Today was a warm and sunny day and I had booked a guided tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon, which I was really excited about. I did have some time to kill before the trip, so, after breakfast, I headed back out to the Parliament Building to see if I could manage to catch the changing of the guards that I had missed out on the previous day. I was in luck and was presented with a long and characteristic presentation of the changing of the guards, and I managed to get some photos and a couple of videos. I then wandered back through the lovely gardens and stopped for a quick coffee before going up the Acropolis.
My tour of the Acropolis included all entrance fees but didn’t include the museum option because I thought it may be too much and make the tour too long. My tour guide, Evie, was excellent. She was informative and had a great knowledge of ancient history. There was a nice small group of us: 6 in total - the other people in the group were from Belgium. Evie told us all about many of the common words and phrases we frequently used that had Greek origins, and a lot of information about the Greek gods.
The walk to the top wasn’t too steep and didn’t take too long, but we did stop quite a few times to admire the views, take photos, and look at the many different areas of Greek ruins on route. There is so much more to the Acropolis area than you would imagine, so, it is recommended to take a trip up to the Acropolis if you visit Athens and see all these great marvels of Greek history for yourself.
One of the places we stopped to admire on the way up was the ‘Odeon of Herodes Atticus’ which is a curved open-air structure/amphitheatre which is the premier venue for the Athens festival. It is built on the south slope of the Acropolis Hill and was originally part of the Sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus. Many plays and musical concerts are performed here today and, although they get booked up quickly, are not as expensive as you would imagine.
Once at the top of the Acropolis, the iconic Parthenon looms up before you in all its glory. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Athena and is built of marble. There is a lot of ongoing restoration now, but it will be even more amazing when it is fully restored to its former glory.
At the top of the Acropolis, you will also get to see ‘Propylaea’. When you arrive you will pass through this monumental gateway that served as the entrance to the sacred area. Then there is ‘Erechtheion’ which is a temple renowned for caryatids which are maiden statues and form the ‘Porch of the Maidens’. This area also houses a single, but beautiful olive tree that almost looks out of place. The ‘Temple of Athena Nike’ is a small, elegant temple up here that is dedicated to the goddess of victory. You can also view the ancient foundation walls that are remnants of early fortifications and temples. There is a pathway, too, that circles the hill called ‘Peripatos’ and goes by some sacred caves. And, apart from all these amazing sites, there are the great panoramic views from the top that look out across the city of Athens.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip up to the Acropolis, and the weather was warm and sunny without being too hot. If you do fancy doing the museum of the Acropolis, too, which first opened in 2009, it does have a big collection of the findings of the Acropolis over three floors and does sound really interesting – perhaps I should have visited it? If anyone goes, please let me know your thoughts.
I finished my day off nicely with another good meal which, this time, consisted of some Greek kebabs and, of course, my favourite Greek salad!
