Lykabettos (Lycabettus), Athens Likavittós (Likavitós)
|
|
Lykabettos (277m /909ft), once well outside Athens but now surrounded by the city on all sides, is the dominant hill in the plain of Attica. It is a hill of cretaceous chalk, covered with various species of plant life, and is a popular place to go to escape from the hurly-burly of city life. At the top stands the chapel dedicated to St George, from where there are extensive views of the whole city.The stunning panorama encompasses Hymettós, Párnis, the Acropolis, Pnyx and the Hill of the Muses/Philopappos, towering above the sea of houses and to the south lies the glistening Saronic Gulf. Large green areas such as the People's Park/Záppion and Ares Park, squares congested with traffic such as Syàntagma Square and Omónia Square together with important buildings and ancient sites such as Stadion and Olympieíon are clearly visible from here.
Transit: Bus: 023 (Kleomenus), Funicular Rail: from Doras Distria.
Related Attractions
Megaron (Athens Concert Hall)
From Syntagma Square going east along the wide Boulevard Vassilissis Sofias towards the city, in barely 2km/1.25mi on the left, standing on the corner of Odós Kokkáli, can be seen a modern angular building. This massive, severe looking structure, built in 1991, with high narrow pillars on the exterior, is Athens' first concert hall "Megaron". This multi-purpose building, with two large halls, the "Hall of Friends of Music" and the "Dimitris Mitropolos Hall", serves as a cultural center not only for concerts, opera, ballet and theater performances, but also for conferences and congresses.
Lykabettos Open-Air Theatre
On the northeast side of Lykabettos, down from the hill-top, is the Lykabettos open-air theater, where both theatrical and musical performances, including rock concerts, are held.Although the funicular railroad is a convenient way of getting to the top, a much more comfortable and pleasant way back is along the winding footpath down to the city. If you are lucky you may see one of the few tortoises which inhabit the hill. There are some friendly garden-cafes on Lykabettos.
Daxameni Square
Dexameni Square, situated above Kolonáki Square at the foot of Lykabettos, is named after an ancient reservoir associated with an aqueduct constructed by the Emperor Hadrian (second century). The aqueduct was brought back into use in the 19th century. The reservoir - now a small public garden - was embellished with an Ionic propylon, destroyed in the 15th century, of which a few remains survive.
Eleftherios Venizelos Museum
The Eleftherios Venizelos Museum houses a collection of personal items which belonged to Eleftherios Venizelos, a famous statesman and former Priminister of Greece from 1904 to 1936.The museum is located in Eleftherios Park, a beautiful green space in Athens.
| Highlights: |
|---|
Music Festival
Performances of (mainly modern) music are held in the open-air theater on Lykabettos, Athens (June - September).
Temple of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) / Thesseion
Parthenon
Acropolis
Agora
Theatre of DionysosMap of Athens Attractions
Athens Map
