Stretching for 1.5 kilometres, Ermou Street is an Athens institution when it comes to shopping. It’s lined with everything from independent fashion boutiques to premier shopping malls and is renowned as one of Europe’s most expensive retail strips. Along the way, chic cafes, restaurants, bars and street vendors offer shoppers plenty of refreshments, including the city’s legendary spanakopita pie.
Ermou Street stretches from the Kerameikos archaeological site right through to Syntagma Square. The street is made up of three sections, with the 700-metre eastern stretch from Filellinon Street to Aiolou Street being the most popular. It’s a designated pedestrian zone and is a fantastic place to indulge in a little retail therapy in-between sightseeing.
Accessing Ermou Street is easy, thanks to the network of city buses, trolleybuses and subway trains that run through the area. By far, the best way to soak up the vibrant Ermou Street atmosphere is by walking the strip from end to end. The street is also an easy walk from major Athens attractions, including the trendy neighbourhood of Psiri.
As well as fashion, Ermou Street is also a must visit site for historians. One of its eastern squares is home to the Byzantine Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea, one of the oldest churches in Athens. It’s also one of the first roads designed in modern Athens.