Ermou Street

Ermou Street (Greek: Οδός Ερμού, Odos Ermou, "Hermes Street"), is a one and a half kilometer-long road in central Athens, connecting Kerameikos archaeological site with the Syntagma Square through Monastiraki, Psiri and Thiseio. It consists of three sections: The east (from Filellinon Street to Aiolou Street, app. 700m long) which is a pedestrian zone and the city's best-known and busiest shopping street, the middle (from Aiolou Street to Agion Asomaton str.) and the west (from Agion Asomaton to Peiraios Street) a pedestrian zone also. With fashion shops and shopping centres promoting most international brands, it is in the top five most expensive shopping streets in Europe, and the tenth most expensive retail street in the world. Nearby, the renovated Army Fund building in Panepistimiou Street includes the "Attica" department store and several upmarket designer stores. One of the oldest churches in Athens, the Byzantine Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea is in a small square, on the east section of Ermou Street. The western section of the road which was remodeled for the 2004 Olympic Games constitutes the ending of the Grand Promenade, the pedestrian walkway around the Acropolis, part of the city's Archaeological Unification Project.