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As
you surely know you can find a lot of tasty and lovely traditional
products in Greece.
Even if the best places to buy qualitative products is in small villages
or islands, Athens also has some few places where you can find what
you're looking for.
To find good rugs and carpets you will have to go in the district
of Plaka where a large range of shops offer hand-made and industrial
carpets and flokati rugs.
It's interesting to know that flokati rugs have been part of Greek
tradition for centuries.
Hand made by Greek shepherds, from the mountain areas of central and
northern Greece, to protect themselves and their families from the
cold winter.
They would take the wool from their sheep and goats and turn it into
clothes and rugs. The actual main production areas are around the
town of Tripolis, in the Peloponnese, and around the towns of Trikala
and Karditsa in Thessaly.
Carpets are also part of Greek history and specifically of Greek |
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Greece is the country of leather. You can find some fine leather items
in Athens, in various prices. For expensive shoes and handbags, go
to the boutiques in Kolonaki district or on Ermou Street. For cheap
hand made sandals and handbags, go to Plaka or Monastiraki. The neighbourhood
of Psiri is mostly dedicated to leather. There, you're going to find
some nice and affordable hand made gloves, hats and handbags but only
a few leather shoes (most of them are synthetic).
If you want to see and buy some nice traditional handicrafts, you
need to stay in the Plaka district. There, look for the National Welfare
Organisation shops, the Traditional Greek Centre, the Hellenic Artisan
Trades Cooperative or the Lyceum of Greek women. You will surely find
some amazing stuff like knotted carpets, embroidered cushion covers,
woodwork and much more. Monastiraki's flea Market is also a place
to discover great traditional handicrafts as well as some little streets
around Athina Avenue. |
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Gold and silver jewellery are fine and beautiful Greek specialities.
Shops selling high quality gold are concentrated on Stadiou and Voukourestiou
streets, near Syndagma. There you're going to find some famous jewellery
stores such as Ilias Lalaounis, Bvlgari or Kessaris. To find silver
jewellery go straight to the shops or to the street vendors in Plaka
and Monastiraki. You can also buy reproductions of ancient jewellery
and ornaments in gold and silver in Museum shops such as the National
Archaeological Museum outside the Acropolis, the Benaki Museum or
the Cycladic Art Museum.
Greek food is well known for its high quality products and its unique
taste. To buy good Greek coffee, try to find one of the good smelling
coffee shops around Syndagma or near Athinas Avenue. To fill your
senses with amazing colours and odours, go to the Central Market on
Athinas in which you're going to find a delectable range of culinary
delights such as
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