- More than 100 Greek beekeepers bring their golden goods to Athens.
- The festival runs through November 3 in Zappeio Hall’s courtyard.
- Visitors can taste, learn, and possibly stick to everything.
- Attempt to build a record-breaking 20-meter pasteli on Saturday.
A Sticky Situation in Central Athens
Athens is officially buzzing — and not just from traffic. From the mountains of Epirus to the thyme fields of Crete, over a hundred beekeepers have landed at Zappeio Hall for the annual Honey and Bee Products Festival.
The air smells like nectar, the courtyard glows gold, and somewhere a child is definitely licking something they should not.
This year’s edition brings together producers, honey sommeliers (yes, that is real), and anyone who thinks “liquid sunshine” should be a food group.
Honey, Workshops, and Controlled Chaos
Visitors can wander through rows of jars that shimmer like bottled sunlight, each promising “the real Greek honey” — because apparently everyone else’s honey has been lying. Workshops cover everything from modern apiculture to the secret life of bees, while kids’ corners turn into temporary sugar tornadoes.
And because Greece never does subtle, Saturday’s big moment will be a collective effort to build a 20-meter-long pasteli — a sesame-and-honey bar so large it could double as a fence. Organizers call it “a celebration of tradition.” Nutritionists call it “a cry for help.”
The Sweetest Side of the Crisis
In a country where olive oil usually steals the spotlight, honey quietly remains Greece’s second liquid religion. From the pine forests of Evia to the heather fields of Macedonia, Greek honey is famed for its thick texture and scandalous amount of flavor.
So the festival is not just a sugar rush — it is a salute to the beekeepers who keep Greece golden, one jar at a time.
Free Entry, Priceless Stickiness
The festival runs daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., through Monday, November 3, at the beautiful courtyard of Zappeio Hall. Admission is free, which is dangerous information for anyone who loves free samples and hates moderation.
If you visit, bring curiosity, a sweet tooth, and maybe a wet wipe. You’ll leave smelling faintly of thyme, smiling like a honey jar, and probably vowing to buy a beehive the moment you get home.
