PlanetSKI in the Summer: 72-Hours in Athens

20th July 2026

The lure of Greece is irresistible outside of the winter ski season. There are the islands and then one of the world’s greatest cities – Athens. NEW

This summer we have posted from the mountains of Sweden and the coastal paths of England.

In the same way we enjoy reporting on lesser-known and off-the-beaten-track ski resorts to inspire readers to look at something new, we like doing the same in the summer months.

We started this PlanetSKI summer trip to Greece on the island of Hydra.

PlanetSKI in the summer: We’re in Greece!

PlanetSKI in the summer, Hydra in Greece. Image © PlanetSKI

Now we are back in Athens, which is the southernmost capital on the European mainland.

Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world with the earliest human presence traced back 3,400 years.

Classical Athens was a centre for the arts, education and philosophy.

It is regarded as the cradle of western civilization and the birthplace of democracy.

First stop the Acroplis, that means ‘high point’.

The term acropolis is generic and there are many others in Greece.

The one above Athens contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.

Pericles initiated the construction of the Parthenon, Propylaea and Erecheion in 5th Century BC.

See here for more about the Acropolis.

Check out our photo-gallery as we let the pictures do the talking:

PlanetSKI in the summer: Athens in Greece. Image © PlanetSKI

Another must-see is the Ancient Agora that contains the Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos.

The Ancient Agora was the vibrant heart of ancient Athens and was the city’s political, commercial, and social hub where philosophers like Socrates debated and democracy was born.

Today it is a vast 30-acre archaeological park northwest of the Acropolis.

PlanetSKI in the summer: Athens in Greece. Image © PlanetSKI

We have all heard of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates.

But how about Simon the Cobbler?

He was an associate of Socrates and a so-called ‘working philosopher’.

Because young people were not allowed into the Agora many gathered in workshops around it.

Simon was one such person and Socrates often went to the workshops in order to converse with the merchants.

He had philosophical conversations with Simon and the cobbler wrote many of them down so some of what we know of the thinking of Socrates comes from Simon.

These were the first Socratic dialogues.

Indeed, Simon’s excellence in the art of shoemaking would have been a form of expertise that Socrates, held up as the only example of genuine knowledge.

Some later philosophers associated Simon with a certain philosophical way of life to be cherished and respected.

PlanetSKI in the summer: Athens in Greece. Image © PlanetSKI

What many people don’t know is that during the winter months there is some skiing in Greece with 25 resorts and 117 ski lifts that give access to 190 kms of marked slopes.

The main ones are:

Parnassos
Kalavrita
Katafygio-Oiti
Velouchi
Helmos
Vasilitsa
Mainalo
Ziria
Velouchi
Pertouli

We have written about the skiing available on our past summer-time visits to Greece:

Skiing in Greece

No visit to Athens is complete without witnessing the changing of the guard outside Parliament.

Sunday 11am is the best time to visit.

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There is plenty we didn’t have enough time to look around including the Temple of Zeus and the Roman Agora.

Next time.

We hope to visit Greece next winter for skiing and if so we will factor in a couple more days in Athens.

Like Istanbul in neighbouring Turkey, it is a stunning gateway city to some adventurous and off-the-radar ski areas.

‘Thank You’ Athens, we’ll be back…

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