The Acropolis

I often recommend to travelers to avoid tourist traps unless it’s really worth it. The Mona Lisa at the Louve? Not worth being elbowed in the face for a view 10 feet away. The Blarney Stone in Ireland? No one wants to kiss a stone, let alone one covered in germs from everyone else kissing it. However, the Acropolis in Athens…not to be missed!

We started out early on a beautiful September morning, hitting the West entry gate not long after it opened. We had no line getting in and overall, I would say it wasn’t as full of visitors as I imagine it to be during the high season. The Acropolis is actually extremely large, having been built and expanded over centuries of civilizations. People tend to use the Acropolis and the Parthenon interchangeably, however the Parthenon is really just one of many buildings on the Acropolis (although of course it’s the star of the hill). The walk up to the top, where the Parthenon sits watching protectively over its city of Athens, is a meandering climb with ancient ruins all around, built during multiple eras.

Further up the path, on the way to the Parthenon, is the Odeion of Herodes Atticus. Another huge gathering spot which happened to be setting up for a performance that night. Sure, why can’t we still use the 2500 years old theatre the Ancient Greeks used? Don’t want it to go to waste.

One aspect of visiting the Acropolis that I hadn’t expected, was the amount of restoration and excavation that was still happening in the present day. There were excavated (and replica) pieces of antiquity lying about everywhere we looked. I had to image they were catalogued and there was some method to the madness of where and how they were ‘stored’, but it was quite hard to tell.

Reaching further to the top of the hill now, we went through the Beule Gate and up a grand staircase with the Propylaia at the top. This was one of my favorite structures on the Acropolis.

Once through the Propylaia, we neared the summit of the hill and saw the Parthenon. It really is a work of beauty. Its proportions, scale, and structural elements are the basis of design for almost every building in the world built after this. It’s truly magnificent.