Monastiraki Square sits at the ancient crossroads of Athens, a chaotic, wonderful collision of Byzantine ruins, Ottoman leftovers, and very much alive street energy. Named after the small monastery church — the Pantanassa — that still stands modestly at its edge, the square has been a meeting point and marketplace for centuries. The 11th-century church, the nearby ruins of Hadrian's Library, and the hulking remnants of the ancient Agora visible from its periphery mean that wherever you stand here, you're standing on layers of history that most European cities can only dream of.
Square