Athens

Streets in downtown Athens will be closed to traffic on March 25 due to the school and military parades that will be held to celebrate Greece's Independence Day.

No traffic will be allowed on Vassilisis Sofias, Amalias, and Georgiou A Avenues, as well as Herodou Attikou, Panepistimiou, Stadiou, Filellinon, and Akadimias streets.

The average asking price of houses in the districts of Athens with the best evaluation ranges from 2,759 to 5,645 euros per square meter, based on a series of criteria that affect accommodation.

The Metropolitan Expo center, near Athens airport, is this year preparing for the largest Posidonia international shipping fair ever. So are the capital's hotels and party venues.

For three days, from April 12 to 14, Athens will once again immerse itself in the rhythm of cycling at the 10th Athens Bike Festival (bikefestival.gr). Bicycles, accessories, services and cycling tourism gadgets will be showcased in the huge exhibition space at the Old OSY Depot (Pireos & Ermou).

Athenians who took advantage of the extended weekend have been returning to the capital area causing slowdowns in both major highways leading into the capital area from the Peloponnese and Central Greece, respectively, police say.

To alleviate traffic delays, authorities have banned truck weighing more than 3.5 tons from the highway sections moving into Athens until 9 p.m. Monday.

Greeks around the country celebrated the Clean Monday holiday in the time-honoured fashion, with outdoor activities such as kite-flying and picnics, the traditional lenten delicacies, music and dancing.

The inaugural WOW - Women of the World Festival takes place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (364 Syngrou Avenue, snfcc.org). In collaboration with the UK-based WOW Foundation, the event features speeches, discussions, exhibitions, workshops and concerts.

The tender that the Hellenic Public Properties Company (ETAD) has proclaimed for the concession of the Faliro Indoor Arena, where the Athens 2004 Olympics tae kwon do events were hosted, is heading for an extension.

Schoolchildren jump up in the air during a flashmob at the Panathenaic Stadium, host of the first modern Olympics, in Athens on Thursday. The show was part of a French Embassy event with sports and games promoting the Paris Games this summer.

The Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway (ISAP) station in the southern Kallithea district was temporarily closed on Thursday due to a bomb threat. The station has resumed operations. 

A bomb disposal unit has rushed to the scene.