North Slope of the Acropolis

Arriving at the Athens Central Station after a bus and train from Patras was underwhelming. Instead of a typical large majestic station like we’ve seen in other European cities, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. There were only two tracks next to a tiny station building. At first, I thought we were in the wrong spot till I saw the faded station name hanging on a sign. Our place for the next three nights, Hotel Neos Olympos, was a short walk from the station in an aging Victoria’s style building.

After we got settled in our room, I was itching to explore the ancient ruins so we took a short metro ride downtown. Most of the ancient buildings are located in the center of the city within a large pedestrian only area. At the entrance to the South Slopes of the Acropolis, we bought a multi entrance ticket for six different sites plus the Panthenon for only 12€ each which could be used over the next three days.

Theatre of Dionysus

The Slopes of the Acropolis was a good way to start our foray into Athens history. We were in the shadow of the massive Acropolis while exploring smaller temples and forums. The most impressive structures on the south side were two theaters. Theatre of Dionysus which dates back to the fourth century BC, was open allowing us to take a seat and image ancient rituals on the stage. The other, Odeon of Herodes Atticus dated at 161 AD, was fenced off because it was completely restored decades ago and currently used for various outdoor performances. From our view on the southern slope, we could see a hill that could have good sunset views. We continued to explore the steep slopes until closing time (well, the employees actually kicked us out 30 minutes before closing).

Odeon of Herodes Atticus with Philopappos Hill in the distance

Next, we headed towards Philopappos Hill to see if it would be an easy hike for sunset. The walk up was enjoyable, but we had made it to the top right after the sun ducked behind some mountains. We decided it would be a good place to return in the following evenings.

After having so many issues finding open restaurants in Bari and then in Patras, we didn’t even attempt to research food in Athens. Instead, we walked down the tourist strip looking for the least expensive food. At each restaurant, we eyed the food, checked the menu, and listened to the pleas of the host trying to get our business. At first, everything was either completely out of our price range or seemed too pricy for what they served. We continued passing dozens of options along several streets. Finally, a host caught our attention when he eventually offered wine on the house – we were sold!

Set meal we shared at Teverna by Zantio

The food at Teverna by Zantio was nothing special but it served its purpose. In the back of the menu, they had set meals that included several courses. We ordered one to share which included a Greek salad, moussaka, pork souvlaki, and ice cream for desert. It was our first time having moussaka and really enjoyed it because it was extremely flavorful and filling.

Temple of Hephaestus in Athenian Agora

We spent the next morning exploring more of the archeological sites. At the Athenian Agora there was a ancient building that was restored into a museum. Stoa of Attalos was rebuild by the Rockafellers in the 1960s and it really gave a sense of how majestic Athens must have looked 2000 years ago. We continued walking through the various sites and couldn’t help but feel like we were surrounded by a monumental era. The city did a great job at expanding away from the ruins giving the sites a secluded feel. We were also happy to find that most of the sites included information boards. One of the things that stood out to us that day was that it seemed like the Ottoman Empire erected churches anywhere they could. Right in the middle of the courtyard in Hadrians Library, there was not one but three separate churches!

After a much needed siesta to escape the heat, we went back to Philopappos Hill for a picnic. It was not just an ordinary picnic, but a Greek version! We enjoyed Greek craft beer, a Greek salad and a couple gyro pitas. We watched the sun set over the mountains with the Arcropolys lit up in the evening light. It was a perfect way to end the hot day exploring the city.

We continued the good vibes by visiting Beertime known for good craft beer. The bar had a really neat ambiance but they didn’t have anything different or better than we found earlier. We decided to walk back to the hotel because it was only a few kilometers away. When we were less than a block from our room, Sara stepped on a piece of broken sidewalk and painfully twisted her ankle. By the time I looked, her ankle it was already swollen to the size of a golf ball! Using the swollen ankle as an excuse, we had a lazy day which is something that we hadn’t done in a long time. Instead of working on the blog, we slept-in, watched TV and researched where to travel next.

Temple of Olympian Zeus with Acropolis in the distance

The following day, Sara’s ankle healed enough so we could finish exploring the city. We took the metro downtown and slowly walked to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. After a short loop around the ruined temple, we walked a few blocks and slowly up the gentle hill to the Acropolis. Because of our slow pace, it was early afternoon by time we arrived. Although we had to endure peak heat, it seemed to be less busy. Walking the steps and crossing under the Propylaea into the entrance of the Acropolis was stunning with all the marble gleaming in the sun.

Parthenon under renovation

We walked around the Parthenon which was undergoing a large restoration effort. The front face was completely covered with scaffolding and there was a large crane sitting on a concrete track. It appeared that restoration on the north wall of the Parthenon was complete with non-original pieces filling the gaps. We read a little bit about the extensive restoration and it was interesting to learn that a lot of the work is correcting a restoration that completed in the late 19th century.

We had an early dinner at a typical tourist restaurant right outside of Athenian Agora. Antica Cafe hit the spot with a basic pizza. We also tried dolmadakia which is a traditional dish of grape leaves stuffed with rice. On the walk back to the train station, we stopped at our favorite bottle shop, Pantopolion, to get some local craft beer for the road. We were about to start our long journey north to Sophia, Bulgaria.

Theatre of Dionysus

Sunset view on Philopappos Hill

Will with Acropolis in the background - on Philopappos Hill for sunset

Temple of Hephaestus in Athenian Agora

Reconstructed Stoa of Attalos in Athenian Agora

Statues on display in Stoa of Attalos museum

Dice (1st century AD), pottery used for voting system (5th century BC), jars (3rd century BC)

Church of Holy Apostles in Athenian Agora

Hadrian\'s Library

Arches and columns in Hadrian's Library

Pita dinner from Grill Bar

Philopappos Hill view

Greek craft beer on Philopappos Hill

Amazing view from Philopappos Hill

Acropolis at night

Temple of Olympian

Looking back at the Temple of Olympian Zeus from the Acropolis

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