This article first appeared on Sway the Way
When we think about Athens, we think about the Acropolis.
The acropolis takes its name from the Greek for “the highest city”, a citadel located on a hill.
Although similar ancient constructions can be found all over Greece, the Acropolis of Athens is by far the most impressive and famous of any of these.
Usually when travelling, museums aren't top of our list of things to see. We prefer to absorb the atmosphere of the living, breathing place.
We come across the most interesting experiences by making contact with the locals, strolling through the streets, trying different food and going to less touristic locations.
However, The Acropolis Museum was something we couldn't miss. Especially as we wanted to understand the Acropolis ruins.
The guided tour was excellent. We were amazed at how our perception of the museum changed with the help of one person, a longtime museum employee.
She showed us everything with amazing passion and commitment and filled us in on the history of the Acropolis as well as ancient Greece and the development of culture and art.
The museum is built in such a way that it feels like it is transporting you to the Acropolis site. A wall of glass panels provides an unrivalled view of the hill.
The installation of the Parthenon building is perfectly reproduced, the dimensions are exactly like the ancient buildings. There are even examples of sculptures that once decorated the temple.
Some of them are lighter than others. These are the copies of the originals which are now in the British Museum. For many years, the Greeks have been talking with the British about returning the missing sculptures.
After finishing the walk around the museum, we both stated that going to the hill without first hearing the history of an experienced guide would be a completely different experience.
The entrance to the museum costs 5 EUR, and the entrance to the Acropolis hill is 20 EUR. In case you're interested, you can visit the Museum of the Acropolis and the Acropolis for free on the following dates:
– 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri)
– 18 April (International Monuments Day)
– 18 May (International Museums Day)
– The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
– 28 October
– Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st
The hill is really majestic - spend a few hours strolling among the ancient ruins. In our opinion, in order to visit both the Acropolis Museum and the Hill itself, you need half a day.
The tour is rather intense so you can be forgiven for spending the rest of the day in one of the many restaurants on Plaka.
On the top you’ll find the Parthenon – a temple from the 5th century BC, built in honour of Athena, the patron of the city, the Erechtheum – a temple built in honour of Erechtheus and the Temple of Athena Nike (Victorious Athena).
You'll also see the Old Temple of Athens, the Propylene – entrance building, the vestibule of the Acropolis and Pinacotheca – part of the building which used to be a kind of art gallery where works of the most famous artists were exhibited.
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