Exploring the Acropolis and Athens
Greece has been on my travel list for a long time, so I was excited to visit with a group in June. We flew into Athens and spent two nights there at the Athens Key Hotel.
Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities and has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years. There is history everywhere you look, but the one can’t miss attraction is the Acropolis.
The buildings whose remains are on the Acropolis were built in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena, is the most famous and recognizable. It is a symbol of democracy, Ancient Greece and Western civilization.
The Temple of Athena Nike is dedicated to both Athena and Nike and was completed around 420 BC.
The Erechtheum is also dedicated to Athena and features the Porch of the Maidens. It is amazing to see all of these temples in person that have been standing for so many years.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theater on the southwest slope of the Acropolis. It was completed in AD 161 and later renovated in 1950. You can still see shows there today.
It can get very hot on the Acropolis, so make sure to wear comfortable clothes and take water with you. Also wear good walking shoes because the surfaces are uneven and some of the stones can be slippery.
Take a short walk to the New Acropolis Museum to see artifacts and statues from the Acropolis.
No trip to Athens would be complete without a stop at Panathenaic Stadium, the first modern Olympic Stadium in the world and host of the 1896 Summer Games.
End your day with a walk around Athens to see the ancient ruins at night. Our hotel rooftop bar had a beautiful view of the Acropolis at night as do many bars and restaurants around the city.
