Monastiraki and Agia Irini Square
Often coined the ‘new heart of Athens’ by Greek press, this picturesque square located in Monastiraki has taken on many faces for more than a century including as a business district, a fabric business area and flower market. Today, it’s full of traffic thanks to a resurgence of trendy bars, cafés and restaurants as the country reels itself out of an economic crisis. Cafés on Aiolou street have a distant view of the Acropolis, while all of the square’s businesses have a view of the historic St Irene Church, the first Greek Orthodox church built after Greece’s independence.