hidden Athens, Exploring Pagrati
I'm Anna and this is my lifestyle and travel blog! 
