Lycabettus Hill (or Lykabittos) is the highest point in central Athens, rising to 277 m above sea level (over 220 meters above the city). The hill offers an incredible panoramic view of ancient monuments (most notably the Acropolis), the entire capital metropolitan area with its port on the Aegean Sea, and nearby mountain ranges. Welcome to this account of an afternoon walk through the center of Athens, concluding on the charming Lycabettus Hill.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Roman accents in Athens
- Hiking to Lycabettus Hill
- The origin of Lycabettus Hill
- Lycabettus Hill – the view
- Evening in Athens
Roman accents in Athens
The first day of my trip to Greece is currently underway. Shortly after 3:00 PM, I finish touring the Acropolis and head out to wander through the city. This leads me to two archaeological sites – the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library. I fully agree with the opinions that these attractions are not worth paying for, as they are completely visible from behind the fence. In this area, the most impressive sight is the Tower of the Winds from the 1st century BC, one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Athens. The large wall of the former Hadrian’s Library (the Emperor was a great lover of Greece) also looks substantial; it served as the cultural center of the new Roman forum starting in the 2nd century AD.
Roman ruins in Athens are, of course, a byproduct of the long period when Greece was one of the many provinces of the great Empire. The Imperial legions finally took control of Hellas in 146 BC and did not leave until the very end. Greece was later part of Byzantium, and in the mid-15th century, it was conquered by the Ottomans. The inhabitants of Hellas only fought for their independence in 1830.
Okay, let’s end these historical digressions and return to sightseeing. I won’t hide the fact that for a long time, my travel interests have focused more on the natural world. In my daily life, I live in a metropolis of nearly a million people, so on trips, I am more likely to escape cities than enter them. Perhaps this is why Athens doesn’t make a huge impression on me. The streets of the Greek capital seem a bit too noisy, crowded, and chaotic. Apart from the ancient archaeological sites and a few later buildings (e.g., Byzantine), the architecture is rather plain and “ordinary.” I look around with curiosity, but I definitely couldn’t live here.
Hiking to Lycabettus Hill
My stay in Athens is short enough that I knew beforehand I wouldn’t have time to see everything. From the various possible attractions, I chose Lycabettus Hill, which towers over the city. I heard about the place from a friend who spent six months in Athens as part of the Erasmus program. She highly recommended it, so I decided it was worth it. Besides, as a great mountain enthusiast, I instinctively search for the highest point in the vicinity :D.
The walk from near Monastiraki Square to the foot of Lycabettus takes me about half an hour. The terrain is fairly flat, so the main difficulty during the walk is crossing the streets in a way that avoids being run over by one of the chaotic drivers. I only begin to gain altitude while walking up Dimokritou Street, which ends with a flight of high stairs.
From the stairs, I emerge onto Eyelpidos Roggakou Street, which traverses the hill at an altitude of approximately 160 m a.s.l. Following the advice of the reliable mapy.cz, I turn off the asphalt road onto one of the dirt paths. I am now ascending a steep slope amidst beautiful specimens of Mediterranean pines. With every step, a more beautiful view of all of Athens materializes behind my back. After a few minutes of walking, I reach a high rock densely overgrown with dusty green cacti. Then I step onto a paved sidewalk that leads me to the top of the hill via numerous switchbacks. The key ascent takes me about 20 minutes and requires overcoming just over 100 meters of elevation difference.
The origin of Lycabettus Hill
According to legend, we owe the creation of Lycabettus Hill to the city’s patron – Athena. The goddess created the elevation when a limestone mountain she was carrying from the Pallene peninsula slipped from her hands. This rock was intended for the construction of the Acropolis. The mountain fell from her hands by surprise when ravens brought her news of the opening of a box in which Erichthonius was hidden. Legend has it that from that moment on, ravens remained black forever.
And who was this Erichthonius? He was an infant conceived as a result of Hephaestus’s failed attempt to rape Athena. The goddess of wisdom managed to escape the divine blacksmith, but a drop of his seed unfortunately fell on her thigh. Although Athena wiped it off with a piece of wool in disgust, Erichthonius was born from the attempt. Athena decided to raise the infant herself. She locked him in a wooden box and gave the box to the daughters of Cecrops. Curious, the girls couldn’t help themselves and opened the lid. Inside, they saw a figure that was half-child, half-snake, which drove them mad and caused them to throw themselves off the Acropolis. Erichthonius, however, became the king of Athens when he grew up. He established the Great Panathenaea, taught people how to harness horses to chariots, how to plow with a plow, and how to smelt silver. How can you not love Greek mythology, right?
Lycabettus Hill – the view
On Lycabettus Hill (277 m a.s.l.), there is a viewing platform offering a rich panorama of the entire Athenian metropolitan area of nearly 3 million people. As far as the eye can see, there are hundreds of low, white houses everywhere, divided by geometrically laid out streets. One can clearly see the Acropolis, the Panathenaic Stadium, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. In the distance, the shoreline of the Aegean Sea and the port of Piraeus loom. The city is surrounded by nearby mountain ranges. The nearby Evzonos massif (1,026 m a.s.l.), perfectly visible to the east, is particularly impressive. In addition to the beautiful view, there is also a small chapel of St. George on Lycabettus.
As charming as the place is, as you can probably guess, it is very crowded. You only reach a good observation point after about fifteen minutes of waiting, having waited for several photo sessions by Asian tourists to end. Why are there so many tourists here, even though you have to walk a bit? Well, a funicular runs to Lycabettus Hill, with its upper station located at the intersection of Plutarchou and Aristippou streets in the Kolonaki district. You can also get here by private car, leaving it in the nearby parking lot (approx. 240 m a.s.l.) located directly by the characteristic open-air theater.
Evening in Athens
I descend from Lycabettus Hill the same way I arrived. Before the sun sets, I visit the National Garden and look at the massive building of the Greek Parliament. Then I wander through the narrow streets of the old Plaka district for a while. I still don’t feel enchanted, but I admit that all these Athenian nooks, restaurants, and shops look much better after dark.
It is already quite dark when I reach the Arch of Hadrian – a monumental structure built in 131–132 AD. The founder was Emperor Hadrian, a great advocate of Athens and Greek culture (which to the Romans was “old, classical”). Nearby are the remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, construction of which began in the 6th century BC during the reign of the Peisistratid dynasty. Construction ceased after the fall of the tyranny in 510 BC, and the unfinished structure remained in a fragmentary state for 336 years. The Athenians did not want to finish it, considering the temple a manifestation of hubris. The building was cited in Aristotle’s “Politics” as an example of how tyrannies engage the population in grand projects to strip them of the strength to rebel. Construction was only taken up again by Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid dynasty in the 2nd century BC, and the temple was completed by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. Today, only fifteen columns remain of the great Olympieion, brilliantly lit and perfectly visible from behind the fence.
From the Temple of Olympian Zeus, I head to… a car rental agency. I am picking up a car that I will use for my multi-day road trip. The plan is to climb three fairly high mountains and visit the most iconic archaeological sites of southern Hellas. How will I manage? Follow the next posts! For now, I’ll tell you this much: if you’ve ever complained about driving in Warsaw, Krakow, or Poznan, I have good news for you – compared to Athens, our cities are a walk in the park.
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