Ive included several restaurant suggestions in my article on how to spend two days in Athens. Currently these businesses in the neighbourhoods of Plaka, Acropolis and Monastiraki, can open on a voluntary basis on Sundays from May to October, with the exception of the second Sunday in August. Some, but not all, of the bigger supermarket chains open on certain Sundays of the year. Also, follow these other tips to make sure that you dont get a heatstroke. Every time a center or outlet announces a Sunday opening or other special opening hours, its a moment of great joy With the exception of franchises, they must not belong to a chain of shops. "text": "Most foreign visitors are always surprised with the number of locals sitting at tavernas, cafes and bars in Athens. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How Many Days In Santorini Do You Really Need? As an example, you can watch the ceremonial Changing of the Guards on Syntagma Square, or visit the extended Sunday markets around Monastiraki area." Treasure Hunting. Usually, the smaller and more traditional shops in Athens close at lunch time, from approximately 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Generally, the stores close by 9 pm because the staff needs time to clean and stock the Finally, the same law authorises the Minister for Development, following consultation with local and collective bodies, to specify three tourist regions where for one year, on a pilot basis, all shops can operate freely and without conditions on every Sunday of the year (that is, 52 Sundays) In application of the law, a ministerial decision was issued in July 2014 specifying the 10 regions of the country where free operation of shops will be permitted on 52 Sundays of the year, including the historical centres of Athens and Thessaloniki. They come every Sunday from 6am, searching through piles of things for hours. "@type": "Answer", You will see artefacts which were discovered in and around the Acropolis. Discover the citys past from its foundation until it became the cultural, economical and political hub of Greece. Regarding the opening hours on Sundays, shops are allowed to be open from 11:00 to 20:00, while the employment of workers is paid in accordance with the provisions of the labor law, which define additional remuneration for work on Sundays. ON Mykonos, The opening hours of the stores are not the same everywhere in the country. Arguably the most interesting Sunday market Athens is close to Eleonas metro, on the blue line. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. Note that the vendors start setting up very early in the morning and start closing in the afternoon. In addition to the hourly changing though, there is a spectacular parade at 11.00 every Sunday. The President of SEV, Theodore Fessas, argued that the operation of large and small shops on Sundays is a recognised and effective practice abroad and that the anticipated benefits from the implementation of the measure in Greece will be positive, with the creation of 30,000 new jobs and an increase in total turnover to 2.5 billion. Visitors should allow enough time to visit the interesting museum of the Ancient Agora, which explains a few things about life during the ancient times. Also, wear loose, comfortable clothes. Sound familiar? Monday, Wednesday: 8 am-2 pm, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8 am-2 pm and5:30 pm to 8 pm. Pharmacies keep normal shop hours Monday to Friday. For example, a book that they read in their childhood or an old record player that looks like the one their parents had, he explains. I went to a museum 2 weeks ago that TripAdvisor had listed as closed. In addition, the Athens Sunday markets are worth exploring. Drive to an outlet center on a busy Saturday? Prices are low, generally matching the quality. information@eurofound.europa.eu, Eurofound is an agency of the European Union. Traditionally, Sundays were days to spend with family and friends. You can find clothes, leather goods, olive oil products, and all sorts of classy or tacky souvenirs. The restaurant will be open Supermarkets operate a continuous shift up to 9:00 p.m., while all the stores are closed on Sundays. After the end of the parade, you can follow the Evzones back to their barracks. Try to visit first thing in the morning, or after 5 pm. The mid-season sales started on Monday, November 1, with One thing you should note if you are in Athens on a Sunday, is that most of these places will be busier than on weekdays, as Athenians come out to eat as well. Note:On public holidays (listed above) stores are closed and archaeological sites and museums are either closed or open for limited hours. Alternatively, you can always use taxis, which you will instantly recognize as they are painted bright yellow. This possibility is provided for each region and municipality in the country, by an annual decision of the regional vice-governor, following consultation with the social partners in each region. Also, have a look at this article about shopping in Athens. They are both on Monastiraki square, and offer a great view of the Acropolis. The enactment of Law 4177/13, which established the free opening for seven Sundays in a year, together with the pilot free opening in 10 areas for 52 Sundays, abolished the pre-existing legal framework, where the shops could operate freely only on the Sunday before Christmas except the tourist areas (for these shops there were local agreements). In addition, there will always be a kiosk at walking distance from your hotel. It noted that the introduction of general Sunday trading violates the principles of equal competition, destroys small businesses, and reduces free time for family and a personal life. Unlike numerous European destinations, it is very easy to combine sightseeing with shopping in Athens. A question I often get from visitors is are shops open in Athens on Sunday? The quick answer is that some of them are, but most of them arent. more. "name": "What should I avoid in Athens? The lesser known National Historical Museum, which presents Greeces most recent history, is free to visit on all Sundays. There is almost always a kiosk open somewhere, night and day, at least in the The difference in frequency stems from the fact that the Sunday openings are scheduled on state and not federal level. Closing time is 20:00 in summer and 17:00 in winter. This website is property of Civitatis Tours SL. This in turn created friction and disagreements between the institutionally recognised sectoral (as well as national) employer organisations of ESEE and GSEVEE on the one hand, and SEV and SETE on the other. b) it would violate the right to free time, to family and personal life, and to religious rights, which are considered important and must be protected against arbitrary decisions of the government. Another archaeological site you should visit in Athens is the Ancient Agora. These are certain Sundays around Easter, Christmas, New Years Eve and the first Sunday of each sales season. list below covers the main areas but bear in mind that this is subject Shops open around 9.00 am and close around 1.30 or 2.00 pm Monday to Saturday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they are also open from around 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Always closed on Sundays and holidays. Most offices keep the same times as shops but they are often closed on Saturday. The new law goes into force in November 2021. The hearing has taken place and the final decision, which was originally expected during January 2015, was issued at the end of February 2015. They cannot be located in outlet stores, shopping malls or discount villages. The Monastiraki flea market is full-on! Its best to go early and take your time, especially if you are after specific items. Most offices keep the same times as shops but they are often closed on Saturday. August 15 - Assumption of the Virgin Mary, October 28 Oxi Day (National Holiday), December 25 & 26 - Christmas & Boxing Day. Antique (1) Gallery (1) Gifts (1) Jewelry (1) Local Products (3) Wine (1) Monday-Friday: 7:30 am-2 pm; select post offices remain open for longer hours: Syntagma Square: Monday-Friday 7:30 am-8:30 pm, Athens International Airport: Monday-Saturday 7 am-7:30 pm, Sunday and holidays: 8:30 am-5:30 pm, 100 Aiolou Street: Monday-Friday 7:30 am--2:45 pm, 60 Mitropoleos Street: Monday-Friday 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. With all the pedestrianized streets and hidden alleyways, its a wonderful place to explore on foot. There are two entrances to the Acropolis. They cannot operate as a 'shop-in-a-shop'. And if you want to avoid entrance fees, there are some free museums and galleries in Athensthat you could visit on a Sunday or any other day. Other temples include the Erectheion, dedicated to God Poseidon, and the Temple of Athena Nike. They will often stay open later in the evening (11.00 This flea market is a few kilometres out of Piraeus, marked as Pazari Sxistou onGoogle Maps. Saturday 8.00 till 2.00 pm. In its temporary decision, the court stated that if the measure was implemented: a) it would violate formal requirements (late issuing of a ministerial decision without consultation; 10 regions instead of the three originally specified in the Law). The three-car crash on Stone Road sent four individuals to the hospital, first responders confirmed. It is one of the most important shopping streets in central Athens. Are the shops open? Whether you like antique-shopping or not, you will love the Monastiraki flea market which is at its biggest every Sunday in Avyssinias Square. In an attempt to ease Covid-19 fatigue, retail stores selling holiday goods will be the first to open in Greece, on Monday, despite the extension of lockdown measures ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-111264111', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Santorini for 2 weeks now and everywhere is open every day, including Sundays (except the pharmacy in Perissa). to sudden arbitrary and often incomprehensible changes in the law. All shops } These cozy restaurants are all located in central Athens, at walking distance from the sites and markets. Bigger businesses are open from 9.00 to 21.00 on weekdays, and they close somewhere around 18.00 20.00 on Saturdays. Smaller stores typically close around 15.00 16.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Still, Athens Sunday shopping is absolutely possible. The areas of Monastiraki and Plaka are great for shopping on a Sunday. Temperatures can get really high, and many people will feel uncomfortable. are closed so you may have to drive a bit before you find an open one. 1 year ago Save Ive been on Santorini for 2 weeks now and everywhere is open every day, including Sundays (except the ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Police are currently investigating a car crash that occurred early Sunday evening in the Town of Greece. When in Athens, you can visit a museum or two. Always closed on Sundays and holidays. Shopping in Athens: A Shopaholic's Guide (Updated for 2023) Here are some morethings to do in Plaka Athens. WebSher Makesh fuses inspirations from the Greek islands with arts and crafts from the Moroccan coastline and uses modern materials like coloured plastics. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This article should help you decide what clothes to bring to Greece. On Sundays, you are likely to see many Athenians strolling around or jogging. Why Are Buildings In The Cyclades Painted Blue And White? In terms of neighbourhoods, I like Plaka, Thisseio, Monastiraki and Psiri. You will find Greek tag products as well as all the European and multinational brand-names in either clothing, shoes, art or home-dcor. All the better, that German cities schedule a specific number of Sundays on which shops are allowed to open additionally to their regular business hours. It resulted from the implementation of the legislative framework adopted in 2013 as a memorandum commitment to apply the Competition Assessment Project and the relative Competition Assessment Toolkit provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD). }] We have hand-picked the best 0 shops and marked our favorite ones with a . Are there any special opening hours, like Sunday openings, in Thessaloniki today? WebSupermarkets operate a continuous shift up to 9:00 p.m., while all the stores are closed on Sundays. In Berlin, the Senate determines eight Sunday openings, Hamburg has four at the moment. This detailed article will hopefully help you appreciate this unique aspect of Greek culture. the lack of prior consultation, which is required by law; the arbitrary and undocumented selection of the regions for pilot implementation of the measure; the creation of conditions of unequal competition between commercial enterprises (to the detriment of SMEs); 75% of merchants were dissatisfied by the measure and by their Sunday turnover; 64% of enterprises found the cost of Sunday trading unaffordable, while 40%50% of shops could not afford to open; 95% of shops do not plan to hire a single person, even a worker paid by the hour, in the immediate future. There will be a lot of food, such as lamb on the spit and Easter eggs. WebOpen at 8.00 am and close at 8.00 pm in winter and 9.00 pm from April to end of October. 8.00 till 2.00 only from Monday to Friday. { Tourist shops are not requested by law to keep normal shop hours so the opening times vary widely. They will often stay open later in the evening (11.00 pm) and will also open on Sundays. This applies to the tourist seaon only. Greek cats Beautiful, independent, happy, unique! This massive stadium, dating from the 4thcentury BC, was completely restored in the 19thcentury. The social partners in the retail sector note in their appeal that: the ministerial decision uses development of tourism as a pretext, whereas in reality it serves the interests of large retail chains and foreign multinational companies that will use Sunday trading to eliminate small and medium-sized retailers, which make up 95% of enterprises and employ more than 80% of workers. Shops will be open from 10:00 until 21:00 starting from Monday. In terms of neighbourhoods, I like Plaka, Thisseio, Monastiraki and Psiri." "text": "If you are visiting Athens, there are some things that you can only do on Sundays! All rights reserved. the Bavarian state capital, doesnt offer any Sunday openings anymore. This massive, open-air market is marked as onGoogle Maps. These markets are a lot more authentic, so if you want a less touristy experience, go for it. }, { "name": "What locals do in Athens? This list of Greek bank holidays will come in handy while planning your trip to Athens, so you know if there are any observances or holidays during your stay. Super markets will open at 09:00 and will close at of October. It has With Law 4177/2013, the government introduced the free operation of all shops in Greece, regardless of size, for seven specific Sundays of the year. This Athens street market is the best place in central Athens to get your fix on antiques, traditional cutlery and crockery and random bric-a-brac. The measure was prompted by suggestions made by the OECD to remove market barriers and to promote growth, competitiveness There was a similar reaction from OIYE, which noted that it is unacceptable for employers' organisations that neither represent nor express the views of the retail sector to get involved in the issue of Sunday trading. The market expands on lower Ermou and Ifestou streets, as well as on most side streets and alleys around them. Athens is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and one hour ahead of Central European Time. }, { ", Some visitors are specifically interested in Ermou street Athens stores. Supermarkets in Athens are also closed on Sunday. Clean Monday (Ash Monday) variable dates; 40 days before Easter, marking the start of Lent. In addition, the Athens Sunday markets are worth exploring." 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