Tale of two cities: The eternal appeal of Athens

Greece has been a top seller for luxury agents for as long as I can remember. And while much past attention and fanfare has been placed on the country’s epic island destinations, Athens is finally getting some much-deserved attention. No longer is this a capital that doesn’t have much to offer affluent travellers; high-end hotel brands are opening properties here and on the nearby Athenian Riviera quicker than you can say “get me to Athens”. This is a city rich in architectural and historical treasures, and now is the time to get this cultural gem on your clients’ radars, before the deluge of mainstream tourists arrives.

Why sell it

To put it simply, Athens – and mainland Greece as a whole – has been overshadowed by the islands for far too long. As the birthplace of democracy, arts and philosophy, this is a capital that offers culture by the bucketload. It’s a city with a seemingly never-ending number of layers. Athens has it all: historic ruins, impressive museums, fantastic restaurants and food markets, as well as balmy weather. The city also somehow manages to combine being both utterly charming and intriguingly gritty: what’s not to love? More and more people seem to be realising just how much the Greek capital has to offer, as it’s ideal for a city break or as the starting point for a longer Greek adventure.