Athens

You’ve started your commute to work. Your mobile app tells you it will take 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach your destination. Athens resembles a vast parking lot. All major roads, even neighborhood streets, are clogged with traffic, and you long for the days when the same journey took only 20 minutes.

Demand for short-term rental accommodation recorded a large annual increase in Greece during the summer months, specifically between June and August. In August in particular, the increase compared to a year earlier was of the order of 18%, according to data from AirDNA.

According to Spitogatos data, average asking prices for residential sales prices across Greece increased by 6.8% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, while average asking prices for rental properties increased by 7.6%.

The highest house purchase prices were recorded in the southern suburbs of Athens and the Cyclades, the lowest in Kastoria and Florina

Streets in the downtown Athens neighborhood of Kolonaki and surrounding areas will be closed for several hours on Thursday afternoon for a religious procession.

The event marks the feast day of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, Athens' patron saint, and involves a procession of his icon starting from the church of the same name on Skoufa Street.

Police in Athens are investigating a fight that involved a firearm in the early hours of Thursday on central Syngrou Avenue.

The investigation comes after two men in their 20s turned up on a motorcycle at the Asklipeio Hospital in the southern Athens suburb of Voula seeking medical assistance.

Late last night, scenes resembling a Western movie unfolded on Syngrou Avenue, Athens, with a man opening fire and injuring a 35-year-old in the hand. A 22-year-old was also injured during the preceding brawl.

Who says Oktoberfest is only celebrated in Germany? After a highly successful event last year, Oktoberfest Athens returns to the Old OSY Bus Depot (Pireos & Ermou) in Gazi from October 3 to 6. The festival will transform the venue into a beer-lover's paradise, even featuring special barrels brought to Athens from Munich. Tickets cost 6 euros at more.com.

The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, received the "City of Athens Democracy Award" on Wednesday from the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, during the Athens Democracy Forum.

Authorities investigated a suspicious suitcase discovered on Wednesday afternoon in central Athens, which was ultimately deemed harmless.

The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, is scheduled to visit the Stoa of Attalos at 18:45, where she will be presented with the “Democracy Award of the City of Athens” by Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, as part of the Athens Democracy Forum. The award recognizes her significant contributions to the promotion of democratic values.