On a budget, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center still earns its price.
Park free; some events/tours paid
It's a glimpse of a modern, confident Athens far from the ancient-ruins script: a sloping green roof you walk up for Saronic Gulf views, a constant free events programme, and fountains and lawns kids genuinely love. It's the rare Athens stop that rewards design lovers and families more than it does ruins-focused first-timers — that's the fit to judge it by. The catch: it's a 20-30 minute tram or bus ride out to Kallithea, the surrounds are unremarkable, and on a still summer day the open esplanade bakes.