A TRIP TO THE ROOTS OF DEMOCRACY
Top Visits
- Acropolis (Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Temple of Erechtheion) and its museum
- Hadrian’s Gate
- Ancient Theatre of Dionysus
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Ancient Agora
- Temple of Hephaestus
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Parliament of Greece and the changing of the guard
- Russian and Anglican churches
Discover with Athens Vip Transports the most important buildings and monuments of our city and enjoy a trip from the past to our days.
We begin your tour with a visit to the famous Acropolis, the most important ancient site of the Western culture, a city trademark and the most popular tourist attraction in Athens. Entering the archaeological site, we will see the complex of Propylaea. The small temple of Athena Nike is on the right, but it is the Parthenon that immediately catches the eye. A temple made almost entirely of Pentelic marble, dedicated to Athena Parthenos (the Virgin), in which her gold-ivory statue was placed, a monument to civilization and global symbol of harmony and beauty.
To the north is another small but very famous building, the Erechtheion, the temple of the Caryatids, six marble female figures instead of traditional columns. From the site also runs a road leading to Areopagus, a rock that served as the first public court of Athens and where the god Ares himself was tried once, according to myths. It also has an excellent view of the city.
Our tour continues down the hill and towards the Gate of Hadrian and the Temple, or Columns, of Olympian Zeus, remnants of the Roman times. The next stop, also from that era, is the Panathenaic Stadium or Kalimarmaro, an ancient sports venue and the only one of its kind in the world to be made exclusively out of marble. The first modern Olympic Games took place here in 1896 and the venue still hosts sports and cultural events.
Τhen, we move on to modern times with our visit to the Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament where you can watch the ritual changing of the guard at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. Behind the Parliament is the Presidential Palace, a 19th-century three-storey neoclassical building, officially housing the President of the Hellenic Republic. Completing the triad of official government residences there is the Maximos Mansion with its ionic peristyle, the official seat of the Prime Minister of Greece. The Zappeion is also nearby, a neoclassical Corinthian building in the heart of the National Gardens, often used to host important meetings and ceremonies.
We will then cross Panepistimiou Street with neoclassical buildings such as the University of Athens, the National Library as well as the cathedral of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. As a final destination in the centre of Athens, we will visit Lycabettus Hill with the Church of St. George, where you will have the opportunity to take photos of the stunning panoramic view.
Experience, with Athens Vip Transports, a journey to the past of ancient Greece, to the cradle of Western civilization, to the roots of democracy. This is Athens!
