Athens was a stop on our Eastern Mediterranean Cruise and what an amazing day we had there. Normally on a one-day cruise stop it is difficult to see everything a city has to offer. I am usually pretty happy to see one or two important things on my list. But OMG in this one day we saw so much – thanks to our amazing private car tour guide Vasilis Vlahos for making our day so special!
And with his guidance we learned a ton about this wonderful city! Vasilis was pretty incredible :: his personal goal (besides showing us the best sites of the city) was to stay ahead of all the tour buses (OMG there were so many!) so that we could get in and out of every stop quickly and BOY was he successful! We could definitely not have seen as much as we did if we’d opted to take a bus tour… whew!
… and to top it all off, Visilis brought us to a traditional Greek restaurant for a traditional Greek lunch and ended the day relaxing with him with drinks overlooking the harbor. It was a seriously hot day but compared to every incredible thing we did it was hardly noticeable.
Athens is a city that has so much history and because of the many places we visited here I will be giving you a lot of information. I’ll try to include links for you and even teach you a few Greek words.
TIP :: Please be sure to contact Olive Sea Travel on Facebook or Instagram and ask for Vasilis who manages the company. He is the best of the BEST!
It’s unbelievable to think that we covered all of this in One. Day. Here is a map of only SOME of the things we saw in our one-day excursion to Athens ::
The Acropolis
Many people think that the Acropolis is a structure but no, it is an area. The Acropolis means “top of the city” and is actually a rocky hill in the centre of Athens. On its flat top there are three temples: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike with the Porch of Maidens among other ruins. But first there is the Propylaea.
The Propylaea
The building of Propylaea which in Greek means “that which is before the gates” started in the year 437 and served as the entrance to Acropolis. It is made of white and grey marble and is where the treasury was kept. No one unclean was allowed to enter the Acropolis in those days. It stood then as it still does today.
The Parthenon
The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and Western civilization. It is one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments. And although the Parthenon is architecturally a temple it is not really one in the conventional sense but is regarded as the finest example of Greek architecture, by some being the most perfect Doric temple ever built.
It was dedicated to the patron saint Athena for one thousand years after which it changed hands between the Turks and Venetians due to wars, converted to a Christian church and then a mosque. Finally the government took it over and began a restoration project.
The Erechtheion
The Erechtheion is yet another ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. Its name is derived from a shrine dedicated to the Greek hero King Erichthonius, a legendary early ruler of ancient Athens.
On the south side of Erechtheion you will find the famous ::
Temple of Athena Nike
Dedicated to the goddess Athena Nike which in Greek means “victory.” The citizens worshipped the goddess in hopes of a successful outcome in the long Peloponnesian War fought against the Spartans and their allies.
Built around 420 BC the temple is the earliest fully ionic temple on Acropolis. It is a tetrastyle which means “four column” structure with a colonnaded portico at both front and rear facades in amphiprostyle designed by the architect Kallikrates. You didn’t realize you would get a lesson in architecture, did you? Surprise, surprise!
Architects excavated the temple in the 1830s and it was re-erected from remaining parts in 1836. A third reconstruction was done very recently in 2010. The main structure and columns are largely intact, minus the roof. Fragments of the sculpted frieze are exhibited in the Acropolis Museum ::
Porch of the Maidens
The famous Porch of Maidens at the Temple of Athena Nike consists of six sculpted draped female figures called “caryatids” used as supporting columns. The word comes from the Spartan city of Caryae where young women did a ring dance around an open-air statue of the goddess Artemis. Antiquity’s most famous caryatids are these six in Acropolis.
The Ancient Agora
The Ancient Agora was originally used as a commercial, assembly or residential gathering place. The most famous structures in the Ancient Agora is the Temple of Hephaestus, the Stoa of Attalos which houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora, the Library of Pantainos and the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles ::
Temple of Hephaestus
Hephaestus was the patron god of metal working, craftsmanship and fire. There were numerous potters’ workshops and metal-working shops in the vicinity of the temple and that’s how it got its name. Built mostly of marble the temple housed the bronze statues of Athena and Hephaestus.
From the 7th century until 1834 the Temple of Hephaestus served as the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George Akamates. According to Wikipedia “the last Divine Liturgy in the temple took place on February 21, 1833, during the celebrations for the arrival of Otto in Greece. In the presence of the Athenians and of many others the bishop Talantiu Neofitos gave a speech.”
It is amazing to me how well this structure has held up over the years!
Stoa of Attalos
Stoa (“covered walkway or portico”) Attalos was built by and named after King Attalos II of Pergamon, identified as a gift to the city of Athens for the education that he received there. The ceremony of the signing of the 2003 Treaty of Accession of 10 countries (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia,and Slovenia ) to the European Union was conducted in the Stoa of Attalos on April 16, 2003.
The Stoa of Attalos houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora whose exhibits are mostly connected with the Athenian democracy.
Library of Pantainos
Built around the same time as the Library of Celsus (135 CE) in Ephesus and the Library of Hadrian (132 CE), the design of the Library of Pantainos was different in that it is said to have been built from a converted house. It was also more than just a library :: the west and north wings were a series of rooms that were used for other purposes other than storing books, stoas the revenue of which it is said may have contributed to the maintenance of the library itself.
Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles
Dated back to the 10th century the Church of the Holy Apostles is located next to the Stoa of Attalos. It is significant in that it is the only monument in the Agora besides the Temple of Hephaestus that survived wholly intact since its foundation.
The Ancient Agora is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus.
Areopagus
Before the 5th century BC), the Areopagus which means “rock” was the council of elders of the city. It was from this location that the Apostle Paul is said to have delivered the famous speech, “Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” (Areopagus sermon, Acts 17:24)
It was pretty surreal for us to be standing in this place. If you look closely you will see Roydio standing on the top of the Areopagus where the Apostle Paul once stood. Gave me goosebumps.
As we walked through the Ancient Agora there were many ruins that were uncovered and not yet reconstructed. How fun would it be to put the puzzle pieces together? Well, fun for me at least. I think I must have missed my calling in life…
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum is focused on the archaeological findings of the Acropolis. It exhibits nearly 4,000 objects in over 14,000 square meters of floor space.
Ruins below the Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. According to Wikipedia, “Excavation has revealed two layers of modest, private roadside houses and workshops, one from the early Byzantine era and another from the classical era.”
The Parthenon Gallery
On display on the 3rd floor of the Acropolis Museum you will find the Parthenon Gallery where the story of the Panathenaic Procession is on display in direct correlation of where they would have fit together using original blocks of the frieze and cast copies of the pieces that are currently in the British Museum and the Louvre.
It is a pretty impressive display. As you walk through the gallery it’s as if you are actually walking inside the Parthenon itself.
National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide.
Location :: It is situated in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street.
Temple of Olympian Zeus – Archaeological Site of Olympieion
Foundations of the Temple of Olympian Zeus were laid on the site of an ancient outdoor sanctuary dedicated to Zeus upon which an earlier temple had previously stood. After destruction 15 columns remain standing today and a 16th column lies on the ground where it fell during a storm in 1852.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure built in 161 AD by an Athenian magnate of the same name in dedication to his wife and reconstructed in 1950.
The Odeon has been the venue for many important performances over the years. In 1957 Maria Callas performed at the Odeon as part of the Athens Festival. In May 1962 Frank Sinatra gave two Benefit concerts for the city of Athens. It was the venue for the Miss Universe 1973 pageant. Luciano Pavarotti performed at the Odeon twice, in 1991 and in 2004. The venue hosted Yanni‘s Live at the Acropolis performance in September 1993. Sting performed at the venue during his Mercury Falling Tour on May 17, 1996. Elton John performed two concerts at the venue during his Medusa Tour in 2000. In September 2010, tenor Andrea Bocelli held a concert at the Odeon to raise funds for cancer research. Other important artists who performed at the Odeon include :: Bolshoi Ballets, Diana Ross, Liza Minelli, Jethro Tull and the Foo Fighters.
Panathenaic Stadum
One of the main historic attractions of Athens the Panathenaic Stadium is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. Originally built in a natural ravine between the two hills of Agra and Ardettoson and the site of a racecourse, it was used primarily for the Panathenaic Games with a capacity of 50,000 seats.
After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and then again in 2004.
Arch of Hadrian
More commonly known as Hadrian’s Gate it is made of Pentelic marble, from Mt. Pentelikon and it is said that the arch was built to celebrate the arrival of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many contributions to Athens.
Constitution “Syntagma” Square
Syntagma Square is the central square in Athens and the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the heart of commercial activity and Greek politics.
National Library
The National Library has 4,500 Greek manuscripts including many decrees issued by Byzantine Emporers and archives of the Greek Revolution as well as a Gospel Book attributed to the scribe Matthew and the first publication of Homer‘s epics and hymns.
Academy of Athens
The Academy of Athens’ main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens and the highest research establishment in the country. It has operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education since 1926.
University of Athens
The University of Athens is the oldest higher education institution of the modern Greek state and the first contemporary university in the Eastern Mediterranean. Today it is one of the largest universities by enrollment in Europe with over 100,000 registered students.
Hellenic Parliament
The Parliament is the supreme democratic institution that represents the citizens through an elected body of Members of Parliament (MPs) the 300 members of which are elected for a four-year term.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A war memorial in Constitution Square this monument was dedicated to Greek soldiers killed during war and guarded by the Presidential Guard of which the changing of the guards still occurs every week. The Grand Change takes place at 11 am on Sunday mornings and involves the whole Guard with its officers and a military band all marching from the Guard Barracks to the Tomb for the Change and back. The Grand Change is a popular Sunday morning spectacle for Athenians and tourists alike.
Sotira Lykodimou Russian Orthodox Church
Also called St. Nicodemos this church built in the 11th century and now the Russian Orthodox Cathedral is the only Byzantine church with an octagonal plan. It used to incorporate a monastery before it was abandoned after destruction in 1701. A bell tower was added in the nineteenth century.
Kolonaki
Kolonaki which means “little column” is a wealthy and upscale neighborhood in central Athens, one of the capital’s leading shopping areas. In Kolonaki you will find a number of high-end boutiques from casual fashion to prestigious haute couture from Greek and international designers. One of its main shopping streets, Voukourestiou Street, is now known for its jewelry.
Fagopotio
This quaint and unassuming Greek restaurant is where Vasilis brought us to enjoy some delicious traditional food. The food was truly delicious and I loved the ambiance and typical Greek decorations.
Mount Lycabettus
Mount Lycabettus is made of limestone and can be reached by the Lycabettus Funicular, a funicular railway which climbs the hill from Kolonaki but of course we got here with Vasilis.
And what a great view of Athens and the Acropolis. I can see why it is a popular tourist destination. Vasilis brought us here to have drinks and to just relax and enjoy the view. What an amazing way to end the day.
Location map ::
Dromeas
On our way back to the ship we saw this amazing glass sculpture called “The Runner.” It is made of thousands of individual pieces of sharp, jagged glass pieces stacked atop each other to take the blurred shape of a runner in motion. It was fun to see a modern sculpture in the midst of this city filled with ruins but I would be afraid to get near it. OUCH!
Location :: Pl. Megalis tou Genous Scholis, Athens
I guess I should include a picture of our amazing tour guide Vasilis Vlahos :: please be sure to contact him if you are planning a trip to Athens. You won’t regret it!
Read More ::
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Lisbon :: One of My Very Favorite Cities in Europe
Ruins, ruins everywhere and the archaeological finds in this amazing city are truly in abundance! If you’re a history buff this city will overwhelm you. I couldn’t wait to learn more about this fascinating city and when I had access to my computer I spent hours and hours reviewing all of the things I’d seen to learn more in-depth information about each and every single one. OMG it really was overwhelming.
BTW I have to mention that when we got home our tour guide Vasilis friended me on Facebook! I found out he ran in the Athens Marathon. The Authentic. the next year! Anyway, he checked out Every One of the pictures I posted of our trip to Athens (and there were a LOT) and was kind enough to tag those that I had forgotten the names of! Now, THAT is customer service! Make sure you look him up at Olive Sea Travel and book him if you go! You. Will. Not. Be. Disappointed!
Well, after the amazing time we had I just knew it would happen :: Athens, you Stole My Heart! And I look forward to the day that we meet again!
Oh, and you’re welcome for the history, archeology and language lessons! It was fun researching everything so that I could pass it on to you!
