1-day Athens City Guide

12 Pages·2011·0.8 MB·English

1
day
1-day Athens
City Guide
A preplanned step-by-step time line
and city guide for Athens.
Follow it and get the best of the city.
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Overview of Day 1
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LEAVE HOTEL Tested and recommended hotels in Athens > t
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Take Red Metro Line to Akropoli station
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09:00-11:30 Acropolis UNESCO World Page 5 s

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Heritage Site
Take a walk to Agora - 15’ i
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11:45-13:05 Agora Heart of ancient Athens Page 6
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Lunch time
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Take a walk to Ermou Street d
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14:15-15:15 Ermou Street Best known shopping Page 6
street of Athens
Take a walk to Syntagma Square
15:15-15:45 Syntagma Square The heart of Athens Page 7
Take a walk to Parliament
15:45-15:55 Parliament Guards in skirtlike Page 7
garments
Take a walk to Kallimarmaro Stadium - 25’
16:20-16:40 Kallimarmaro Stadium Beautiful marble Page 8
stadium
Take a walk to New Acropolis Museum - 20’
17:00-18:30 New Acropolis Museum Beautifully presented Page 8
ancient artifacts
END OF DAY 1
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1 Overview of Day 1
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Attraction Details
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09:00-11:30 Acropolis (Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens 10558) y

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Opening hours: April 1 - Oct 31, daily: 8am - 8pm, Nov 1 - March 31, daily: 8:30am - 3pm, Public
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holidays: Closed • Admission: 12 €
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THINGS TO DO THERE e
Acropolis of Athens is the starting point of Start your tour at the ruins of the ancient n
antique Athens. It was polulated for the first theater of Dionysos at the lower level s

time around 3000 BC Walk towards Herodes Atticus Theater, the C
The word 'acropolis' means citadel or high venue of the Athens Festival
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city. The Athenian acropolis is located on a Walk to the upper level through the Beulé t
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flat-topped hill rising 150 m (490 ft) above Gate. Beyond lies the Propylaia the

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the city monumental 5th c. B.C. entranceway
Today the site is scattered with magneficient Walk around, admire the view, and soak up u
ancient Greek temples, squares, buildings the atmosphere i
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and theaters The highlight is the beautiful structure of the
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Highlights are the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Parthenon
Theater of Dionysos, and Areopagus Finish your tour at the Areopagus Rock
The temples of the Acropolis influenced where trials were held in classical times
Western architecture to the extent like
TIPS & INSIGHTS
nothing else and are considered to be
Save some money by buying a combined
among the most important monuments in the
ticket that gives access to Akropolis, Agora,
Western world
Roman Forum, Temple of Olympian Zeus
Parthenon is the most important monument
and Kerameikos
of the site. It is a colonnaded, all-marble
Wear comfy shoes
temple dedicated to Athens' patron, Athena
Be prepared for a crowd all year through
Parthenos (Athena, the Virgin). It was built in
the 5th c. BC MORE Info and Photos >
Theater of Dionysos is Athens' first theater
(built 6th c. BC) dedicated to the god of
pleasures, Dionysos. Ancient dramas were
performed here by Aristophanes, Sophocles
or Euripides
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11:45-13:05 Agora (Adrianou Street, Monastiraki )
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Opening hours: April 1 - Oct 31, daily: 8am - 8pm, Nov 1 - March 31, daily: 8:30am - 3pm,

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Public holidays: Closed • Admission: 4 €
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THINGS TO DO THERE
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The Agora was Athens' market place, the Walk around and explore the ancient sites,
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n heart of city, and the birth place of the statues, ruins
s world's first democracy The Temple of Hephaestus is an absolute
The marketplace was laid out in the 6th c. must-see
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BC. It served as the center for all civic Do not miss Stoa of Attalos, Odeon of
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t activities (politics, religion, philosophy, Agrippa, Altar of Zeus Agoraios
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commerce, arts and athletics) Relax on a bench in a shady spot under old

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here as Socrates, Aristotales, or St. Paul surroundings
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The Temple of Hephaistos (god of Enjoy the stunning view over the acropolis
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d technology, blacksmiths and craftsmen) is
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e the best preserved Greek Temple. It dates
Save some money by buying a combined
back to the 5th c. BC
ticket that gives access to Akropolis, Agora,
Stoa of Attalos is the reconstruction of its
Roman Forum, Temple of Olympian Zeus
2nd c. BC version. It houses a museum that
and Kerameikos
displays all the finds excavated at Agora
Stoa is a covered colonnaded walkway open MORE Info and Photos >
to public usage. Merchants sold their goods,
artists displayed their works, and religious
gatherings took place here
Other highlights are: ruins of Middle Stoa,
Agii Apostoli Solaki, Tholos (first Athenian
parliament), and Odeon of Agrippa (a large
concert hall)
14:15-15:15 Ermou Street (Ermou Street)
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Beyond the street are loads of
Ermou Street is a pedestrian shopping street used-furniture, antique and speciality shops
in Athens. It is one of the busiest streets in Sunday's Monastiraki flea market at the
the city lower end provides a truly unique experience
The street starts at Parliament and runs all THINGS TO DO THERE
the way into the acient Kerameikos district. Walk along the street and take in the
The area closer to Parliament is more atmosphere: the bustle and the stunning
upmarket while the lower (western) end is a architecture of the street's buildings
bit funkier Do some shopping
Designer boutiques and all the main chain
TIPS & INSIGHTS
department stores are present here
Greek shoemakers are a vital part of the MORE Info and Photos >
street. It is an excellent place to buy a pair of
stylish Greek leather shoes or the
emblematic Greek sandals
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Attraction Details 1
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15:15-15:45 Syntagma Square (Syntagma Square, Athens)
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Athens' main shopping street, Ermou Street,
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Syntagma Square is Athens' main square. It leads off from the square. Designer
lies in the historic center in front of boutiques and major department stores are t
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Parliament both present there
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The square is named after the Greek THINGS TO DO THERE n
Constitution (Syntagma). King Otto was This is a good place to stop for a rest or for s
forced to issue the document in 1843 after a coffee near the central fountain
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public demonstrations taking place at the
TIPS & INSIGHTS
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square t
If you use the subway system do not miss y
Highlights include the Tomb of the Unknown
the glass wall overlooking the archaeological
Soldier, top of the Ermou Street and the G
site
Syntagma subway station
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Syntagma subway station is both a transport MORE Info and Photos >
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hub and an archaelogical museum. Finds d
excavated while building the station are e
displayed as if in a museum
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a
monument to Greek soldiers died in battles.
Traditionally dressed soldiers guard the
memorial 24/7 and engage in ceremonial
exercises on the hour
15:45-15:55 Parliament (Amalias Avenue and Vas. Georgiou Street, Athens)
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THINGS TO DO THERE
The Hellenic Parliament is located at Have a look at the neo-classical palace
Syntagma Square in central Athens. It is the Do not miss the elaborate ceremonial of the
most notable landmark in the city center two guards
The building was built in 1842 as
TIPS & INSIGHTS
Bavarian-born King Otto's royal palace. Otto
You must make time on Sunday to see the
was Greece's first king after Greece won its
Ceremonial Parade of Changing of the
independence from 4-century Turkish rule
Guard
Otto hired architects from Munich to design
his palace. Hence the building's plain MORE Info and Photos >
neoclassical design
The palace gives home to the Hellenic
parliament since 1935. Greece has a
unicameral legislature of 300 members
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier fronts the
palace. Two soldiers guard the tomb in
traditional Greek outfit (foustanellas) and
perform ceremonial exercises on the hour
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16:20-16:40 Kallimarmaro Stadium (Vas. Konstantinou Street, Athens)
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Opening hours: March - Oct: 8am - 7pm, Nov - Feb: 8am - 5pm • Admission: 3 €

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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW After excavation the stadium was rebuilt for
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century BC to host the Panathenian games 2004 the Olympic Marathon Race finished
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n held every 4 year. Herodes Atticus rebuilt here
s the stadium in marble in AD 143-44 Today it is more commonly known as
The stadium's official name is Panathinaiko 'Kallimarmaro' (meaning beautiful marbel),
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or Panathenaic Stadium. It is the only major and serves as a venue for major events and
it stadium in the world built entirely of white concerts
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marble THINGS TO DO THERE

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the same as the Roman Colosseum admission fee) and tour the Stadium
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The building measured 1 stade (600 Greek
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d feet) in length; hence stems the word
e stadium MORE Info and Photos >
For a long time the building was neglected
and it deteriorated
17:00-18:30 New Acropolis Museum (15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens 11742)
Opening hours: Tue - Thurs, Sat, Sun: 8am - 8pm, Friday: 8am - 10pm, Monday: Closed,
Jan 1, March 25, Easter Sunday, May 1, Dec 25 and 26: Closed • Admission: 5 €
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THINGS TO DO THERE
The New Acropolis Museum houses all the Admire the impressive modern building from
sculptures and fragments from the Acropolis the outside
of Athens. Some 4000 works are on display Upon entering the museum do not miss the
The museum opened in 2009. The original occasionally transparent floor that provides a
Old Acropolis Musuem (1874) became too view of the archaeological excavation
small to house all the new artifacts Follow the well marked exhibition route. It
uncovered in successive excavations will take you all the way up to the third floor
The museum was built on an archeological and guide you back to the ground floor
site. The glass floor gives a view over the Watch the informative video in the third floor
ruins of Roman and early Byzantine Athens video area
Four of the original 6 Caryatids (female Enjoy the splendid view from the top floor
shaped columns) from the Erechthion (an !
ancient temple in the Acropolis) are
TIPS & INSIGHTS
displayed here
It is not allowed to take photos inside
Lord Elgin removed one of the Caryatids to
If you do not have the time for a full visit you
decorate his Scottish mansion. It was later
can get a free ticket that only gives access
sold to the British Museum. The other
to the second floor restaurant area. You can
Caryatids disappeared during Ottoman rule
enjoy the view of the Acropolis from the
Multiple unsuccessful requests were made
terrace of the restaurant
to reclaim the statue form the British
Museum. An area is reserved for the return MORE Info and Photos >
of the Elgin marbles
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See all fun activites in Athens. Click here >
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Photo credits
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A Cover photo #1: Photo by Alun Salt
t Cover photo #2: Photo by Alberto Perdomo
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Map
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Attraction details
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Acropolis: Photo by Titanas • Agora: Photo by PromptGuides.com • Ermou Street:
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Photo by flubberwinkle • Syntagma Square: Photo by namealus • Parliament:
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Photo by BrotherMagneto • Kallimarmaro Stadium: Photo by n.macca • New Acropolis
Museum: Photo by Visit Greece
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