There is nothing worse than setting off on a Greece property viewing trip, only to find when you get to your destination that your hotel is surrounded by a grey and dreary cityscape – definitely NOT what you have travelled hundreds of miles to see. This can happen in Athens: there are parts of the city where you could literally be downtown anywhere in the world.

For a really welcoming and colourful reception the place to base yourself is in or near the district called the Plaka. Yes, I know that in summer there will be hundreds of tourists, but if you sneak out early enough, before everyone else has stirred, you will be well rewarded. And even once everybody is out and about it’s essentially a warm and welcoming place. The village at the foot of the Acropolis looks just like a small town on one of the Cycladic islands and the streets are essentially vehicle free, although you may find the odd motor bike pushing past you from time to time!

Sidewalk cafes line the streets, along with tourist shops and small stalls selling souvlakia. There are magnificent buildings and homes with a hint of their Venetian or Byzantine past sharing space with temples and museums.

And talking about museums, the choice is endless. The nearby and relatively newly opened Acropolis Museum is the pride of the city, but you could also take in the Agora and the Greek Jewish Museum, the Museum of Greek Folk Art, the Athens University Museum and the Cultural Heritage Centre, to name but a few.

So next time you are on your holiday, or on your next property viewing trip, take time to sample the delights of the Plaka in Athens – you won’t regret it!

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Greece, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Greece Property Buying Guide’