Location

Ancient Athens’s largest building, the Panathenaic Stadium, has a capacity for 60,000 spectators. Constructed around 335 BC during the era of Herodes Atticus, the venue hosted the Panathenaic Games where runners competed in races around the track. The 204-meter-long track was designed with four double herms, where runners would turn in the races. Around AD 140, the stadium was updated with new marble seating by Herodes Atticus. The structure that tourists see today is a replica of the original stadium, which was rebuilt for the Olympic Games of 1896. This modern-era Olympic Stadium was created in the identical fashion as the Panathenaic Stadium, with 47 tiers of seating and a rounded southeast end.

Location: Ardettos Hill, Athens

Few sights in the world compare to Athen’s Acropolis, with its Parthenon temple perched high on a rocky crag keeping watch over centuries of civilization. A reminder of the glory of ancient Athens, the Acropolis was the center of the ancient city and functioned as a citadel in its protected hilltop location. The most emblematic building is the Parthenon, the largest temple of the classical antiquity period dating from 447 BC to 338 BC. With its monumental rows of Doric columns and stunning sculptural details, the temple is an awe-inspiring sight. In the frieze on the eastern side, reliefs depict the birth of the goddess Athena. Other ruins of the Acropolis include the Erechtheion, a complex of ancient sanctuaries built between 421 BC and 395 BC. The most famous feature of the Erechtheion complex is the Porch of the Caryatids, with six statues of maidens in place of Doric columns.

Be sure to also visit the Acropolis Museum at 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, below the Acropolis hilltop. This museum contains one of the most valuable collections of ancient Greek art in the world. Also nearby are two interesting neighborhoods, Plaka and Anafiotika, charming areas to stop for a meal and stroll around the picturesque pedestrian streets.

Between the northern slopes of the Acropolis and Ermoú Street, the picturesque Pláka neighborhood boasts two important archaeological sites on Pepopida Street: the first-century BC Roman Agora and the second-century Library of Hadrian. However, the main attraction of this historic area is its charming village ambience. Narrow pedestrian streets and the cheerful little squares of the Pláka quarter are lined with lovely bougainvillea-trimmed pastel-painted houses. Tucked away in peaceful corners of the neighborhood are historic churches, such as the Metamórfosis Church in the southwest and the Church of Kapnikaréa in the north. The picturesque setting invites leisurely strolls.

The Plaka quarter has an abundance of authentic Greek restaurants with inviting terrace seating. The area is famous for its Restaurant Staircase on Mnisikleous Street. Many of the restaurants look enticing but most are tourist traps (with aggressive hosts baiting passersby to enter) and should be avoided. Consult a guidebook or ask a local for recommendations before choosing a restaurant in this area, or instead try the quieter streets hidden away on the hillside, which conceal cute little cafés and tavernas. Also nestled into the slopes north of the Acropolis is Anafiotika, another atmospheric village-like neighborhood where tourists can enjoy a traditional Greek meal. The winding medieval streets of this Anafiotika are also a delight to explore.