The Graffiti Epidemic in Athens

The Greek economy might be tanking, but at least one group is thriving in Athens: graffiti artists. It has been suggested that Athens might be the best place in the world to be a graffiti artist right now. Or, as one of the practitioners puts it, “a little paradise for the graffiti artists.”

The city is in the middle of a graffiti epidemic. It’s a combination of high youth unemployment and underemployment, a general sense of unrest, and authorities being stretched too thin to do much about it. Frankly, the police have bigger problems. The result is an artistic free-for-all on the city’s streets.

Whether you want to call them vandals or street artists, they’ve been busy. Not all of it is new, of course, but there’s an awful lot of fresh paint adorning the walls downtown in the past five years or so. Shops, homes, bus stops, and pretty much any other wall—except, notably, places that have high security like banks and government buildings (mostly)—are covered in paint. Relatively few walls are spared.

There’s the usual scratchy hit-and-run tagging, but there’s also quite a lot that has taken real thought and effort to pull off. Some of it is youthful rebellion, some of it is political expression, and some of it is art in its purest form. And, of course, it’s constantly morphing, with new paint going over old.

And some of it is quite beautiful. Here’s a small sampling. Credit and kudos to the artists, whoever you are.

Photo by David Coleman

There’s a very interesting short documentary on graffiti in Athens that shows some of the painters in action. It’s called Alive in the Concrete, and you can watch it online here.

Travel Advice for Greece

You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Greece (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.

The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Greece here and the Australian Government's here.

Health & Vaccinations

The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Greece here.

Guidebooks for Greece

If you're looking for a guidebook to make the most of your visit, these are some of the most popular ones currently for Greece. Some are available in both paper and e-book formats.

Lonely Planet Greece (Country Guide)

Lonely Planet (Author)
English (Publication Language)

Rick Steves Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese

Steves, Rick (Author)
English (Publication Language)

Lonely Planet Greek Islands (Regional Guide)

Richmond, Simon (Author)
English (Publication Language)

Lonely Planet Best of Greece & the Greek Islands (Best of Country)

Lonely Planet (Author)
English (Publication Language)

Travel Insurance For Your Trip to Greece

I never travel without travel insurance, and I've run into several situations where I've had to make claims. I consider it essential.

But shopping for travel insurance can be a pain and confusing. Thankfully, there are some travel insurance comparison sites that show you a wide range of plans, make it easy to compare coverage, and can save you money at the same time. And the coverage can be much better tailored to your specific needs than the checkbox offering at travel booking sites or through your credit card.

These are some good places to shop for travel insurance for your next trip to Greece :

Aardy
SquareMouth

Hopefully, you won't need it, but if something goes wrong, you'll sure be glad you have it!

Where to Next?

Travel Advice for Greece

Health & Vaccinations

Guidebooks for Greece

Travel Insurance For Your Trip to Greece

David Coleman Photography

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