The idea is for Athenians to share their favourite places and stories of little-known places, with the sounds of the location in the background. Photo: AFP
Google has developed a new online service offering guided walks in the streets of Athens, to help everyone, on site or not, discover the hidden treasures of the Greek capital.
These audio walks enable a visitor to immerse themselves in the city in a new way, as this project aims to present Athens as a true contemporary living museum, going far beyond classic tourist spots like the Acropolis and its antiquities. The idea is for Athenians to share their favourite places and stories of little-known places, with the sounds of the location in the background.
This online experience is accessible to all, free of charge, via a dedicated platform.
A first walk, to Omonia Square, has just been put online. It allows you to discover the evolution of the city's cultural landscape, through street arts and unique shops. The audio commentary, which covers a distance of 2.4km, is rich in anecdotes and immerses the listener in the history of various emblematic places during the walk.
This itinerary, composed of ten stops, lasts nearly two hours. Music, architecture and, of course, food will be celebrated in the next audio walks posted online.
Tourists on site can simply follow the map and listen to the commentary with their headphones to fully enjoy the places.
In the soon-to-be-released mobile application, users will be able to select different routes by choosing their own places of interest. Each stop will link to a piece of audio content, with stories and interviews that correspond to the site in question.
This project is the result of a development strategy established earlier this year between the Greek Ministry of Tourism and Google. - AFP
