July 2014 issued by the Ministry of Development to have shops open on optional basis all Sundays in three regions and eight touristic areas after professional groups of workers, artisans and shopkeepers applied to cancel the decision. Greek Culture, Travel Information, Itineraries, Life in Greece. Saturday they close at 6.00 pm and are closed on Sundays and 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. Most people would start with the Acropolis Museum, which is located very close to the Acropolis. This will help you understand the ancient civilization and life during those times. ", WebSupermarkets operate a continuous shift up to 9:00 p.m., while all the stores are closed on Sundays. All sorts of souvenirs are also available. WebThe introduction of shop opening on seven selected Sundays and every Sunday in 10 pilot areas has been a significant development for the retail sector. Their main arguments were: They put forward evidence from specific studies and surveys disputing a study from the OECD cited by the government. 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. Best honeymoon accommodation - Santorini - please help!. Other temples include the Erectheion, dedicated to God Poseidon, and the Temple of Athena Nike. 8.00 till 2.00 only from Monday to Friday. "@context": "https://schema.org", Most mechanics work from around 8.00 pm to 4.00 pm Mondays to Friday. In addition to the hourly changing though, there is a spectacular parade at 11.00 every Sunday. Im Vanessa from Athens and I love walking around my city on Sundays! Apart from kiosks, sweet shops, florists and many tourist shops everything For its part, GSEVEE expressed complete and unequivocal opposition to the abolition of Sunday closing and to shops opening on every Sunday of the year. "acceptedAnswer": { Most foreign visitors are always surprised with the number of locals sitting at tavernas, cafes and bars in Athens. According to the government, the aim of these measures is to improve competitiveness, modernise markets, serve consumers, boost tourism and increase employment. Ermou street is the pedestrianized street running from Syntagma metro station to Monastiraki square and beyond. One thing you should avoid if you are in Athens in summer, is visiting the Acropolis during the afternoon. The Changing of the Guards happens every hour, on the hour, on a daily basis. Temperatures can get really high, and many people will feel uncomfortable. However, entry to the Acropolis is free on the first Sunday of the off-season months (November March). Athens is on Eastern European time. Greece as they vary according to the type of business. The most famous temple is the Parthenon. Retail stores will open at 13:00 until 19:00 on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday from 07:00 until 18:00, noted a general secretariat of Commerce and Consumer Protection of the Development and Investment Ministry in an announcement on Thursday. However, you will come across various stores (mini-market, wholesale Arachova is only a short trip fromDelphi, so you could easily visit the ancient site on Easter Monday. With all the pedestrianized streets and hidden alleyways, its a wonderful place to explore on foot. Stores in thecentre of Athens will have the option of opening every Sunday, according to a decision published in the Government Gazette. 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. Greek cats Beautiful, independent, happy, unique! Bigger businesses are open from 9.00 to 21.00 on weekdays, and they close somewhere around 18.00 20.00 on Saturdays. Orthodox Good Friday variable dates, though stores are open 1 pm - 7 pm. Day of the Holy Spirit variable dates, usually early June. Monday & Wednesday: 9 am-3 pm; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9 am-2 pm and 5.30 pm-9 pm; Saturdays: 9 am-3 pm; almost all shops are closed on Sundays. Orthodox Good Friday variable dates, though stores are open 1 pm - 7 pm. Shops will be open from 10:00 until 21:00 starting from Monday. Supermarkets operate a continuous shift up to 9:00 p.m., while all the stores are closed on Sundays. The most impressive building is the temple of Hephaestus, the best preserved ancient temple in the whole of Greece. Open at 8.00 am and close at 8.00 pm in winter and 9.00 pm from April to end Some, but not all, of the bigger supermarket chains open on certain Sundays of the year. You may be familiar with the Evzones, the Greek Presidential Guards dressed in traditional Greek costumes. This decision provoked reaction from theHellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), theAssociation of Greek Tourism Enterprises(SETE) and theHellenic Business Retail Association (SELPE), which had all intervened in favour of the implementation of the ministerial decision. The hearing has taken place and the final decision, which was originally expected during January 2015, was issued at the end of February 2015. I find this entrance more convenient, and there seem to be fewer queues. The President of ESEE, Vassilios Korkidis,pointed out to SEV and SETE that it is inconceivable for them to oppose the other two social partners (ESEE andGSEVEE) without first having consulted them. Also, bear in mind that the military guards will be cordoning people off at certain times. Greece is ideal for shopping, offering a wide range of products that will satisfy every taste and desire. It contains thousands of artefacts that have been excavated all around Greece. Start with Koukos Spyros, whose shop is in the covered arcade that connects Stadiou with Perikleous Street. 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. "@type": "Question", Saturday they close at 6.00 pm and are closed on Sundays and holidays. 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. is closed on Sundays. How To Order Food In Greece A Locals Guide, Food in Greece Everything you should know about Greek Food, Greek Drinks To Try During Your Vacation In Greece, combined ticket for the ancient sites in Athens, Museums In Plaka Athens: Historical Museums Near The Acropolis, Greece Coronavirus Update: Measures against COVID-19, Athens Santorini Mykonos: 7 Days In Greece Itinerary, Athens 3 Day Itinerary For First Time Visitors, Athens Combo Ticket For Acropolis And Other Sites, Greek Websites For Expats And Digital Nomads. Apart from Monastiraki and Plaka, there are some more Sunday markets in Athens, some distance from the centre. WebOpen at 8.00 am and close at 8.00 pm in winter and 9.00 pm from April to end of October. If you happen to be in Athens on a Sunday, you should definitely find some time to visit. Sound familiar? This includes the sprawling Varvakios food market. They will often stay open later in the evening (11.00 ", Large international clothing brands and smaller stores on the citys main arteries open Monday to Friday from 9am till 9pm. Shopping in Athens: A Shopaholic's Guide (Updated for 2023) 6. Still, one mans trash is another mans treasure, so you never know. They also emphasise that this decision is a violation of equal competition to the detriment of small enterprises and at the same time essentially destroys local markets, transferring turnover and consumption to selected regions and selected shops. few are open after 10.00 pm. Many of them will still be around until the late afternoon or early evening. The decision was taken after consultations with theCentral Athens regional unit officials and the Athens Chamber of Commerce. Greek prime minister says 'human error' is to blame for a train collision that left 43 dead, Greek Flags Fly At Half Mask Around World After Train Crash Disaster in Greece, Train collision in Larissa: The bodies of the 20-year-old twins and their cousin could only be identified through DNA, Tragedy in Tempi: The 20-year-old hero who broke the window and saved at least 10 people on the ill-fated train. "@type": "Answer", On 4 July 2014, the three organisations met and agreed to take joint action to have the measure repealed. Like the Acropolis, it has free entrance on the first Sunday of the off-season months. They are closed on Saturdays. According to data published by ESEEin July 2014: The Council of States Suspension Committee upheld the appeal by ESEE, GSEVEE and OIYE. You will see artefacts which were discovered in and around the Acropolis. ", How are you finding restaurants closed if you arent in (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Dont trust TripAdvisors opening times. There are two entrances to the Acropolis. As an example, attractions like the Acropolis or the Acropolis museum remain open as normal. Still, if you want to experience the atmosphere of an authentic market in Athens, any of those is a great choice. Day of the Holy Spirit variable dates, usually early June. Also, wear loose, comfortable clothes. I dont know where youre seeing that many restaurants are closed. Adjusting to the Orthodox Easter holiday, shopping hours for retail stores next week, will change as follows: Greek Palm Sunday (April 17) On Sundays and holidays some are open and some If you are in Athens on a Sunday and you like street markets, you are in for a treat. Get in touch with our travel specialists and design the trip of your dreams! Super markets will open at 09:00 and will close at A very special day to go to the Panathenaic Stadium is the day of the Athens Classic Marathon Race, which always falls on the second Sunday in November. There are over 80 museums in Athens, so you can choose the ones you are more interested in. The government established the measure, following a suggestion by OECD, as a means to remove market barriers and to promote growth, competitiveness and employment. Drive to an outlet center on a busy Saturday? 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. } According to the social partners, the governments policy will lead to full and unlimited operation of all shops on every Sunday and in every region of the country. This large outdoors area was the heart of Athens in ancient times. Selected pharmacies in each area stay open after hours. There, the Sunday openings always have mottos or themes and are accompanied by special events throughout the city. to sudden arbitrary and often incomprehensible changes in the law. Most offices keep the same times as shops but they are often closed on Saturday. It also provoked a strong reaction from workers (GSEE and OIYE) in addition to the ongoing strikes held by OIYE since the beginning of the year on almost every Sunday when shops were open. It has led to strong opposition from employees and small business employers in the sector, leading to the organisation of joint action, while social partners have taken legal action. This is with the aim of avoiding congestion and to tie in with the introduction of staggered working the window of every pharmacy. 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. 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. "@type": "Answer", This article should help you decide what clothes to bring to Greece. Monday, Wednesday: 8 am-2 pm, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8 am-2 pm and5:30 pm to 8 pm. It was dedicated to the Goddess Athena, who was the patron goddess of the city. Car rental and transportation in Santorini. 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. Its a good opportunity to jump into Greek culture! 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. If you want to go shopping on Ermou, your best bet is weekdays, when opening hours are quite long. 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). On 8 July, the organisations jointly lodged an appeal at the Supreme Administrative Court (Council of State) against the ministerial decision allowing pilot Sunday trading in 10 regions, seeking its revocation. "acceptedAnswer": { On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they are also open from around 6.00 Some The issuing of the ministerial decision and the more general attempt to introduce Sunday trading caused a series of reactions from the relevant sectoral organisations of small and medium enterprise (SME) employers theNational Confederation of Hellenic Commerce(ESEE) and the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants(GSEVEE) and employees the Federation of Private Sector Employees (OIYE). "@type": "Question", This is already happening in touristy areas throughout the country, including Plaka and Monastiraki in Athens. "acceptedAnswer": { The main post-offices are open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm and Ive included several restaurant suggestions in my article on how to spend two days in Athens. "text":"One thing you should avoid if you are in Athens in summer, is visiting the Acropolis during the afternoon. Kids are tired from school and you really only want to unwind on the couch. Most stores, landmarks and museums have wide opening hours and the merchants have quite a lot of flexibility to open and close when they wish. This is where people came to discuss, socialize and buy certain goods. Overall, the National Gardens are a great place to escape the heat of the day. "name": "What is there to do in Athens on a Sunday? They cannot operate as a 'shop-in-a-shop'. The usual opening hours for stores in the centers of the large cities are continuous (9:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m.), for suburban stores the working hours are split shifts three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) and morning shifts for the other three days (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.). Greek Palm Sunday (April 17) shops will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Holy Monday (April 18) through Holy Thursday (April 21): 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Good Friday (April 22): 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Holy Saturday (April 23): 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Easter Sunday (April 24) and Easter Monday (April 25) all shops in Greece will be closed. If you feel like splurging, you can always watch it from the rooftop of the Grande Bretagne hotel. Try to visit first thing in the morning, or after 5 pm. The enactment of shop opening on Sundays (Law 4177/2013) has been a significant development for the retail sector. In this context, six national strikes took place in the commerce sector during 2014 on 19 January, 13 April, 4 May, 20 July, 2 November and 14 December. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies. They point out that the decision is further destroying labour relations and that employees are being forced into uncontrolled and extreme flexibility, with cheap, poorly paid work and/or undeclared employment. Exact closing times during shoulder months vary, so its best to check the official website. Information and Communication Technologies, Economic and social inequalities in Europe in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, The rise in telework: Impact on working conditions and regulations, Living, working and COVID-19 in the European Union and 10 EU neighbouring countries, About Eurofounds random probability surveys, European Working Conditions Surveys (EWCS), European Monitoring Centre on Change - EMCC, European Observatory on Quality of Life - EurLIFE, European Observatory of Working Life - EurWORK, Database of wages, working time and collective disputes, Greece: Changes to shop opening hours and working time, study from the OECD cited by the government. Generally, the stores close by 9 pm because the staff needs time to clean and stock the After the end of the parade, you can follow the Evzones back to their barracks. My best suggestion is to use taxi apps such as Uber, FreeNow and Taxiplon. Shopping hours are a somewhat complicated matter in It is one of the most important shopping streets in central Athens. You can find used books, vinyls, CDs, DVDs, leather goods, clothes, shoes, military accessories, knives and bicycles. This is where my parents used to take me when I was a child, and you can still see many families around. Generally the hours between 2.00pm and 5.30pm are dedicated to lunch and WebA pilot scheme allowing shops to open every Sunday in 10 Greek regions, including the historical centres of Athens and Thessaloniki, was announced in 2014 by the Deputy Minister for Development and Competitiveness. The Monastiraki flea market is full-on! Its best to go early and take your time, especially if you are after specific items. Another archaeological site you should visit in Athens is the Ancient Agora. Most museums in Athens have different opening hours depending on the season and day of the week. of October. }, { 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. Are there any special opening hours, like Sunday openings, in Thessaloniki today? the supermarkets, main post-offices and telephone offices. The list is in Greek however. Also, check my guide to thebest museums in Plaka Athens. Prices are low, generally matching the quality. However, if you need some groceries, dont worry. The pilot program was to be implemented for one year in the regions of However, if you want to experience a traditional Greek Easter, you could take a day trip to Arachova. They are both on Monastiraki square, and offer a great view of the Acropolis. 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