Athens Aug 14 & 15.

[Peek-a-boo]

I will be in Athens post-cruise for two nights only, Aug 14 & 15.

My husband, myself and two teenage boys. I have read about a holiday at this time and the fact that a lot of the city is on vacation that week. Am I making a mistake staying at that time? Will the restaurants and museums/attractions be open? We also need a great/not too expensive/festive restaurant for family dining. We are at the Athens Hilton, are we too far to walk to anything? Thanks for any info! :)

[abouna]

August 15th is the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The eve, on August 14th in the evening and all day on the 15th is a big holiday with special church services. As such, many places and all gov't type places like museums are closed on the 15th as far as I am aware.

[Mands&Ian]

August 15th is the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

 

... or the Assumption of the Virgin, depending on who/where/what your beliefs are :-)

 

As abouna says, some things will be closed on the day. Personally, I'd be more concerned about the heat. It is likely to be very hot in mid-August. Locally to me tradition has it that the summer temperatures peak on the 15th, after that point things start to cool off a little.

 

Whatever you aim to do think about building in rest stop, take plenty of fluids, start early before the full heat of the day and take a break during the hottest hours.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time,

Mands

[Fafos]

August 15th is a big day for Greek Cristians(maybe bigger than eastern or christmas) all museums and archaeological sites are close... most tourist shops and restaurants are open..

[Peek-a-boo]

August 15th is a big day for Greek Cristians(maybe bigger than eastern or christmas) all museums and archaeological sites are close... most tourist shops and restaurants are open..

Thanks...I guess any site seeing that we plan to do should be done on the 14th. Any suggestions for the 15? What fun things can we do with the kids?

[Fafos]

Thanks...I guess any site seeing that we plan to do should be done on the 14th. Any suggestions for the 15? What fun things can we do with the kids?

 

allou fun park: http://www.alloufunpark.gr/main.html:D

[abouna]

True, but since it's an Orthodox country . . . .

 

 

... or the Assumption of the Virgin, depending on who/where/what your beliefs are :-)

 

As abouna says, some things will be closed on the day. Personally, I'd be more concerned about the heat. It is likely to be very hot in mid-August. Locally to me tradition has it that the summer temperatures peak on the 15th, after that point things start to cool off a little.

 

Whatever you aim to do think about building in rest stop, take plenty of fluids, start early before the full heat of the day and take a break during the hottest hours.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time,

Mands

[mare s.]

Our cruise next year departs from Athens (Piraeus) on August 15...we plan on spending a couple of days pre-cruise in Athens. So we should concentrate our sightseeing on the 13th and 14th, right? Fafos..you said restaurants will be open, so I'm assuming that we'll be able to have a nice dinner on the 14th? (it's our anniversary on the 15th) What about transportation to the ship on the 15th? Is it safer to arrange a ship's transfer or will there be plenty of taxi, metro options on the 15th? Thanks for your advice.

[Fafos]

Our cruise next year departs from Athens (Piraeus) on August 15...we plan on spending a couple of days pre-cruise in Athens. So we should concentrate our sightseeing on the 13th and 14th, right? Fafos..you said restaurants will be open, so I'm assuming that we'll be able to have a nice dinner on the 14th? (it's our anniversary on the 15th) What about transportation to the ship on the 15th? Is it safer to arrange a ship's transfer or will there be plenty of taxi, metro options on the 15th? Thanks for your advice.

 

maybe August 15th find easy taxi than other days because all Greeks are out of Athens...personal, stay in Athens these days because without traffic and people you can see how much nice is Athens:D... Restaurants at Plaka,Psyri and other tourist places don't close all summer, all days..

[CintiPam]

Our cruise next year departs from Athens (Piraeus) on August 15...we plan on spending a couple of days pre-cruise in Athens. ....What about transportation to the ship on the 15th? Is it safer to arrange a ship's transfer or will there be plenty of taxi, metro options on the 15th? Thanks for your advice.

 

Your hotel can call a taxi for you; plenty always are available. The trip from central Athens to the cruiseship port will take 20 or 25 minutes and cost about 20 Euros, including your luggage, which I am sure is a lot cheaper than a ship's transfer price. (We travelled to our cruise ship this way on June 5.)

 

I did read recently that taxi fares are going up next year, but with tourism so down in Athens this summer I wonder if this really will occur.

[Mands&Ian]

True, but since it's an Orthodox country . . . .

 

LOL, I wondered if someone would call me on that!

 

I live in country which is broadly Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and here it is always referred to as the Assumption. I can't ever recall anyone calling it the Feast of the Dormination.

 

See this list of public holidays;

http://www.cyprus.com/cyprus-general-info-basic-facts-south-cyprus-public-holidays-.php

 

My point, perhaps not clearly made, was that the OP may not find it referred to as the Dormination but as the Assumption therefore knowing that the two are one and the same might save some confusion.

 

Because I'm now curious I've just checked and many places do call the public holiday in Greece the Assumption;

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_holidays_by_country#Greece

 

Anyway, this is a long way from the OP's original question. It's a holiday, lots of stuff will be closed. Oh, and it'll be very hot! :)

 

Mands

[abouna]

For Orthodox, Dormition (Falling-Asleep or Kimisis in Greek) is a correct translation of the Greek. Just a bad translation to use Assumption. When translating to English, they just assume it is the same and use the Roman Catholic word they already find in English (Assumption) which has a different theological meaning. They do the same thing in Russia in the famous Dormition or Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.

 

Good point for calendar references though!!!

 

LOL, I wondered if someone would call me on that!

 

I live in country which is broadly Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and here it is always referred to as the Assumption. I can't ever recall anyone calling it the Feast of the Dormination.

 

See this list of public holidays;

http://www.cyprus.com/cyprus-general-info-basic-facts-south-cyprus-public-holidays-.php

 

My point, perhaps not clearly made, was that the OP may not find it referred to as the Dormination but as the Assumption therefore knowing that the two are one and the same might save some confusion.

 

Because I'm now curious I've just checked and many places do call the public holiday in Greece the Assumption;

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_holidays_by_country#Greece

 

Anyway, this is a long way from the OP's original question. It's a holiday, lots of stuff will be closed. Oh, and it'll be very hot! :)

 

Mands

[Fafos]

Normally in Greece, if soneone die we say "he/she sleep" or kimithike for Greeks...in Greece we are preventive and rarely pre-listen the words "died" or "he died due to cancer"

[mare s.]

Fafos and CintiPam...thanks for the responses. I had thought we'd best leave Athens and head for the ship early on August 15, but it sounds as if (apart from archeological sites being closed) it will be the perfect day to wander around the city and then head to the port in the afternoon. And yes, ship's transfers are expensive, so glad to hear we have alternatives.

[Peek-a-boo]

I guess we were all wrong! A tour company that I had contacted told me that the museums were open that day. I emailed the Acropolis Museum, and below is the response they sent back.

From: Α' Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων aepka@culture.gr

The Acropolis ahnd the museum is open at the 14-15 August .

You can walk from the Hilton is about 10 minutes.

For more informations about the new Acropolis Museum the web site is http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr

[Fafos]

I guess we were all wrong! A tour company that I had contacted told me that the museums were open that day. I emailed the Acropolis Museum, and below is the response they sent back.

 

From: Α' Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων aepka@culture.gr

The Acropolis ahnd the museum is open at the 14-15 August .

You can walk from the Hilton is about 10 minutes.

For more informations about the new Acropolis Museum the web site is www.theacropolismuseum.gr

 

Some museums and arhaelogical sites are close at August 15th:

 

New Acropolis museum is close FOR SURE!!!!!:

http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/default.php?pname=Timetables&la=2

 

Other museums and Archaelogical sites are close or with different open hours..

 

better plan these visits for 14th and 15th make something else (like a visit the Hydra island:))

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Fafo, I'm curious--would the islands in the Saronic Gulf be really packed with Athenians for these holidays? I haven't been to Hydra, we chose Poros--I was going to suggest a quick ferry trip to one of these islands overnight, but wonder how crowded they would be.

[Fafos]

Fafo, I'm curious--would the islands in the Saronic Gulf be really packed with Athenians for these holidays? I haven't been to Hydra, we chose Poros--I was going to suggest a quick ferry trip to one of these islands overnight, but wonder how crowded they would be.

 

First 20 days of August everything is full... but Hydra is a small and very quiet island because don't allow cars or motos in there... the problem is if you want to stay for a full day there... you must order a room 1-2 months before.. Poros is nice too, but not like Hydra... my dream is to buy a house at Hydra:D