Shopping

Your hotel room may have a copy of the monthly magazines Athens Today or Now in Athens, both of which have a shopping section. The Greek National Tourism Organization, at 2 Amerikis, may also give away copies. Keep in mind that most of the restaurants and shops featured in the sections pay for the privilege.

You're in luck shopping in Athens, because much of what tourists want can be found in the central city, bounded by Omonia, Syntagma, and Monastiraki squares. You'll also find most of the shops frequented by Athenians, including a number of large department stores.

Monastiraki has a famous flea market, which is especially lively on Sunday. Although there's a vast amount of ticky-tacky stuff for sale here, you can uncover real finds, including retro clothes and old copper. Many Athenians furnishing new homes head here to pick up old treasures.

The Plaka has pretty much cornered the market on souvenir shops, with T-shirts, reproductions of antiquities (including antique imagery reproduced on obscene playing cards, drink coasters, bottle openers, and more), fishermen's sweaters (increasingly made in the Far East), and jewelry (often not real gold) -- enough souvenirs to encircle the globe.

In the Plaka-Monastiraki area, shops worth seeking amid the endlessly repetitive souvenir shops include Stavros Melissinos, the Poet-Sandalmaker of Athens, relocated after 50 years on Pandrossou to his new location at 12 Agias Theklas (tel. 210/321-9247); Iphanta, a weaving workshop, 6 Selleu (tel. 210/322-3628); Emanuel Masmanidis' Gold Rose Jewelry Shop, 85 Pandrossou (tel. 210/321-5662); the Center of Hellenic Tradition, 59 Mitropoleos and 36 Pandrossou (tel. 210/321-3023), which sells arts and crafts; and the National Welfare Organization, 6 Ipatias and Apollonos, Plaka (tel. 210/325-0524), where a portion of the proceeds from everything sold (including handsome woven and embroidered carpets) goes to the National Welfare Organization, which encourages traditional crafts.

Kolonaki, on the slopes of Mount Likavitos, is boutique heaven. However, it's a better place to window-shop than to buy, since much of what you see here is imported and heavily taxed. During the January and August sales, you may discover bargains. If not, it's still fun to work your way up pedestrian Voukourestiou and along Tsakalof and Anagnostopoulou (location of probably the most expensive boutiques in Athens) before you collapse at a cafe by one of the pedestrian shopping streets in Kolonaki Square -- perhaps the very fashionable Milioni. Then you can engage in the other really serious business of Kolonaki: people-watching. Give yourself about 15 minutes to figure out the season's must-have accessory. If you want to make a small, traditional purchase, have a look at the "worry beads" at Kombologadiko, 6 Koumbari (tel. 210/362-4267); or check out charms that ward off the evil eye at To Fylakto Mou, 20 Solonos (tel. 210/364-7610).

Pedestrianized Ermou Street is the prime shopping district in the city with more stores than you will ever have the time to visit but if you want to do all your shopping in one take and not walk around outdoors, check it out.

Insider Shopping -- Serious shoppers should look for the "Best of Athens" issue of the English-language magazine, Odyssey. Usually published in July or August and available at bookstores and kiosks, the issue is filled with shopping tips -- and scoops on what's "in" and what's "out" in Athens.