The Acropolis in Athens Greece features three temples each depicting a different aspect of the Goddess Athena, two Amphitheatres and the Acropolis Museum
Getting There
As you wander up the hillside from the Monasteraki Metro station, the Acopolis looms above. On one side of the street, a fence encircles the Ancient Agora or marketplace. On the other side, you pass cobbled side streets that give you a glimpse of houses, shops and Cafeneons with their brightly clothed tables.
Check your bags at the kiosk to the right as soon as you arrive at the top. Be sure to keep out your camera, your wallet and a bottle of water. Athens at any time of year can be hot, hot, hot.
Although the Acropolis is open year round, Sundays are a favorite time for Greeks to visit - there is free entry for the day. If you're interested in the historical details of the site, hire a guide. Otherwise, wander on your own, using your imagination and deductive powers to interpret the ruins.
Tour the Amphitheatres
Before you get to the stairs leading onto the site, stay to the right. Walk past the Shrine of Aegeus and peer down on the first Amphitheatre - the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Althought it was originally built in 161 BC, it was fully restored in the 1950's Today, it is used for a variety of entertainment, including plays, concerts and festival events. If you continue along beneath the south wall, you'll discover an even older Amphitheatre - the Theatre of Dionysus with its seats mouldering into the hillside.
Visit the Temples
Return to the entrance of the Acopolis and make your way up the stairs, through the Propylaea entrance, past the small temple of Athena Nike and onto the site proper. The Parthanon dominates the top of the hill. Although it is now closed to visitors, you can still get a 360 degree view of the outside of this massive temple. In 438 BC, the Parthanon was dedicated to the Goddess Athena Parthenos (Maiden) to express the glory of ancient Athens.
On the North side of the site is a smaller buiding, the Erechtheion. Named after a mythical king, this temple is dedicated to both Athena Polias and Erechtheus-Poseidon. When the two battled for dominance of the city, Poseidon left his trident marks on the rocks and Athena's olive tree sprang to life. Caryatids or columns shaped like women hold up the south porch roof.
The Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum houses many of the original treasures discovered on the site and is well worth a look. Alhough some things, like the Roman copy of the original Statue of Athena from the Parthenon have been moved to the National Archaeological Museum, four of the original Caryatids are housed onsite.
Before You Leave
Before you leave the Acropolis, be sure to spend some time looking over Athens from the viewpoint in the North East corner of the site. From there, you can easily spot Hadrians Arch, located in the National Gardens. In another direction, you can peer down on the ancient Agora.
Take one last look around the site. For now, it's time to wander back down the hill and rejoin the modern world.
