Spend Sunday mornings in Athens in the slightly seedy area of Plateia Avissynias, as the area comes alive with Athen's notorius Monastiraki Flea Market.

Part treasure-trove, part bizarre bazaar, you'll find trinkets and old junk you never knew you needed, as well as antique shops that are are here all week. Rub shoulders with the locals who get there early to scoop the best buys, and bring your haggling skills.

Cafes and bars bordering the market overspill onto the street at weekends, and add to the festive ambience as you sift through the stalls.

It makes for a colourful, slightly manic morning, and your rummaging may be rewarded with a treasure or two - I came away with some antique pink Turkish bottles, and bags of old ornate jewellery - I managed to resist the ancient gramophone that I was told still works!

Plateia Avissynias & Ermou

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One of the most visited areas of Athens; old bookshops; Greek art shops; rags and bones; old DVDs and CDs and bursting with tourist and locals all year.

At the end of Athinas and Andrianou street ,metro station Monastiraki or Thission
www.athensguide.org/ravel-to-athens.html

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This is a big covered market. It’s quite fun to watch the locals buying their fish and chickens but for visitors I recommend it for the fruit and nuts. I stocked up on pistachio nuts for munching while I was sightseeing and came home with bags of dried figs and pine nuts at bargain prices compared to England. You can also buy slabs of halva if you have a sweet tooth.

Athinas Street, between Omonia and Monastiraki metro stations

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