The Acropolis - The home of modern democracy - Athens - TravBuddy

THE ACROPOLIS

In my opinion, the Acropolis is one of our planet’s most fascinating places. This 150 meter high limestone plateau was the original Athens. When the city’s population grew to about 250,000, people started moving down to the surrounding areas. The Acropolis was one of 20 finalists under consideration for the recently named New Seven Wonders of the World.

The Acropolis contains:
• The Parthenon, an all-marble temple dedicated to the goddess Athena
• The Erechtheion, a tomb built to honor Erechtheus, a legendary king of Athens that features Caryatids supporting its porch
• Museum of the Acropolis

It also immediately overlooks:
• Odeum of Herodes Atticus (southeast)
• Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus (south)
• Mars Hill (northwest)

Sights that can be seen in the distance from the Belvedere on the east end:
• Mt. Likavitos
• Panathenian Olympic Stadium
• Olympieion (Zeus Temple)

The Acropolis is in the midst of many extensive repair projects and renovations. Keep an eye on the city on a hill as Athens restores the area, synonymous with modern democracy, to its former glory.

We climbed the Acropolis our first day there. It felt great to be a part of ancient history. We also looked inside the Acropolis museum, which is behind the Parthenon at a slight slope.

When in Athens, a climb up to the Acropolis is a must. A few tips:

1. Bring a guide book: When you buy your ticket, it is good for several locations but without a guidebook, it is tricky to find the other locations. We borrowed a Michelin Guide from the library and were glad we did. We also had the luck of being there during strikes of the park employees, which hopefully was making them less helpful than usual, but it is possible that they are not helpful people and/or there really are no maps available all the time, so a little research before you leave can prove to be very helpful.

2. Bring bottled water: No water is sold at the top and it is a hot walk (especially in the middle of the day).

3. Protect yourself from the sun: Wear a hat, long sleeves, use the sunscreen liberally...there is not much shade around.

4. Hold on to your hat!: It is really windy at the top - make sure everything is secured before walking through the pillars.

5. Have fun!