Athens

The first stone of the Parthenon was laid in 447 BCE. You can stand next to it. That fact, available in many forms in many cities, hits differently in Athens because the Acropolis hill is right there in the middle of the city and the building on top of it was standing when Socrates was walking the streets below. Athens earns its historical weight in a way that most cities that claim ancient heritage do not.

The Acropolis

Go at 8am when it opens. By 10am the major sites have crowds that make quiet observation impossible. The site closes to visitors at 8pm.

The Parthenon (447 to 432 BCE) was dedicated to Athena and has been, at various points in its history, a temple, a church, a mosque, and a Venetian powder magazine (which was struck by Morosini’s cannon in 1687, causing the explosion that destroyed the interior and roof). The reconstruction scaffolding has been present continuously since the 1970s.

The Erechtheion, north of the Parthenon, has the Porch of the Caryatids: six female figures serving as columns. The originals are in the Acropolis Museum; the figures on the porch are exact-quality replicas. Knowing that the museum has the originals makes going to the museum before or after worthwhile.

The Acropolis Museum

At the base of the hill, the museum houses the original sculptural programme from the buildings above. The third floor displays the Parthenon frieze fragments with gaps indicating pieces in London at the British Museum; the arrangement is deliberate advocacy. The museum building itself is worth noticing: the lower floor is transparent above the excavated ruins of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood visible below the foundations.

Eating

The Monastiraki and Psyrri neighbourhoods for souvlaki and mezze. Souvlaki (pork or chicken on skewers, or gyros, in pita with tzatziki) from a street stand is the correct lunch for under EUR 4. Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani in Monastiraki serves Anatolian-influenced Greek deli food; the cured meats and cheese are the point. Seating is tight and it fills at lunch.

The Cape Sounion day trip (65 kilometres south) is worth the 1.5-hour bus for the sunset view of the Temple of Poseidon over the Aegean. The last bus back to Athens leaves in the early evening; check times in advance.

Practical Notes

Athens in July and August regularly reaches 38 degrees Celsius. The Acropolis is exposed stone; plan for the heat or visit in spring or autumn. The metro covers most visitor sites and is cheap. Grand Bretagne hotel opposite Syntagma Square is the luxury landmark; many decent mid-range hotels are within ten minutes’ walk of the Acropolis.