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When selecting one of the many places to explore in Athens, Greece – one cannot overlook the iconic Acropolis. The Acropolis is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis comes from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “edge, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”).
While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium B.C., it was Pericles in the fifth century B.C. who coordinated the construction of the site’s most important buildings including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheionand the temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians in the Morean War when the Parthenon was being used for gunpowder storage and was hit by a cannonball.
Today, the ruins stand as one of the most visited spots in the country and symbolizes the importance of Greek culture and society in the role of the spread of democratic societies across the planet. You can visit here on your own or with a guide, stopping at the foot of the hill to see the beautiful new Acropolis Museum. The museum houses many of the relics and fragments found by archaeologists on the Acropolis and around Athens. The museum is a stunning work of architecture in itself and serves as a spot to educate yourself about the importance of the hill before trekking-up to the ruins. The entire experience will take roughly a half-a-day, and it will be one of your best spent in the city.
