When Athens was crowned Europe’s Leading Cultural City Destination at the World Travel Awards this year, no one was really surprised. While the Greek capital is becoming more and more popular as a place for leisure and entertainment, it has always been a bucket list destination thanks to its cultural heritage.

In this 143-page magazine, culture takes center stage. We guide you to Athens’ major museums and the neighborhoods around them; learn what life is like for the many artists who in recent years have sought their way from abroad to create homes and studios here; trace ancient philosophers’ favorite haunts in and around the Athenian Agora; present museum tours tailored specifically to children; discover the local dining scene through a historic lens as renowned Greek writer Christos Choumenidis presents five traditional and contemporary restaurants with their unique stories to tell; and check in on the development of the never-more-hot campaign for the return of the Parthenon marbles.

As always, we also provide all the latest news in terms of entertainment, newcomers, where to go, and what to do in the city this winter. Six creative Athenians offer their best insider tips, and four other influential locals take us on private tours of their neighborhoods, Mets, Kypseli, Ano Petralona, and Neos Kosmos. Meanwhile, on page 42, we discuss how tourism helped the capital’s rebound after the pandemic, and the possible cost of it as a result of overtourism.