Further exploring Athens

Today we further explored Athens, and the highlight of the day was getting to see the Acropolis and Parthenon in person!

Today was a heavy exploration day, and we started with an authentic Greek breakfast, with cappuccinos instead of Greek coffee.

Immediately following we walked to the cable car at the base of Mount Lycabettus. We rode to the top, where we were rewarded with panoramic views of all of Athens.

Following the mountain, we walked back through town, stopping first at the Panathenaic Stadium. This stadium is the largest built fully in marble, and it was quite the sight! Next we stopped at the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which is a temple that really only has massive pillars remaining. We opted not to pay to see it and just viewed it from afar, as it was covered in heavy scaffolding for restoration work. Right next to the temple was Hadrian’s Arch, which was an impressive arch with views of the Acropolis behind it.

We opted to keep walking following Hadrian’s Arch, and journeyed to Philopappos Hill where we hiked to the top for views of the city from a new direction.

We’d worked up quite an appetite from all the walking, so we headed next to a Greek restaurant back near Monastiraki Square. The spot ended up being a bit heavily touristed, but the food was great!

Finally, we ended our day with a thorough exploration of the Acropolis. We started at the base, and worked our way up the mountainside until we reached the Parthenon and other notable structures. We were wowed by the sheer scope of the buildings, and by how well they were still preserved. We loved the views from the Acropolis, and decided to watch sunset tomorrow from a nearby hill we saw people crowded on.

To end the night we explored one of the oldest neighborhoods in Athens, called Anafiotika. This neighborhood was filled with whitewashed buildings and very tight quarters. It was exciting to explore, and prepared us a bit for our upcoming trip to Santorini.En savoir plus