Greece · Attica · Athens
Kolonaki, Athens — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Kolonaki is an upscale neighborhood in central Athens, spread across the southern slopes of Mount Lycabettus. Its name means Little Column, after the small ancient column that stood here before the district was built up. The quarter centers on Kolonaki Square, known for designer boutiques, cafes, and a cluster of private art museums. Old money lives here.
About Kolonaki
Where to stay in Kolonaki
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
Kolonaki suits visitors who want boutique hotels, quiet streets, and serious window-shopping over cheap dorms or late-night noise. Rooms here cost more than in Plaka or Psyri, and the district keeps few hostels. You come for the cafes on Kolonaki Square, the designer stores along Skoufa Street, and short walks to the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art.
Evangelismos metro connects the district to Syntagma, with the Acropolis a short ride beyond. Nights stay quiet.
About Kolonaki
What are the main landmarks in Kolonaki?
Kolonaki's sights are museums, not ruins. The Benaki Museum, at the corner of Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, gathers Greek art from antiquity through the modern era. A short walk east leads to the Museum of Cycladic Art, and further along the avenue stands the Byzantine and Christian Museum.
Above the rooftops, a funicular climbs Mount Lycabettus to a hilltop chapel and a wide view across the city.
What is the history of Kolonaki?
Kolonaki takes its name from a small ancient column that once stood on the square long before houses rose around it. The district grew during the nineteenth century, after Athens became capital of the modern Greek state and building spread up the slopes of Mount Lycabettus. Wealthy families, foreign embassies, and later art galleries settled around Kolonaki Square.
The little column gave the whole quarter its identity. Fashion followed the money.
Where is Kolonaki?
The neighborhood climbs the southwest side of Mount Lycabettus, just east of Syntagma Square. Its southern edge runs along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, the museum-lined artery locals call the Museum Mile. Shopping streets such as Skoufa and Patriarchou Ioakeim thread uphill from Kolonaki Square, while Evangelismos metro station serves the lower, southeastern corner.
The climb is steep.
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Updated July 2026