Athens

After exploring the First Cemetery of Athens during the Athens City Festival last year — a place where sculpture, memory, and history quietly coexist — I joined another festival tour that revealed a very different side of the city. This time, the walk took place in Plaka, and revealed layers of history I would have easily walked past on my own. Our route connected ancient cult sites, Byzantine churches and stories from the Greek War of Independence. Plaka may be one of the most visited neighborhoods in Athens, but this tour proved that even here, there are still layers waiting…

Not Just a Cemetery For nearly 25 years, I’ve walked the same path through the Athens First Cemetery —not as a tourist, but as a daughter. Early on, I realized this place was different. It’s the grandest cemetery in metropolitan Athens—and arguably in all of Greece. Think of it as the Père Lachaise of Athens: a resting place for prominent Greek families, artists, writers, and statesmen, rich with sculptural artistry. And yet, for all those years, I only saw the memorials lining my personal route to my family’s tomb. I never wandered the other paths or paused to admire art…