Athens restricts new rentals as residents report housing pressure
ZDF's Athens report focused on a traditional neighborhood under strain and criticism of Airbnb. In Plaka and Koukaki, most residents interviewed by Kathimerini in July 2026 blamed Airbnb-style rentals for higher prices and a shrinking supply of housing.
The scale of tourist accommodation is documented in the Municipality of Athens' updated tourism capacity study for 2018–2025, reported by Athens News. The city had 19,071 tourist accommodation facilities operating in 2025, compared with 14,288 in 2018. Registered short-term rental properties numbered 18,769, an increase of 33.5% over 2018. Almost 60% of the city's tourist lodging capacity was concentrated in the 1st municipal district, which includes the historic center.
Athens has prohibited the initial registration of new short-term rental properties in its 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal districts since January 1, 2025. The restriction now runs through December 31, 2026, but properties registered before the ban remain on the market. Early figures cited by Athens News put growth in short-term rental units in those districts at 1.7–5.4% in 2024–2025, compared with 18–20% in 2023–2024.
Separately, Kathimerini reported AirDNA data showing that short-term rental listings in central Athens exceeded 14,000 at the end of 2025. Listings continued to rise despite a government cap imposed in 2024 on rentals in three central districts.
Architects work to preserve Băile Herculane
Young architects' efforts to rescue a threatened Romanian spa resort formed another part of the broadcast. At Băile Herculane, architect Oana Chirila established the Herculane Project in 2017 within the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Timisoara. The initiative relies largely on donations to preserve the town's heritage, according to Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).
OBCT describes Băile Herculane as Romania's oldest spa resort. Founded by the ancient Romans, it enjoyed its greatest prominence in the second half of the 19th century under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Empress Sissi was among the members of high society who vacationed there.
The resort's best-known landmark is the Imperial Baths, also called the Neptune Baths, designed by Hungarian architect Ignác Alpár during the Austro-Hungarian era. Most of the historic buildings suffered severe neglect after communism ended. OBCT reports that uncontrolled privatizations, mismanagement and corruption investigations complicated property ownership and obstructed recovery.
The resort nevertheless received almost 300,000 tourists in 2024. Since 2014, the municipality has invested nearly €12 million in EU cohesion funds in tourism infrastructure, according to OBCT.
A local ceasefire in Oleshky as attacks on Kyiv continue
ZDF also covered people holding out between the front lines in Oleshky, in Ukraine's Kherson region. A ceasefire limited to the area around the Russian-occupied town began on October 27, 2026, at 4 a.m. Moscow time, or 2 a.m. CET, according to tagesschau. Russia's defense ministry confirmed the pause on Telegram, as did Ukraine's parliamentary human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinez, on Facebook.
Russian forces have occupied Oleshky since 2022. The heavily damaged town once had roughly 24,000 residents; an estimated 1,500–2,000 remain. Including nearby villages, as many as 6,000 people are reported to be in need.
The White House credited US First Lady Melania Trump with mediating the humanitarian ceasefire. Pope Leo XIV had also asked Vladimir Putin in a phone call to help Oleshky. The Kremlin said a successful humanitarian operation there could provide a model for other sections of the front.
The local pause did not extend to Kyiv, where Russia continued attacks on October 27 while the Oleshky ceasefire held. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported damage to a key bridge over the Dnipro and its metro infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said Russia would continue its attacks despite talks with Ukraine and the US planned for November.
