Two hundred years later that ancient monument would be rendered in marble by the Athenian Roman senator Herodes Atticus. With a U-shape layout, the Panethenaic Stadium is an almost exact replica of the construction from the 2nd century BC, and like its ancient ancestor is composed completely from marble.
The stadium can hold 45, spectators and from its highest tiers you can see the Acropolis and the National Garden. Northeast of the city centre, this cretaceous limestone peak rises to metres and its lower slopes are decked in pine trees, which become sparser as you approach the rocky summit.
The walk is best saved for winter and not the searing Athens summer, while the funicular runs on the hour and half-hour. At that time it had a roof made from cedar wood and could seat 5, until it was razed by the Herules in Over the next 1, years, the monument faded into the earth, and visitors in the Medieval period had no idea what the ruins meant.
The first excavation took place in by archaeologist Kyriakos Pittakis and the man of letters Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, and witnessed by Otto of Greece. The theatre was restored in the s when the stone tiers were rebuilt using the same marble from Mount Pentelicus. Get a seat for an evening concert to experience the Odeon as the Athenians would have done 2, years ago. The pine-clad elevation neighbouring the acropolis to the southwest is known as Hill of the Muses, but also the Philopappos Hill.
His death in is said to have caused a great deal of grief to the citizens of Athens and not least his sister Julia Balbilla, who erected an lasting monument in his memory. Two storeys high the monument has a frieze on its lower level showing Philiopappos as a Roman consul, on a chariot and preceded by lictors bodyguards.
The damaged upper section has sculptures of Antiochus IV, the last King of Commagene, and Philoppapos with an inscription in a niche below his image. By now you might be an expert on Archaic and Classical Greece, but the Byzantine period from around the s to the s has a lot of wonders in store.
Housed in the neo-Renaissance Villa Ilissia from , the Byzantine and Christian Museum opened in and was refurbished in time for the Olympics in The museum also studies the decline of Byzantine power, and how Venetian-controlled territories with cosmopolitan populations helped lay the path for the Renaissance in Europe. Kapnikarea is among the oldest churches in the city and was consecrated around As was often the way with early Christian churches, Kapnikarea was built over an ancient Greek pagan temple, most likely to Demeter or Athena.
In the real world Areopagus was the place where the city council sat before the 5th century BC, until Ephialtes introduced reforms that stripped the council of its power.
European drama was born at the Theatre of Dionysus, which was first used for performances in the 6th century BC. Carved into the rocky southern slope of the Acropolis, it was the first theatre ever constructed.
While Plaka is for sightseeing and shopping, Psiri has taken up the mantle of best nightlife quarter in Athens, with streets full of revellers until daybreak on weekends. In the 19th century it was the haunt of Koutsavakides, a law unto themselves, with long moustaches, coats down to their ankles for hiding their guns and high-heeled pointed boots.
In the reign of Pericles, in the 5th century BC, the hilltop was deemed a religious sanctuary. Just as pilgrims of millennia past made their way to worship here, you can ascend the marble steps on the west side, to find yourself dwarfed by the towering columns of the magnificent Parthenon.
Complete your experience by seeing a concert or play at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Natural light cascades through the spacious galleries of the modern Acropolis Museum , illuminating the priceless treasures that have been removed from the hill and installed here for safekeeping. The pinnacle of the museum is the top-floor glass atrium, where the m-long frieze from around the top of the Parthenon minus the portion still held in the British Museum is installed at eye level, so visitors can see all the details of this masterpiece in marble, and get a truer sense of its grand scale.
Follow in the footsteps of Socrates and his various political and philosophical cohorts at the Agora , the heart of ancient Athens' civic life and the birthplace of democracy. In the stately Stoa of Attalos an architectural paradigm for shopping arcades that you'll recognize across modern Athens , the Agora Museum displays unusual finds from ancient daily life.
The Temple of Hephaistos is exquisite and very well preserved; see how many of the Labors of Hercules you can identify on the frieze. It's gratifying to stroll the galleries and realize just how many of the finely wrought sculptures look familiar, just because they're cornerstones of Western art history: the bronze figure of a bearded god, say, or the hammered gold death mask of maybe, maybe not Agamemnon.
Among such icons are plenty of other surprises; don't miss the frescoes from Santorini upstairs. Greece's largest temple was seven centuries in the making. Or rather, what used to be Greece's largest temple — today only a handful of its colossal columns remain, as the rest were picked apart and reused in other buildings.
The temple was dedicated to Zeus, and, unofficially, to the Roman emperor Hadrian, who actually finished the construction job and erected a statue of himself.
While you're here, note Hadrian's Arch, congratulating him on his achievement. And explorers can seek out a sanctuary to Pan, on the far side of this site.
This impeccable private collection shows the spectrum of Greece from ancient times right up through the midth century. It occupies a stunning neoclassical mansion, with fine art and mundane folk objects — both equally beautiful — displayed chronologically. As a kind of counterpoint to the pure classicism celebrated elsewhere in the city's archaeological sites, the Benaki collection tells the story of how Greece has absorbed foreign influences and ideas to create its uniquely syncretic culture.
If you have time for only one museum, make it this one. Many of the finest grave markers are replicas; the originals are on display at the absorbing small museum on-site. The area was also the ceremonial entrance into ancient Athens, and while the gates no longer stand and the arriving road is now a paved city street, it's still an interesting place to pause and imagine the activity that would've taken place at the gates here.
The mythical battleground of Theseus and the Amazons is a green park studded with small ruins connected by beautiful stone paths that are themselves a minor architectural marvel. Make time in your schedule to come here — and to the neighboring Hill of the Pnyx — around sundown one evening to watch the lights on the Acropolis switch on and glow gold against the blue sky.
More prosaically, this is also where a lot of Athenians walk their dogs, so you'll be out strolling with some great Greek pups. Not only do you get a gorgeous view of the Acropolis but you can also look out over the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Mount Lycabettus. There are also numerous hotels that offer rooms and rooftop bars with amazing views of the Acropolis.
Read our post about where to stay in Athens to learn more. Areopagus Hill, also known as Mars Hill, is a spot to get one of the most iconic views of the Acropolis. But this is more than a nice place to snap a photo. There is a lot of history and legend here. In ancient times, this was a meeting place where philosophy and law were discussed. It is also the location where the Apostle Paul gave one of his most important speeches. Areopagus Hill is located very close to the main entrance into the Acropolis, so go here before or after you tour the Acropolis.
Located just southwest of the Acropolis, Philopappos Hill also spelled Filopappou Hill is a hilly park laced with walking trails. The most popular viewpoint is located at the Monument of Philopappos, but you can also follow the other trails for a slightly different perspective of the Acropolis. From here, you get to see just how big this city is, with the Acropolis proudly rising up in the center from the low, white buildings.
In the sunlight, this city literally sparkles. Getting Here: Unless you take a taxi right to the Lycabettus Cable Car station, expect to do some walking, and a lot of that will be uphill. The closest metro stops are Panepistimio and Evangelismos. From here, it will be an uphill walk to the cable car station. Or, you can choose to walk all of the way to the top on a paved trail that switchbacks its way up the hill.
Psyrri aka Psyri, Psiri, Psirri is a funky, trendy little neighborhood not far from Monastiraki. We liked this neighborhood so much that we visited it twice. Filled with great restaurants, unique bars, a vibrant nightlife, and small boutique shops, this is a very cool spot to go out for dinner and drinks. Grab a coffee or spoon sweets at Kalimeres.
Have dinner at Lithos Tavern , a cozy restaurant that serves traditional Greek and Mediterranean food. This is a cool spot in Athens and a great place to take a break from temples, ruins, and museums. If you only have a half day in Athens and want to see the highlights, this private tour includes a visit to the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium, Plaka, and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Varvakeios Market is another great spot to take a break from museums and ancient historical sites. There are different sections to the market and we ended up wandering down a long hallway filled with meat vendors and their products. However, there is more than beef and lamb for sale at the market. There are also sections where you can buy fruit, vegetables, spices, seafood, and more. Located in Syntagma Square near the Hellenic Parliament Building, this is a war memorial that is dedicated to the Greek soldiers who died in war.
The tomb is guarded by an Evzone soldier dressed in traditional uniform. Every hour there is a changing of the guard. However, the most elaborate display takes place at 11 am on Sunday when a group of soldiers march to the tomb. This is a historic stadium and a lot of big events have occurred here. First of all, it dates back to BC. In AD, it was reconstructed in marble by Herodes Atticus.
In , it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics. Then, in , it was used as an Olympic venue. It is the site of the finish line for the Athens Classic Marathon. How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers points of interest and the walking route. You can click the check marks to hide or show layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest.
If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To get between Athens and the airport, you can take a bus, the metro, or a taxi.
You can also book a private transfer in advance. Almost everything on this list is within walking distance of the Acropolis. If you want to limit your walking, you can use the fast, easy to use metro to hop around Athens. Before our trip to Athens, I installed the Athens Sbwy app onto my phone. This is a free but very basic map of the metro system in Athens. It comes in handy if you plan to use the metro a lot, especially if you also plan to take the metro to the airport or Piraeus port.
You can purchase individual metro tickets for each journey a good idea if you only plan to use the metro once or twice. You can also purchase a paper ticket that is good for five journeys on the metro.
If you plan to stay 3 days or longer in Athens, consider purchasing the 3-day tourist ticket. Click here for an article that explains all of your options. We spent two full days in Athens and it was the perfect amount of time for us. It was a very busy two days but we visited everything in this article with the exception of the Benaki Museum.
One full day gives you enough time to visit the Acropolis and several more places. If you only have one day, I also recommend visiting the Acropolis Museum, several of the sites on the combination ticket the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora, etc , explore Plaka, and have dinner or a drink at a rooftop restaurant. With two days you have enough time to visit everything on this list.
Three days lets you visit Athens at a more leisurely pace, visit more museums, take a day trip, and go shopping. This was our favorite restaurant in Athens. The food is fresh, delicious, and cheap. This is another great, cheap eat in Athens. A for Athens. Not only is the view over Athens incredible, but the food is great and so are the drinks.
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