When thinking of Athens, the capital city of Greece, most people immediately think of the historic acropolis in the middle of the city. On the Acropolis of Athens, there are several ancient temples and other ruins including the iconic Parthenon. Since most people already consider the Acropolis of Athens to be the quintessential sight to see, I’m going to show you my top 11 spots to visit in Athens besides the acropolis.
11. Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square is the central square in Athens housing the Greek Parliament. Syntagma Square is full of shops and the beautiful Old Royal Palace shown above, but the real attraction is the ceremonial changing of the guards. Every hour on the hour, the ceremonial guards (called Evzones) perform a march to take turns guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
10. National Gardens
Directly behind The Old Royal Palace sits a 38 acre (~16 hectare) public park known as the National Gardens. There are beautiful trellises, fruit trees, monuments, bridges, and more. My favorite part of the National Gardens, however, was Zappeio Hall, shown above. Zappeio Hall is a gorgeous Neoclassical conference center that you may enter to view.
9. The Academy of Athens
The Academy of Athens is the national research academy of Greece. What makes this building so special (to tourists at least) isn’t what goes on inside, but the breathtaking architecture seen above. Built in the 1800’s, this magnificent building gives an idea of how ornate and detailed Athens’ ancient ruins may have once been. The sheer scale and beauty of this building is one you wouldn’t want to miss.
8. Hadrian’s Arch
Hadrian’s Arch is a Roman gateway that was built in 131 AD to celebrate the Roman emperor Hadrian. This marble arch once framed a major road that led to the center of Athens. The Acropolis can be spotted on the other side. This Roman archway is a great quick stop, located near many other sights on this list.
7. The Benaki Museum
The Benaki Museum, also known as the Museum of Greek Culture, houses unique Greek artifacts from Ancient Greece up into the 20th century. The most notable items in the Benaki Museum that you won’t find elsewhere are the large collection of Byzantine art, textiles, and clothing. I found that the clothing collections really made it easier to visualize how people lived in premodern Greece.
Note: The Benaki Museum currently has a free virtual 360° tour!
6. The Panathenaic Stadium
This ancient marble stadium was excavated and reconstructed for the first modern Olympics in the late 1800’s. For a small fee, you may walk around the stadium and walk through a tunnel to get to a small museum about the history of the Olympics. The view of the Acropolis from the stadium was amazing and the stadium itself was larger than I could have fathomed.
Read more about the Panathenaic Stadium here!
5. The Stoa of Attalos
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The Stoa of Attalos is both an architectural marvel and a museum that shows the fine details of Greece’s ancient democracy. Built in the 2nd century BC and restored in the mid 1900’s, this stoa houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora. While artifacts of all kinds are on display here, the most notable are those that show the intricacies of Ancient Greek society. For example, my favorite display was that of a lottery machine that selected individuals for jury duty.
4. The Ancient Agora
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Located directly below the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora was a central gathering place for people in Ancient Greece. Ancient Greeks and Romans primarily used the agora as a commercial and residential area. Ruins of many market stalls and homes remain. In the agora, there is also the Stoa of Attalos (#5 above) and the Temple of Hephaestus, which was built in the 5th century BC.
3. The Temple of Olympian Zeus
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Only part of this colossal temple still stands, but its ancient ruins give a taste of what was once there. Though only 16 columns remain, the Temple of Olympian Zeus once had 104 and was the largest temple in Greece. It also housed the largest religious statue in the ancient world. The Romans admired the temple so much they built baths right next to it, the tiles of which are still largely intact.
2. The National Archeological Museum
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The National Archeological Museum is the largest archeological museum in all of Greece. It houses artifacts and art from every period of Greek history and from all over Greece. One of the most notable objects on display is the Artemision Bronze, one of few remaining ancient bronze statues. Amazingly, the statue was excavated from a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean.
1. Filopappou Hill
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Filopappou Hill, also known as the Hill of the Muses, gives amazing 360° views of Athens. On this hill is the Prison of Socrates, where the Greek philosopher was (supposedly) imprisoned and executed. This prison also sheltered important Greek artifacts (including the Artemision Bronze!) during World War II. The top of Filopappou Hill is the perfect place to view the entire Acropolis and watch the sun set. It was one of my absolute favorite places in all of Athens.
Which of these sights would you be most excited to see? Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!
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2 Comments
Mahala Voydatch · September 29, 2020 at 9:05 pm
I would love to see the sun set from the Filoppapou hill.
Bry · October 8, 2020 at 12:12 am
It was very beautiful, I hope you can someday!