Athens Things to Do Tips by rcsparty

Having always wanted to see the Akropolis in person, I was not disappointed. It is absolutely breathtaking to think that this was built 2500 years ago. In addition to the beauty of the buildings on the Akropolis, an added bonus is the wonderful view of Athens from the plateau. The walk up the path was not very difficult and in December, we were not following a mob of tourists. I would recommend exploring on your own, as the tours go to slow for my tastes. Although make sure you have something that tells you what your looking at, as it will be much more enjoyable. Be aware that their is always a lot of construction going on as they are refurbishing different structures. As this is probably one of the main reasons your in Athens, it is worth your visit.

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Directions: City center

This structure was built in the mid-5th century BC and dedicated to Athena Pathenos, the partron goddess of Athens. It is probably the most recognizable structure in Athens, and imagining people constructing this 2500 years ago is amazing. You will probably end up with pictures of this structure from every conceivable angle.

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Directions: City center

Watching the sunset from Lykavittos Hill is one of the absolute must do's in Athens, especially if you are there with your significant other. We debated back and forth whether to take the time to get over to Lykavittos, and in the end decided to taxi to the furnicular and get there before the sunset. There is a restaurant at the top with outdoor seating, so you can kill time while enjoying a cold beer. While the temperatures definately dropped quickly as the sun was setting, the views of Athens were awesome. When the sun finally sets, the view of the Akropolis with red/blue sky in the background is breathtaking. Also, when we left the furnicular and walked down the stairs into the city, the area had quite a vibrant nightlife.

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Construction on the Temple of Zeus started in the 6th century BC. It was finally finished 700 years later by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 125AD. This is also an Athens must see. Of the original 104 columns that supported the temple, only 15 remain. However, those 15 make it easy to imagine how massive this temple was. Looking at the columns, you can almost imagine the huge gold/ivory statue of Zeus that was housed in the temple. It is impossible to really comprehend the size of the columns until you are standing next to them, so don't just observe from the fence.

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We were a little disappointed by the square, as most of the middle was blocked off. Granted, I'm sure they were getting prepared for the Christmas Market, so what did we expect visiting in early December. The square was still bustling with activity and it was nice to sit and enjoy a couple beers watching the traffic go by, while being amazed we didn't see a number of accidents. It was also a good point to catch the different trains and to start the walk to the Monastiraki area.

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The Plaka area was a great place to just wander around. It is like a separate village inside a chaotic city. I'm sure visiting in December helped decrease the number of people crowded in the area, but we found Plake to be filled with character....and a large number of dogs. Their were plenty of restaurants serving up local food and you could hear local music flowing out of a number of restaurants/pubs. As our hotel was in this area, we ended out night relaxing in Plaka both evenings in Athens. While it is a auto free zone, be careful of scooters zooming around.

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The theatre is located at the base of the Akropolis. It is the theatre that has not been rebuilt like its neighbor. It was built in the 6th century BC and is thought to be the oldest theatre in Europe. It held about 17000 people and once housed plays by the famous Greek playwrites, Sophocles and Euripides, as well as being the birthplace of the Greek tragedies.

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The theatre was built in 161 AD in memory of Herodes widow. It was built as an ampitheatre, with a 3 story stone front and a wood roof over the theatre. It was rebuilt in the 1950's and has since been used for summer concerts. It seats about 5000 people.

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We walked through the Agora coming down from the Akropolis, which was a very pleasant walk. The Agora was once the epicenter of Athenian activity, and as you walk around, you can hear the echos of Socrates talking to the masses. It also contains several Byzantine churches and the Temple of Hephistos. We did have a little trouble trying to find the exit from the Agora, so make sure you have a map.

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There are several Byzantine churches in the Agora, dating from the 12 century. These churches are worth a look, with some containing well preserved frescoes inside.

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