In recent years, the shopping experience for Greek souvenirs has clearly revealed a deeper and broader offering that goes well beyond the typical ancient vase and statue replicas, once standard pieces of what was a limited market. The greater choice now available is the result of certain fresh minds that have redefined what a souvenir should represent.

Greekness is serving as creative inspiration for the making of original, modern-looking and tasteful pieces that stand as works of art or are even useable. “The job of the evzone [ceremonial unit guards] is demanding and tiring. It involves long hours of standing in the cold weather or under the scorching sun, donning stockings and carrying a rifle. So we thought: ‘Just loosen up, put on your slippers and relax,” explained a designer at We design, a company producing felt fabric evzone-type tsarouhi shoe slippers.

This approach typifies the sector’s overall drive to be creative. Making their mark, two young ladies, Avrokomi Zavitsanou and Vasiliki Tzora, decided to “add a little color to Athens” by creating what could be described as an alternative travel guide color book. Coloring in the book’s images using shades of your choice makes Athens an even more memorable place. This is the purpose of Greek souvenirs – for them to remain unforgettable – at least until the following year when the next round of gifts can be expected from a traveling friend.