One of the things I love about living in Kypseli is how much everyday life still happens out on the street. The weekly farmers’ market — the laiki agora, or simply laiki as we call it in Greek — is a perfect example.
Once a week, an ordinary neighborhood street is transformed into a long open-air market filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables, herbs, olives and other fresh produce. People arrive with their shopping trolleys, vendors call out their offers, neighbors stop to talk, and for a few hours the street has a completely different rhythm.
A very local experience
If you are staying in Kypseli, I definitely recommend visiting a laiki at least once. You don’t need to make a special excursion out of it. Go in the morning, walk between the stalls, see what is in season and pick up some fruit or vegetables to enjoy back at the apartment.
It is one of those small experiences that gives you a much better feeling for everyday Athens than many of the places you will find in a tourist guide.
The Tuesday market near Nireos Street
Every Tuesday, a farmers’ market takes place in this part of Kypseli. Its exact street changes periodically — a normal practice for Athens’ street markets — so it is worth checking the current location.
When the market is held on Sikinou Street, it is quite literally on the doorstep of the Nireos apartment: the stalls are set up directly below the front balcony.
So if you wake up to a livelier street than usual on market morning, you know why.
A little tip
Go relatively early if you want the widest choice. If you prefer a quieter experience, go a little later, when the morning rush has passed.
And take a reusable bag with you. You may go down just to have a look and come back with more peaches, tomatoes and grapes than you planned.
Lena’s local note: The location of Athens farmers’ markets can change during the year. If you are staying at Kypseli Living, feel free to ask me where the nearest one is during your stay.
