As one of the oldest cities in the world (over 3,400 years old), Athens is regarded as the birthplace of classical Greece and Western civilisation, and unsurprisingly it has a lot to offer visitors. With remnants of the ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilisations, as well as serving as the capital of modern Greece, there is far more to Athens than the Acropolis. It is a city of contrasts, with the ancient world set in the heart of a modern city with some 3 million inhabitants that serves as a hub for travel to Greece’s enchanted islands, with Athens often being the first port of call for tourists before hopping on a boat. So what should you do when in Athens?
Historical Landmarks
Of course, one of Athens’ biggest attractions is the Acropolis (meaning the highest point of the city), the ancient citadel overlooking the rest of Athens from a rocky outcrop home to some of the most impressive ancient buildings in the world. Most famous here is the Parthenon, which looms over the city’s skyline. Completed in 432 BC, this is a temple dedicated to Athena and the victory over the Persians, considered one of the best examples of classical Greek architecture before later serving as a church and then a mosque.
However, there’s much more to see in the Acropolis than the Parthenon. Walk through the Propylaea, the ancient Greek gateway into the citadel and admire the nearby Temple of Athena Nike, built in around 420 BC in the hope of victory against the Spartans. The Erechtheion with its incredible six columns in the shape of female figures is also in this area, which is well worth exploring while taking in the incredible views over the city.
The Erechtheion
On your ascent up to the Acropolis, keep an eye out for the ancient Theatre of Dionysus, the Stoa of Eumenes and the absolutely magnificent Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman theatre with stunning views over Athens built in 161 AD and renovated in 1950. The Areopagus is also nearby, which is a large rock that prior to the 5th century BC served as a council similar to the Roman senate. Just before you reach the summit of the Acropolis, you’ll find the Tower of Agrippa.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Outside of the Acropolis, there are many more ancient landmarks to visit. One great site to visit is the Ancient Agora, the ancient marketplace and now also a cat sanctuary. Here you’ll find the Temple of Hephaestus, which is a remarkably well-preserved Greek temple built in 415 BC that once also served as a church. There are many statues and other ruins in this beautiful area, along with the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos (originally built in 138 BC but rebuilt in 1956), giving you an idea of what the area would have once looked like.
Other Greek monuments worth visiting include the Monument of Philopappos (an ancient mausoleum), the nearby Prison of Socrates, the Choragic monument and Aristotle’s Lyceum (where the famous philosopher once taught). Lastly, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is an essential, planned to be the greatest temple of the ancient world with construction taking over 600 years, from 561 BC to 131 AD. Although only 16 of the original columns remain, you can still get a very good idea of its once enormous scale.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus
It wasn’t just the ancient Greeks who had an impressive impact on Athens, the Romans did too, with it being seen as a city of great cultural importance for the Romans. The Roman Agora, close to the Acropolis, is an impressive site with several Roman ruins, notably the Gate of Athena Archegetis and the Tower of the Winds. The Tower of the Winds is particularly impressive and is considered the world’s first clocktower and meteorological station. Built in 50 BC, it houses a series of sundials, a water clock and a wind vane to monitor the passing of time and the elements. The ruins of Hadrian’s Library (built 132 AD) are nearby, while Hadrian’s Arch is also in the city, close to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The Panathenaic Stadium is another Roman marvel, built in 144 AD. It is the only stadium in the world to be entirely made of marble, built on the site used for hundreds of years for the Panathenaic Games (the precursor to the Olympics). It has since been used several times for the modern Olympic Games.
Former mosque
There are also many Byzantine buildings in the city, which are covered later in this article as they are mostly still in use as churches. There are also Ottoman buildings that once served as holy buildings but are now not used, such as the 17th century Fethiye Mosque and the Old Madrassa of Athens.
Interesting Places and Museums
Athens has a lot more to show than its ancient history, with there being a wide range of interesting landmarks around the city. A must-visit is Mount Lycabettus, which is the highest point in Athens with fantastic views over the city. There’s a funicular up to the top, although you can walk it if you like (it’s a pretty difficult climb), and you’ll find restaurants and bars on its summit, as well as a picturesque church, to take in the view. The impressive Gennadios Library is nearby, one of the most important libraries in Greece with a colossal collection on Greek history.
Sunset over Athens from Mt Lycabettus
The Anafiotika area, a short walk from the Acropolis, is also highly recommended. With buildings and houses with Cycladic architecture (think the architecture normally found in islands like Santorini and Mykanos), this is a hidden gem in Athens with fascinating street art nearby. Head into the heart of Athens by Syntagma Square and you’ll find the Hellenic Parliament, where the Greek Parliament meets. This is also the old royal palace of modern Greece, built in 1843. Here you can watch the changing of the guard but be careful of the occasional protest, we advise steering clear of any that you may see.
For a complete change of scenery and an oasis of calm in the hectic city centre, head for the National Gardens, which features a zoo, botanical gardens, ruins (of course) and many places to unwind. The fantastic Zappeion building is also nearby, erected as a symbol of the revival of the Olympic Games. The university buildings and the Athens Polytechnic Monument (a reminder of Greece’s struggle for freedom against its military junta) are also in the centre.
The Zappeion
As the Greek capital and the heart of modern Greek culture, Athens has no shortage of interesting museums to provide insight into its fascinating past. The National Archaeology Museum is a must-visit when in Athens, home to a dazzling display of ancient Roman and Greek artefacts, including the Antikythera mechanism – an ancient computer used to map and predict the movements of stars. Another must visit museum is the Acropolis Museum, a short walk from the Acropolis with a large number of impressive displays from ancient Greece. This was built to house the Elgin Marbles, which Elgin stole from Greece, as the British Museum said they could not return them as there would be nowhere to house them in Greece. Despite having built this museum, the Elgin Marbles are still in London.
The Antikythera mechanism
Many visitors to Athens would assume that its main highlights are from classical Greece, but to get a better understanding of Greece, it’s essential to understand the Byzantine Empire (the Eastern Roman Empire, which lasted until the 15th century). The Byzantine and Christian Museum is therefore a good choice to understand the development of art and Christianity in Greece. As Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, so did Athens, meaning that the Ottoman Empire and Islam went on to have an impact on the development of the city until Greek independence in the middle of the 19th century. This is apparent in places like Fethiye Mosque and the Museum of Islamic Art provides a good overview of this period, as well as masterpieces of Islamic art. For a general good overview of Greek history and culture, the Benaki Museum close to the National Gardens is a must visit, although it is a little pricier than the other museums, a sort of covers all bases museum.
Religious Buildings
As an important centre of Greek culture and therefore religion, Athens has an enormous number of impressive religious buildings that are worth visiting. With the schism between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, followed by the fall of Constantinople, Athens became one of the most important cities in the world of Orthodoxy, with no shortage of beautiful buildings, perhaps even being the Rome of the modern Orthodox world.
Petraki Monastery
We particularly recommend Petraki Monastery (dates back to the 10th century), the 19th century Agios Konstantinos church, the 16th century wooden Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, the enormous Metropolitan Cathedral (the national cathedral of Greece, one of our favourites) and the older (9th century) Little Metropolis Church next door.
Agia Dynami
Also worth visiting are Kapnikarea (one of the oldest churches in Athens, right in the city centre), the Monastiraki church and the bizarre Agia Dynami (a 16th century church with a hotel basically built right on top of it). The Church of the Metamorphosis, the Church of the Holy Apostles and St John around the column (built around an ancient Greek column) are also worth visiting. The Holy Trinity Church in Kerameikos is well worth the detour and probably our favourite church in Athens.
The Holy Trinity Church in Kerameikos
Tips and Going Further Afield
All in all, Athens is a fantastic city with a lot to offer visitors. From ancient ruins to beautiful churches and expressions of modern Greece, not to mention its huge passenger port, Athens will continue to be one of the most unforgettable cities in the world. It is easy to get around with readily available taxis, as well as an efficient subway system. We do advise caution on the subways as they can get busy at times and some lines are notorious for pickpockets (we never had any problems), but locals will tell you to keep an eye on your belongings. We did however have locals give us their tickets on our first day in the city, and some stations even have ancient Greek and Roman ruins visible in them.
Santorini
Athens is a good base for exploring the rest of Greece or to go island hopping, whether you want to explore the beauty of Santorini or the historically fascinating Crete. Day and weekend trips are also possible to Delphi and Meteora (although these are pricy). We also recommend visiting Athens in winter as pretty much everything is half price.
Comments