Athens is the center of Greek civilization, the capital of Greece, and a contemporary city offered for history exploration, holidays, relaxation, nightlife, and many more. There are a lot of things to write about Athens but I’ll do that in another post. This post is about recommending my Athens walk around Acropolis and reach the top of Areopagus hill in order to enjoy the amazing Athens panoramic view.
Start Point: Syntagma Square
End Point: Monastiraki
Walking Distance: 3.5 km
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: Free
Highlights: Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Odeon of Herodes, Areopagus Hill, Anafiotika, Plaka, Monastiraki
So my Athens walk around Acropolis (that’s how I named it) started from Syntagma Square. I walked towards Mitropoleos street and then turned left in order to walk towards Acropolis (there are signs). I walked through small pedestrian streets with small shops selling souvenirs and local things. Of course, you can take an alternative route via Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias, however you’ll miss the scenic streets. After a few minutes of walking, I reached the Acropolis Museum on my left. If you haven’t been to the museum before, and have some free time, I recommend you to spend 1-2 hours there. It’s worth visiting since you’ll get to see some findings of the Acropolis archaeological site.
The day I visited Acropolis was closed for construction works. However, I’ve visited Acropolis a few years ago and it’s a lifetime experience which I recommend you to do.
I continued my walk uphill. The path is really good for walking. Once you reach the top you’ll see in front of you the
Areopagus Hill. I didn’t notice the stairs on the left so I climbed up the hill using the stones which were slippery since it was raining. I managed to reach the top without falling and the view was worth the effort. From here you’ll get to enjoy the best views of the city, Plaka, Thisio, Acropolis and Mount Lycabettus. I stayed here for around 10 minutes since it was freezing!
Then I continued my walk on the other side of the Acropolis, walking downwards. I was looking to find ‘Anafiotika’ a scenic tiny neighborhood of Athens that lies on the northern east side of the Acropolis hill. Anafiotika was built according to the typical Cycladic architecture and gives visitors the feel of Greek islands with white walls and narrow streets.
