The sunhat is everywhere in Athens as crowds grow larger at ancient sites

The sunhat is everywhere in Athens as crowds grow larger at ancient sites 1 of 6 | As Europe faces stifling summer heat, the humble sunhat has become an increasingly common sight in Athens, where tourists and locals are turning to hats for protection from soaring temperatures. Around the Acropolis, where millions of visitors endure intense midday heat with little shade, sales of fedoras, baseball caps, bucket hats and straw hats are rising. Hatmakers and retailers say extreme heat, growing awareness of sun protection and social media fashion trends are driving demand. (AP Video by Srdjan Nedeljkovic. Produced by Theodora Tongas and Derek Gatopoulos) 2 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 3 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 4 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 5 of 6 | A Russian tourist tries on a hat and takes a selfie at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 6 of 6 | Hats are displayed alongside materials using in their production on hangers and shelves at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 1 of 6 As Europe faces stifling summer heat, the humble sunhat has become an increasingly common sight in Athens, where tourists and locals are turning to hats for protection from soaring temperatures. Around the Acropolis, where millions of visitors endure intense midday heat with little shade, sales of fedoras, baseball caps, bucket hats and straw hats are rising. Hatmakers and retailers say extreme heat, growing awareness of sun protection and social media fashion trends are driving demand. (AP Video by Srdjan Nedeljkovic. Produced by Theodora Tongas and Derek Gatopoulos) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 2 of 6 Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 3 of 6 Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 6 | Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 4 of 6 Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 6 | A Russian tourist tries on a hat and takes a selfie at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 5 of 6 A Russian tourist tries on a hat and takes a selfie at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 6 of 6 | Hats are displayed alongside materials using in their production on hangers and shelves at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 6 of 6 Hats are displayed alongside materials using in their production on hangers and shelves at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Athens, Greece (AP) — Outside the Acropolis, a sea of hats bobs up and down the hill to the ancient site: straw boaters, Panama hats, baseball caps and bucket hats in the relentless heat.Hat racks are hard to miss in central Athens this summer. Kiosks and stores keep outdoor stands piled high as more tourists seek relief from the midday heat.The Acropolis drew about 4.6 million visitors in 2025, a record year for Greek tourism. Many spend hours in mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) temperatures with little shade. Even a carriage horse at the foot of the ancient monument has joined in, sporting a brown bucket hat with holes cut for its ears.“You need a hat. I’m already red as it is,” said Jack Yosif, an Australian tourist wearing a black baseball cap. “It’s a bit more of a common thing nowadays, and people are a bit more aware.” Scorching temperatures didn’t deter a record 38 million visitors last year, the most recent for which there is data. The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites — which means not everyone can visit in the morning — is adding urgency to sun protection. Greek health campaigners have welcomed a growing awareness of the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and risk of heat stroke. Red Cross volunteers at the Acropolis hand out kits with sunscreen, water, information leaflets and red caps. 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ 2 MIN READ On nearby Syntagma Square, kiosk owner Konstantinos Mallios says hat sales have risen in recent years. His stylish and souvenir models run up to 20 euros ($24) while the cheapest costs 6 euros. Available elsewhere is semi-disposable headgear: mass-produced hats made using compressed paper pulp.And there are more ostentatious options. At her basement workshop, hatmaker Lisa Sarigiannidou turns straw braids into boaters using century-old presses and molds in a matter of minutes. Her hats start at around 50 euros, with elaborate designs costing more than 100 euros. “People’s attitudes toward hats have changed,” said Sarigiannidou, who was trained by her hatmaker father. “In the past, when a young woman tried on a hat and looked at herself in the mirror, she usually laughed. Now they try them on seriously … and they wear them straight out the door.” Theodora Tongas and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed to this report.