Mets: The Athens Hill Nobody Tells You About

Behind the Panathenaic Stadium and below the First Cemetery, the little hill of Mets quietly hides one of the prettiest walks in Athens. Pre-war villas in every shade of ochre, narrow stepped streets, wisteria, an Acropolis view that nobody else seems to photograph. The neighbourhood is small. The reward is large.

📍 Mets in one paragraph

Mets (Μετς) is a small hill-neighbourhood east of central Athens, between the Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimármaro) and the First Cemetery of Athens. It sits north of Pangráti and south of the Záppeion gardens. The name "Mets" comes — improbably enough — from a Bavarian beer hall named after the city of Metz that operated in the area in the 19th century when the German-influenced King Otto's court frequented Athens. The neighbourhood developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a quiet residential quarter for civil servants, artists, and middle-class Athenians, retaining a stock of pre-war villas and modest neoclassical houses.

🏛️ Why it's the prettiest walk in Athens

Pre-war architecture

Two-storey villas with mansard tiles, walled gardens, wrought-iron gates, painted ochre and pink and faded sea-green. Many listed by Greek heritage authorities. Pristine condition varies but the overall density of historic facades is unique to this neighbourhood.

Stepped streets

Trivonianou, Anapafseos, Markou Mousourou — narrow stepped streets climbing the small hill. Cars rarely use them; walking pace; flowers; bougainvillea.

Mature trees + private gardens

Unusual for central Athens. Mets retains many tree-lined streets and gardens visible behind low walls — orange trees, palms, wisteria, jasmine.

Acropolis views

From the higher streets near the cemetery, the Acropolis appears framed between rooftops to the west. Less iconic than Filopáppou Hill but more intimate, less photographed.

🪦 The First Cemetery — the neighbourhood's surprise

Athens' Père Lachaise

The First Cemetery of Athens (Próto Nekrotaféio Athinón), opened in 1837, is the city's oldest and most significant burial ground — and an open-air museum of 19th- and 20th-century Greek sculpture. It's free to enter, open daily 08:00 to sunset.

Notable graves: Heinrich Schliemann (the Troy archaeologist), Greek prime ministers, poets (Kostis Palamas), composers, archbishops, philhellene benefactors.
The "Sleeping Maiden" — Yannoulis Halepas's 1877 marble sculpture on the grave of Sofia Afentaki, considered one of the most beautiful funerary sculptures in Europe.
Funerary architecture — Doric, Ionic, Byzantine-revival, Neoclassical mausoleums + sculpture. Walking the avenues is like a sculpture museum.
Quiet atmosphere — almost no tourists. Cypress trees, gravel paths, occasional service. Respect the dead. Photography acceptable, no disrespect for ongoing services.

🏟️ The Panathenaic Stadium

Adjacent to Mets stands the Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimármaro) — the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble (Pentelic, the same as the Parthenon). Originally constructed in the 4th century BCE, rebuilt in 1896 for the first modern Olympic Games. €10 entry includes audio guide; you can run on the original marble track. Open daily. (See Panathenaic Stadium guide.)

🚶 The Mets walking route

Start at the Panathenaic Stadium (metro: Akrópoli, Line 2 + 15-min walk; or Sýntagma + 20-min walk).
Walk south on Iossif tōn Ōthon street — quiet residential, immediate change of pace from central Athens.
Climb Markou Mousourou street (stepped) — first views of Acropolis between buildings.
Wander on Trivonianou + Anapafseos — the prettiest pre-war villa streets.
Detour into the First Cemetery — 30-45 minutes for the Sleeping Maiden + main avenue.
Lunch at one of Mets's small tavernas — Karavitis, Vyrinis, Dyo Dipla. €18-€30 per person, classic Greek.
Coffee at a hidden café on Markou Mousourou or Trivonianou — locals only.
End at Záppeion Gardens walking north for a flat exit to Sýntagma.

🍽️ The food scene

Karavitis — long-running Greek taverna (since 1926). Mezze, grilled meats, retsina from the barrel. €25-€35 per person. Unchanged for decades. Reservation advisable evenings.
Vyrinis — neighbourhood taverna, classic Greek mezze and grills. €20-€30 per person.
Dyo Dipla — modern Greek with garden seating. €30-€45 per person.
Mets' small cafés — quiet, residential, €3.50 freddo, locals reading newspapers.
Pangráti restaurants nearby (5-min walk south) — Spondi (Michelin), Hytra rooftop variations. Higher price tier.

📊 At a glance

~1 km²

Total area of Mets — small neighbourhood, walkable end-to-end in 20 minutes.

1837

Founding year of the First Cemetery — pre-dates much of modern Athens.

1896

First modern Olympic Games at the Panathenaic Stadium next door.

2-3 hours

Time for a complete Mets walk + cemetery + lunch. Half-day at most.

🚇 Getting there

Metro Akrópoli (Line 2 red) — 12-15 min walk east via Hadrian's Arch and Záppeion.
Metro Sýntagma (Lines 2+3) — 18-22 min walk south-east via Záppeion gardens.
Metro Evangelismós (Line 3 blue) — 15-min walk south.
From Victoria: Line 1 → Sýntagma (change at Omónia) → walk. ~30 min total.
Walking from Plaka: 20 min via Záppeion.

🌅 Best time to visit

Late afternoon (16:00-18:30)

Golden light on ochre villas. Streets quiet, locals returning from work. Cemetery still open.

Early morning (08:00-10:00)

Cool, empty, photographer's paradise. Villas at their cleanest light.

Spring (April-May)

Wisteria + jasmine + bougainvillea bloom. Streets at their most photogenic.

Avoid

Mid-day summer (12:00-15:00) — heat + steep streets are punishing. Some shops/cafés closed for siesta.

🛡️ Safety

Mets is among Athens' safest residential neighbourhoods. Daytime: completely unremarkable. Evening: quiet residential, well-lit on main streets, side streets quieter but no specific concern. Solo women + families both report comfortable visits.

🌟 Why Mets matters

Most visitors never set foot here, which is half its charm. It's a 20-minute walk from Sýntagma, contains some of Athens' most distinctive surviving pre-war architecture, hosts a major historical site (the First Cemetery), and offers the kind of slow afternoon that's hard to find in central Athens. The locals are quiet, the rents are higher than they used to be but lower than Kolonáki, and the Acropolis view from Markou Mousourou is one of the city's secret rewards.

🎯 The "perfect Mets afternoon" plan

 Half-day plan (3-4 hours) 14:00: Visit Panathenaic Stadium (€10, ~45 min).
00: Walk into Mets via Iossif tōn Ōthon. Up Markou Mousourou.
30: First Cemetery — see the Sleeping Maiden, walk the main avenue (~45 min).
30: Coffee on a Mets side street (€4).
00: Wander Trivonianou + Anapafseos for villas + Acropolis view.
00: Pre-dinner drink (€8-€10).
30: Early dinner at Karavitis (€30-€40 per person).
00: Walk back to Sýntagma via Záppeion.
 

🎯 FAQ

Is the cemetery weird to visit?

Not at all — Greeks visit family graves regularly, and the First Cemetery is also a public open-air sculpture park. Respectful visiting is welcomed. Just don't disturb services.

Can I photograph in the cemetery?

Yes for personal photography. Commercial photography requires permission. No drones, no flash on services, no disrespect.

Are the pre-war villas private?

Almost all are private homes or small businesses. Photograph from public street; don't enter gardens or peer into windows.

Best villa-photography street?

Trivonianou and Anapafseos for variety. Markou Mousourou for the Acropolis view through the buildings.

Eating after the cemetery feels strange?

It's just a quiet park-museum experience for most visitors — followed by a pleasant lunch. Greeks find this combination perfectly normal.

Combine Mets with what?

Pangráti (immediately south, 5-min walk; see Pangráti guide), Záppeion gardens, Panathenaic Stadium, Acropolis area.

Sources:

Mets — A Quiet, Beautiful Athens Hillside Behind the Stadium