Ancient Athens
From Vienna Hotel you can easily approach the most significant archaeological sites of Athens. We would suggest you to start your acquaintance with Ancient Athens by climbing up the Holy Rock of the Acropolis in order to see closer the most famous archaeological site in the world.
As you pass by Acropolis’ entrance – which is located at the west end of the site through the pedestrian precinct of Dionisiou Areopagitou – you will feel at once the excellence of the space. Acropolis flourished during the Golden Age of Pericles. It was then that the three temples, dedicated to goddess Athena, were built.
Parthenon was the first temple built on a rock. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena and constructed between 447 – 438 BC. On the left side of Parthenon is the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. The temple as seen today was built between 421 and 406 BC.
South of the Propylaea is the Temple of Athena Nike. It was built around 420 BC in honor of the city’s protectress and the triumph against Persians.
South of the Acropolis are significant theaters and conservatoires, which reveal the high cultural level of Ancient Greeks.
The ancient theater of Dionysus lies at the south part of Acropolis. This is the place where ancient drama was born. The most important poets of antiquity (Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and Aristophanes) showed their plays there, for the first time, during the 5th BC.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, was built between 161 – 174 AC and sponsored by the orator Tiberius Claudius Herod Atticus. It lies at the western end on the south slope and impresses with its architecture and acoustics.
The Ancient Market lies at the foothills of Acropolis. It used to be the commercial, political, cultural and religious center of the city. The most important monuments you will see in the area are: The Temple of Hephaestus, known as Thission. It was built before Parthenon in 449 BC.
The Stoa of Attalos is the second most impressive construction in the ancient market. It was built during the 2nd BC by Attalos, the King of Pergamos.
At Plaka you will also see the Roman Agora. A gigantic rectangular yard surrounded by colonnades. The famous Tower of the Winds, a magnificent construction at the east part of the market. It was built at the end of the 1st BC.
It is also worth visiting the ancient site of Kerameikos. The ancient Kerameikos was at the northwest part of ancient Athens. Almost at the center of the site are the two famous gates of Athens Dipilon and the Sacred Gate.
Kerameikos was the potters’ quarter of the city, but is also known for its ancient cemetery. The findings are housed at the homonym museum inside the archaeological site. You can finish your tour around the ancient town by visiting the Archaeological Museum of Athens. It is one of the biggest and most significant at its kind, in the whole world. It is housed in an imposing neoclassic building at Patision Str. It hosts collections of prehistoric findings, sculptures, vessels, bronze items and an impressive collection of Egyptian and Eastern antiquities.
