Best Shops in Athens for Traditional, Handcrafted Artisan Things
Athens is often described as a living museum—and nowhere is that more evident than in its handmade arts and crafts. Beyond the Acropolis and ancient ruins, the city thrives with workshops and boutiques where modern artisans still practice centuries-old techniques. Enter: My guide to the best handmade shops in Athens.
From jewelry inspired by antiquity to hand-tooled leather and painted ceramics, Athens offers travelers a rich shopping experience rooted in tradition, culture, and craftsmanship.
Athens, Greece
The Roots of Athenian Craftsmanship
Greek craftsmanship has always been closely tied to daily life, mythology, and religion. In ancient Athens, artisans produced pottery, metalwork, sculpture, and textiles not only for beauty, but for worship, storytelling, and trade. Today’s Athenian makers continue this legacy, drawing inspiration from ancient coins, olive branches, mythological figures, Greek motifs, and Byzantine symbolism.
Silversmiths hammer delicate jewelry using age-old filigree methods; ceramicists throw and hand-paint vessels inspired by ancient amphorae, meanders, and olive branches; and leather workers stitch sandals and bags using patterns that have changed little over the ages.
In quiet workshops and contemporary studios alike, you’ll also find icon painters applying gold leaf with centuries-old techniques, textile artists weaving and embroidering with traditional looms, and woodworkers carving olive wood into functional art. What makes Athens especially compelling is this continuous artistic connection between past and present.
Best Areas to Shop for Handmade Arts & Crafts in Athens
Plaka Neighborhood in Athens
Plaka
Plaka is Athens’ oldest and most charming neighborhood, snaking along the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. It’s known for its cobblestone streets, neoclassical buildings, Byzantine churches, outdoor cafés, and boutique shopping, making it a delightful place to explore on foot.
As you stroll through Plaka’s winding alleyways, you’ll encounter a lively mix of handcrafted workshops and boutiques offering jewelry, ceramics, olive-wood items, leather goods, and other artisan-inspired creations.
Macrame
Classic Greek macramé and woven home goods with a timeless handmade feel. Traditional embroidered items include pillows, linens, aprons, tablecloths, and runners, and much more.
SJS Designs Ceramic Workshop
Handcrafted ceramics and museum replica antiquities inspired by Greek art and culture. Each piece is crafted with extreme attention to detail making it truly collectible.
Pandora Art Gallery
Pandora Art Gallery’s roots are deeply intertwined with Greek Mythology. Inspired by the tale of Pandora, the first woman on earth, the gallery offers handcrafted, unique pieces of art that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Greece, while blending contemporary designs of today.
Muse Music Store
A soulful little shop that celebrates the deep roots of Greek music and sound. Inside Muse Music, you’ll find traditional, handcrafted instruments, and a warm, inviting atmosphere where music lovers can connect with Greece’s living musical heritage.
Monastiraki Neighborhood in Athens
Monastiraki
Lively and eclectic, Monastiraki blends flea-market energy with serious craftsmanship. Here you’ll find artisan sandal makers, metalworkers, icon painters, and textile shops, often creating in small workshops alongside their retail spaces. Monastiraki is famous for its bustling market, cobbled streets, and vibrant atmosphere, where history and retail culture blend into a one-of-a-kind urban shopping experience.
Monastiraki Flea Market
Monastiraki’s market scene is historic and ever-changing, with artisans crafting everything from furniture to textiles, paintings, to jewelry, alongside antique and vintage finds. The Market is a true Athens shopping adventure where bargaining, discovering, and exploring go hand in hand with soaking up the city’s rich past
Melissinos Art
Melissinos Art is a 3rd-generation legendary Athenian workshop producing handmade leather sandals and handbags crafted using traditional techniques. Master craftsman Pantelis Melissinos, shapes and assembles each pair by hand, continuing a craft that dates back to antiquity. He is in his colorful workshop daily, designing custom sandals for visitors, celebrities, Royals, and athletes.
Byzantium
Since 1974, this shop offers iconic hand painted Byzantine icons, religious art, handcrafted gold and silver jewelry, along with gourmet products harvested and produced at the monastery such as olive oil and honey.
OliveLand Shop
The olive tree is a natural symbol in Greece which has an extraordinarily long history with many references from ancient times. The store offers many handcrafted wooden objects such as kitchen utensils and serving pieces, cutting boards, pipes, board games, and unique jewelry.
Psyrri Neighborhood in Athens
Psyrri
Psyrri (also spelled Psiri or Psirri) is one of Athens’ most vibrant, artsy neighborhoods. Once a working-class quarter, it’s been reborn as a hub for street art, live music, artisan studios, craft shops, and indie fashion boutiques. Psyrri’s narrow streets are where you’ll find handcrafted jewelry, leather goods, textiles, ceramics, and fashion imagined by Greek designers.
Treasure House – Vintage & Handmade Clothing
Treasure House is a boutique vintage fashion store and atelier that combines curated vintage apparel with handmade garments using locally sourced vintage fabrics. Custom design orders are welcome.
Kartousa
A warm, boutique shop, Kartousa showcases beautifully handmade Greek jewelry and artisanal accessories crafted by local designers, blending contemporary art with traditional Grecian craftsmanship.
Mati Shop
Showcasing an extensive variety of handcrafted goods, Mati Shop features hand blown glass, brass sculptures, semi-precious jewelry, antiquities and decor inspired by Greek mythology and regional folk tradtions. Each item is carefully crafted by local artisans, emphasizing traditional techniques that have been handed down through generations.
Kolonaki Neighborhood in Athens
Kolonaki
Kolonaki is one of Athens’ most elegant and upmarket neighborhoods. It’s known for its chic café culture, high-end fashion boutiques, contemporary art galleries, and vibrant design scene. While it’s often associated with luxury labels and international brands, Kolonaki also offers unique Greek design, artisanal jewelry, and handcrafted boutiques that reflect local creativity and craftsmanship.
Tsantilis
Greek designer Soraya Tsantilis created the brand EL for her outstanding collection of handbags. Each Tsantilis handbag is handmade and produced solely with Greek materials. A unique fabric featuring the traditional Greek Key symbol is woven on a loom, then sent to talented seamstresses in Athens, who skillfully cut and sew each bag.
LALAoUNIS Jewelry Museum & Boutique
An iconic name in Greek craftsmanship, Lalaounis jewelry draws inspiration from ancient Greek, Byzantine, and Mycenaean art. Pieces are handcrafted in Greece and feel like wearable history. Artist Ilias Lalaounis passed his skill to his four daughters, who continue passionately his long family tradition. The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum is the first museum devoted to the art of Jewelry in Greece and one of three of its kind in the world.
Benaki Museum Shop
Not technically in Kolonaki but close nearby. The Benaki Museum Shop is an excellent destination for local artist-designed gifts, books, and curated craft pieces tied to Greek art and tradition.
Shop Handmade in Athens
Shopping for handcrafted goods in Athens is more than just shopping — it’s cultural preservation. Supporting local artisans helps keep traditional techniques alive, while giving travelers access to memorable Grecian objects with genuine meaning.
Whether it’s a pair of hand-tooled sandals, a ceramic bowl shaped on a potter’s wheel, hammered gold jewelry, or a museum-quality sculpture inspired by ancient Gods, these handmade shops in Athens and their local artists offer a lasting connection to Greece’s cultural soul.
Love the artisan items featured here but can’t make the trip? Visit our SHOP page to discover similar Things handcrafted by artisans – delivered straight to your door!
Also, visit our SHOP page to discover workshops, tours, and classes that turn global travel into a hands-on, unforgettable experience!
Next - Let’s sail the Baltic and North Seas on a Scandinavian Cruise aboard the Emerald Princess. We’ll explore artisan offerings in The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Till then….keep cruisin’ through life, discovering your own special Things!
CHEERS!
