The Acropolis of Athens is undeniably among the most famous and significant monuments on our globe. This magnificent temple and cultural complex has towered over the city for two and a half thousand years, serving as a monument to both the Golden Age of Ancient Greece and the beginning of our shared European (or more broadly, Western) civilization. I have longed to see the Acropolis since I was a child, when as a boy I eagerly absorbed stories of ancient battles and mythological heroes. And since I like to view adulthood as a period for fulfilling childhood dreams, one day I spontaneously took time off work and bought plane tickets to Greece.
In this post, I will guide you through the Acropolis, present its history in an accessible way, and provide you with up-to-date practical information useful during your visit. Enjoy the read!
Table of contents
- Acropolis – tickets, entry
- A short history of the Acropolis
- Acropolis – a guide
- Visiting time, general impressions
Acropolis – tickets, entry
I bought my tickets to the Acropolis while still in Poland, through the official website that distributes tickets for Greek attractions. The price for the attraction is fixed at 30 euros (2026). Pupils and students up to 25 years of age enter for free (upon presentation of ID). Since I visited Greece as a 26-year-old, I was slightly disgruntled by this fact :D.
Tickets are sold for a specific entry time, e.g., from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. This does not mean, however, that you can enter the Acropolis just like that, without waiting. A large, multinational queue forms in front of the security checkpoint. When I first saw it, I was slightly intimidated. I began to wonder if, with such a long line, I would manage to pass through security within the time slot indicated on my ticket. Fortunately, the crowd moves quite efficiently, so the wait lasted much shorter than I had initially assumed.
Before entering the Acropolis, I was asked to leave my backpack in the cloakroom. The small building is poorly marked, but after a while, I found it about 100 meters from the entrance gate (coordinates: 37.9719108N, 23.7237064E). The luggage storage turned out to be free.
While speaking about starting the tour, it is worth clarifying that there are two entrance gates to the Acropolis. The first is located on the western part of the hill, next to the Areopagus (coordinates: 37.9714003N, 23.7237744E). An alternative entrance operates on the eastern side, close to the Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis metro station (coordinates: 37.9696067N, 23.7293983E). Personally, I used the first of the described gates, but in hindsight, I think starting from the eastern side would have been more logical.
A short history of the Acropolis
The Acropolis is a vast limestone hill reaching a height of 157 m above sea level and rising about 70 meters above the city’s buildings. People have inhabited it since Neolithic times (approx. 4,500 – 3,000 BCE), and in the Mycenaean period (13th century BCE), a fortified residence of a local ruler was already located here.
In the 8th century BCE, the Acropolis became a place of worship for Athena Polias (Athena, Protector of the City), and in the 6th century BCE, Peisistratus covered the hill with the first monumental buildings. The complex survived until 480 BCE, when the Persians captured Athens and reduced the old temples to ashes.
After the final victory over the invaders from the East, the work of reconstruction was undertaken by Pericles, a brilliant strategist and statesman. The Acropolis was then covered with new, impressive temples, showcasing the power and wealth of the greatest of the Greek poleis. The best craftsmen of antiquity were employed (including the sculptor Phidias), and noble Pentelic marble was used for construction. Financing such a massive investment would not have been possible if Pericles had not dipped into the treasury of the Delian League. This was an alliance formed under the leadership of Athens in 478 BCE, with its primary goal being the collective defense of Greece against barbarian attacks.
Even when the political power of Athens waned and the banners of Roman legions fluttered over the city, the Acropolis remained an inviolable sanctuary. The Romans, though sometimes ruthless conquerors, felt an almost childlike respect for Athenian wisdom. The sacred function of the hill thus continued unshakeably, but with each century, it wrote a completely new and surprising chapter. When the ancient world began to give way to Christianity, the Parthenon did not become empty. Instead of destroying it, new believers decided to “baptize” the marbles. In the 5th century, the temple dedicated to Athena was renamed a church of another Virgin – the Mother of God. This is an incredible paradox of history: the place where sacrifices were made for centuries to the Greek goddess of wisdom became one of the most important pilgrimage centers of the Byzantine world.
However, the history of the Acropolis did not stop at Christian hymns. When the Ottoman Turks stood at the gates of Athens in the 15th century, the hill changed its identity once more. The Parthenon, which had already been a Greek temple and a Byzantine cathedral, became the city’s main mosque. Interestingly, despite the change in religion, the Turks treated the hill with immense respect, and in the former Erechtheion, they established a residence for their governor.
In 1832, the Greeks won independence from the Ottoman Empire and for the first time in history could seriously take care of their greatest national monument. Since the 19th century, renovation work has been carried out on the hill, aimed at preserving what remains of the Acropolis. And despite many historical turmoils, there is still very much to see :D.
Acropolis – a guide
For logistical reasons, I will start the description of the individual attractions of the Acropolis from the eastern entrance (i.e., the one by the Acropolis Museum and the metro station). By starting your tour here, you won’t miss a single important thing. I walked here from “my” western entrance as soon as I carefully studied the site plan and realized it would be much more convenient.
Sanctuary and Theater of Dionysus
The first object on our route is the ruins of the Sanctuary of Dionysus, the deity of the grapevine, ecstasy, creativity, and the joy of life. Among the scattered individual stones, one can see the remains of a rectangular courtyard, once the main site for ancient rituals. The temple looked most beautiful at the turn of March and April, when the Great Dionysia – a festival in honor of Dionysus – was celebrated grandly in Athens. The celebrations were state-sponsored and were established at the end of the 6th century BCE by the tyrants of the Peisistratid dynasty.
At the beginning of the Great Dionysia, a great procession emerged from the sanctuary, led by a wooden statue of the patron of the festivities. Participants walked through the city with torches, sang hymns, danced, and carried decanters of wine and goats (animals sacred to Dionysus). Then, sacrifices were made to the god, and mystical choral songs – dithyrambs – were raised in his honor. Today it is hard to believe, but this is exactly how theater was born. From the singing chorus, a single leader (the actor) emerged, who began to engage in dialogue with them. In this way, the first plays were created, vividly interesting the gathered audience. According to legend, the first actor and creator of tragedy is considered to be a man named Thespis. He allegedly started with performances at the Lesser (rural) Dionysia, but already in 534 BCE, he presented himself for the first time before the Athenian public.
Next to the sanctuary is the famous Theater of Dionysus, a model example of a Greek theater. During the Great Dionysia, prestigious competitions were held here, bringing together all the greatest stars of Athenian comedy and tragedy. Among the winners of the competition, we find, among others, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. The first theater was built on this site at the end of the 6th century BCE and was mostly made of wood. Despite the lack of luxury, the spectacles attracted as many as 15-17 thousand spectators! The theater owes its current stone appearance to a major reconstruction and modernization in the second half of the 4th century BCE, carried out by the Athenian politician Lycurgus.
From the Theater of Dionysus, I move along the avenue of choragic monuments. Behind them lies the story of the choregos – a patron who took upon his shoulders the burden of financing the performance. If the troupe he supported won the victory laurel, he would fund a lavish monument, atop which he proudly presented his prize: a bronze tripod. This was a symbol not only of the favor of the gods but, above all, of the highest prestige in Athenian society.
Temple of Asclepius and Stoa of Eumenes
Visiting both the Acropolis and other Greek archaeological sites requires a good dose of imagination. Little remains of most objects – a few stones, foundations, fragments of flooring… It is similar with the Temple of Asclepius, whose remains are located between the Theater of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. From the former clinic, a few marble blocks remain today…
The cult of Asclepius, the god of the medical arts, reached Athens at the end of the 5th century BCE, at the time when a plague epidemic was sweeping through the capital of Attica. In the temple, priest-doctors received patients, making a diagnosis based on what the patient dreamed during their first night in the sanctuary. Creative, isn’t it?
At this point, I also take note of the Stoa of Eumenes. The building was constructed in the first half of the 2nd century BCE as a covered walking space, most often used by people waiting for a performance in the nearby Theater of Dionysus.
One of the stone plaques informs me that I am currently walking on the Peripatos. This is a path encircling the Acropolis, which was already laid out in antiquity along its current track.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
A two-minute walk along the crowded path and I am at another ancient building – the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. It is a souvenir of Roman rule over the Acropolis. The building was erected in 161 CE from the foundation of Herodes Atticus, who wished to commemorate his deceased wife, Regilla, in this way. The facility held about 5,000 spectators and served mainly for concerts and recitation shows. The Odeon was roofed, which distinguished it from other nearby theaters.
Interestingly, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus has been preserved in such a good state that it is still used for various cultural events during the summer season.
Propylaea and Temple of Nike
Behind the Odeon, I turn right, walking toward the upper part of the hill. In this way, I arrive at the famous Propylaea, the great marble entrance gate to the Acropolis. The Propylaea was intended to paralyze with its scale anyone who decided to enter the Athenian sanctuary. The building consists of a central hall (with six Doric columns) and two side wings. The object is the work of the architect Mnesicles and was erected in the years 437 – 432 BCE.
Years go by and the Propylaea still impresses with its scale, glamour, and classical beauty. It is fantastic to be able to cross this gate, touch the thousand-year-old marbles, and appreciate the craftsmanship of the ancient builders… My sense of satisfaction from being in this place is not disturbed even by the gigantic number of tourists occupying practically every square meter of the once sacred hill.
On the left side of the Propylaea (looking from the perspective of an entering person) is another interesting object – the Temple of Athena Nike (Athena of Victory). It is maintained in the Ionic style and is more widely known for its unique friezes.
Parthenon
And after passing through the Propylaea, there it is… The dreamed-of, beautiful, and impressive Parthenon. It is the former Temple of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin), erected in the years 447 – 432 BCE, and designed by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates. The massive Doric columns, monumental size, and classic, ideal proportions are impressive. Once, the building was additionally decorated with dozens of statues and friezes. Today, those that survived are scattered across various museums – both within Athens and beyond (e.g., in the Louvre, in the British Museum).
The temple was the most important building of ancient Athens, playing the role of the main place of worship and the city treasury. The monumental object made a thunderous impression on visitors, representing all the wealth and class of the world’s first democracy. The temple was also the end point of the procession during the Panathenaia, the most important festival of ancient Athens, dedicated, of course, to the goddess Athena.
Inside the Parthenon stood a massive statue of Athena Parthenos, by the hand of Phidias. It was made of ivory and gold and measured 12 meters in height. To this day, we are not certain what happened to the famous statue. It is most likely that in the 5th century CE it burned in a fire or was taken to Constantinople.
Erechtheion
In times so ancient that the oldest elders do not remember them, Poseidon and Athena fought a dispute over patronage of the capital of Attica. They met then on the Acropolis and tried to win over the inhabitants of the city of that time. Poseidon struck the rock with his trident, and then a spring of salt water gushed from it. Athena, on the other hand, struck the earth with her spear, and the first olive tree grew. Because the city’s inhabitants considered the second gift more valuable, the daughter of Zeus became the patron of the city.
Many centuries later, on the site of these events, the Erechtheion was built, dedicated to Poseidon and Athena. The temple was erected in the Ionic style, in the years 421 – 406 BCE. A characteristic feature of the building is the well-known porch with caryatids, i.e., with architectural supports formed in the shape of a female figure. Currently, copies of the statues are presented in the Erechtheion, as the originals were moved to a much safer place – the Acropolis Museum.
Viewpoint over Athens
Aside from the described buildings, there are no longer any other well-preserved objects on the summit of the Acropolis. More temples existed within the complex (e.g., the Temple of Zeus Polieus, once located east of the Parthenon), but they did not survive the test of time and have not been preserved to this day.
Besides the possibility of communing with fantastic monuments, the Acropolis also has scenic values. From the hill stretches an incredible panorama over almost the entire 3-million-strong metropolitan area. Among the individual buildings, quite a few other Athenian monuments stand out: the Agora with the perfectly preserved Hephaisteion, the Olympic stadium, or the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Other than that, however, from this height, the rest of the Athenian buildings seem to merge into a single, white mass.
Northern slopes of the Acropolis
After descending from the Propylaea, I still head right, walking along the northern walls of the Acropolis. In this area, there may not be particularly significant monuments, but there is peace and quiet, hard to achieve in other parts of the hill. I see several large caves here, dedicated to various deities, the Klepsydra Spring, or fragments of ancient fortifications. I also reach the Byzantine Church of St. Nicholas, dating from the 10th-11th century, located on the edge of the Acropolis.
Areopagus
Directly adjacent to the Acropolis, it is worth visiting one more very famous place – the rock of the Areopagus. From here, there is a pleasant view of both the hill and the lower part of the city. In ancient times, the Areopagus – the council of elders – deliberated on the rock. In the archaic period (8th – early 6th century BCE), the body consisted exclusively of high aristocratic houses and held overall political and judicial power in its hands. With advancing democratic reforms, the council’s position began to weaken. In the 6th century BCE, the Areopagus mainly dealt with issues of citizen morality, and in the 5th century BCE, it became a court for the most heinous crimes (such as murder, arson).
Acropolis – visiting time, general impressions
Visiting the Acropolis in total took me about two hours. I walked through the hill quite quickly but thoroughly, without passing by any of the important objects. Although I visited the Acropolis at the end of October (and on a Tuesday at that), there were plenty of people. It is hard for me to imagine how crowded it must be during the high season. For other useful information – inside there are no small snack bars, nor even a drink vending machine.
Despite the significant crowding, my impressions of the visit were exclusively positive. The problem, however, is that I cannot look at the Acropolis objectively. Since I was a child, I wanted to come to Greece and visit all those famous ruins. It is no wonder then that I felt great here and at no point regretted the 30 euros spent on the attraction. The Acropolis is, moreover, a monument so iconic and well-known that it should provide satisfaction even to those who are not great fans of antiquity on a daily basis. You know… it’s a bit like being in Krakow and not seeing Wawel.
And how did I spend the afternoon and evening in Athens? I write about that in my next Greek post!
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