JOURNEY TO NOSTOS

Kerameikos to the Sacred Way Itinerary

​

Total Time: 3–4 hours
Difficulty: Easy (mostly flat streets + archaeological paths)
Start: Kerameikos Metro Station (M3)
End: Gazi neighbourhood or Monastiraki

​

Route & Timing

1. Kerameikos Metro Exit → Enter the Archaeological Site — ≈45 minutes
Step into the Kerameikos archaeological area and take your time with the cemeteries and the line of the city walls. This is a quiet, reflective beginning—more atmosphere than spectacle.

​

2. Dipylon Gate — ≈20 minutes
Walk toward the Dipylon Gate on wide, flat paths. Pause long enough to imagine the ceremonial movement that once passed here: the city’s threshold, where public life turned into procession.

​

3. Trace the Sacred Way toward Gazi — ≈40 minutes
Follow the ancient “Sacred Way” alignment as it runs into the modern city fabric. This section is urban and transitional—mostly straightforward walking, with some traffic and crossings as you approach Gazi.

​

4. Explore Gazi Neighbourhood — ≈30 minutes
Wander the streets at a slow pace. Dip into art spaces, courtyards, and cafés—this is the livelier, contemporary counterpoint to the archaeology.

​

Coffee Stop

Gazi coffee break — ≈30 minutes
Choose a café with outdoor seating and let the walk settle before lunch.

​

Lunch

Lunch in Gazi or Monastiraki — ≈45 minutes
Finish with a traditional taverna meal—simple, unhurried, and grounded.

​

Practical Tips

• Kerameikos closes early (often around 7 pm in summer, earlier in winter).

• Watch for traffic and crossings near Gazi.

• Comfortable walking shoes recommended.

• Public transport is easy from both Gazi and Monastiraki for a clean exit.

• ​

Coffee & Lunch Suggestions

Coffee

• Bios (Gazi) — Artsy café with a younger crowd and a lively feel.

• Mokka Specialty Coffee (Monastiraki) — Strong espresso and filter options.

• ​

Lunch

• To Kafeneio (Gazi) — Simple taverna-style plates (grilled staples, salads).

• Klimataria (Monastiraki) — Traditional Greek taverna; often associated with live music.

​

Kerameikos to the Sacred Way Narrative

​

From the metro station at Kerameikos, walk a distance of 3 kilometres or about 2 to 3 hours to the Sacred Way while you journey through time from ancient Athens. Your feet will carry you to the beating heart of Athens and into history, where memories and the past are intertwined to give you a sense of the rhythm of the city as the ground beneath you beats with the history of Athens.

 

When you exit the metro at Kerameikos, the first sound you will hear is the hiss of the doors opening, inviting you to step into another world. As you leave the confines of the city and the soft sounds of the metro, you will notice that the city is behind you. The air is a bit different, with the scents of pine trees, hints of dust and the soft sound of a river. Once upon a time Kerameikos was the ancient center of pottery in Athens and the edge of the city. The name Kerameikos recalls the names of the people, the Kerameis, who created vases from clay that were used in homes and temples throughout the ancient world, and you can still feel the presence of those workers beneath your feet.

 

In addition to being a boundary, Kerameikos served as a place of rest for the dead. Walking among the marble stele in the cemetery of Kerameikos, you will find that you are surrounded by the silent stories of Athens; some that are grand and some that are not grand, but all reflecting the values of the city. At times, a cat may pass by you, or while you walk, you may see a jogger go by, momentarily connecting the present with the past. This is a location of memory, where the rituals of death and life are intertwined, leading one to reflect on the nature of belonging as you leave the area to follow the route towards the ancient walls.

 

Looking at the ancient walls of the city, we can see this was a wall built quickly after Athens was invaded in the 5th century BCE, the Themistoclean Wall separating those who belonged from those who did not. These ancient boundaries still resonate into the current era with the ongoing debates surrounding migration, community, where local historian Yiannis provides thoughts relating to how these walls connected resilience from the past to the present. Yiannis uses his thoughts to demonstrate how the boundaries created by the walls define what is included within and outside of modern society.

 

Moving along, you will reach the Dipylon Gate. Used for more than a point of entry and exit, it was the gateway to Athens, and the place where the business of everyday life was conducted, as well as where large festivals were carried out. Athenians walked through the gate on a pathway to the Panathenaic festival, their footsteps reflecting the cadence of celebration as well as grief, when the city was devastated by plague. The historical significance of this site is overwhelming.

Now, stop for a moment at Kerameikos. In 430 BCE, Kerameikos was full of dead bodies who had died as a result of the plague that ravaged Athens. Also, this cemetery was full of people seeking refuge from the plague, leaving the living with nothing but the heavy air of despair. This cemetery bears witness to the suffering and survival of the City; it tells the story of how a City mourns and remembers. You disconnect from the sad world behind you to join the Sacred Way, a path built on history and belief.

 

The Sacred Way leads from Athens to Eleusis, where the greatest mysteries of the ancient Greek world took place. Priests and initiates travelled this same route once a year, carrying sacred objects and singing hymns to Demeter and Persephone, wanting to see visions and be assured that death was not the end. We will never know what they saw inside the sanctuary or what they heard, nor will Plato ever tell. The annual Eleusis Festival is a faint reminder of those gatherings; however, art, music and the spirit of togetherness are present during the Festival. The roads through the city change shape and function as you walk. In places, the road is no longer flat, but if you look, you will see where it used to be: gentle curves are present in the sidewalks; wildflowers come through the cracks in the pavement. These wildflowers represent the determined memory of many centuries. They are proof of resilience. They run through the concrete and noise of the city. The sandals and torches of the past have been replaced by cars and graffiti, yet remnants of the journey remain. There are still flowers, even in the midst of the city chaos. Shortly after you walk, you arrive in Gazi, which has also been transformed by creativity and industry. You can soon see Gazi's industrial chimneys. This is where Athens entered the modern world through gasworks and had its first gaslights. Now all the old factories have turned into galleries, theatres and live music venues, the most outstanding is Technopolis City of Athens, a cultural complex for exhibitions and concerts that captures the spirit of creativity and life in Gazi. Streets alive with murals bloom on the bricks, the buzz of voices from outdoor bars, and after dark, the rhythm of music plays. Walk through this newly created Athens, where creativity thrives in the remains of manufacturing.

 

Find a café (like Bios or a small, discreet one) and sit for a while, and see how Athens is being reborn and how old and new co-exist. After taking this moment, start walking through the busy streets towards Monastiraki with its many shops.

 

When you feel hungry, choose simple food to eat in Gazi, such as grilled meat, fresh bread and a tomato salad full of taste in summertime. Or go to Monastiraki, where the streets are very congested with shops and many different layers with remnants of old empires; Klimataria provides a meal but also is tradition personified-slow roasted lamb, beans cooked in olive oil and maybe a faint sound of a bouzouki while you are there. Taste the tang of moussaka with its layers of eggplant, meat and béchamel; tradition passed between generations. Sip ouzo while enjoying the scent of anise that fills the air and reflect on the stories and laughter told beneath the great Athenian sky when you partake in foodstoried in time; it is not just food but also the very essence of a resilient culture that has endured war, occupation and hardship.

 

Walking this path will take you through the very soul of Athens. With each step, conquering the old barrier of death vs life, city vs nature, ritual vs everydayness, past vs present. The stones remember what has taken place even as the city is in a hurry to move on. Stop when you reach the end of the walk and look back to see the journey you took while walking in the footsteps of mourners, pilgrims, and poets. Now you can add your own story to theirs by leaving a small keepsake (like an olive pit in a crack between the stones or whispering a wish into the wind). By doing this, you are documenting your journey; a small act within an infinite river of time.