Life in the age of COVID can feel like life on pause. Like computers, we shut down our cities and reboot them in safe mode, with only basic operations left running and all fun and games postponed. Athens may have seen far less spread of the virus than other European capitals, yet here, too, life is suspended. The tourists who ordinarily would be enjoying its legendary monuments, exceptional food and unparalleled Mediterranean atmosphere are absent. The city's ever-vibrant cultural and nightlife scenes are shuttered.

Yet equally clear is that this dormancy is only temporary. Just beneath the surface, Athens remains a city brimming with life and dynamism that can't wait to throw open its doors once again. And when it does, residents and visitors alike will be able to not only revisit famous attractions and favorite haunts, but explore a constellation of new venues and experiences. Athens has proven time and again that it not only weathers crises, but comes back even stronger.

The print issue Greece Is Athens Winter 2020-2021 captures the city's energy, pointing the way to our first stops once restrictions are lifted. Οver 150 pages you'll read about: the latest developments and openings to look forward to on your next visit; a cultural scene that has been steadily building in strength and is poised to have an unforgettable year in 2021 – the bicentenary of Greece's War of Independence; why Athens has some of the best bakeries in the world; the unsung riches of the city-within-a-city that is Piraeus; insights from some of Athens' best writers, and more. And all this is illustrated with gorgeous images that will bring Athens to you, wherever you are, until we can all meet again for a drink and a dance beneath the lights of the Acropolis.