Lycabettus Sunset Port Piraeus & Athens By Night Driving Tour

Itinerary

We will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the historic center of Athens to get to know it. First we will drive to the highest hill of Athens Lycabetus, to see the amazing view from there. There is a small church at the top and we need about five minutes walk to get there, but the view is really worth it.

The Stadium of the first Modern Olympic Games and the only marble Stadium in the world.

Syntagma Square is the central square of Athens and the reference point of the city. It took its name from the Constitution which King Otto was forced to cede in 1843 due to the September 3 revolution, during which the people and the military guard of Athens demanded, gathered outside the then royal palaces, (the building that today houses the Greek Parliament).

The neoclassical mansion in the center of Athens, which houses the Academy of Athens, was designed in 1859 by the Dane Hansen. It is one of the three parts of the "Athenian Trilogy" of neoclassicism, along with the main building of the University of Athens, located on its left, and the mansion of the National Library of Greece. The Palace of the Academy of Athens is "in the opinion of experts, the most beautiful neoclassical building in the world." The source of inspiration of the architect was the classical architecture of the Athenian 5th century, as it appears with the monuments of the Acropolis. The sculptures on the pediment of the Palace and the two statues of Apollo and Athena, as well as most of the rich sculptural decoration, are works by the sculptor Leonidas Drossis.

Zappeion Megaron, or simply Zappeion, is one of the most important buildings in Athens. It is located between the gardens of the Palace and the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus. It was included in the program for the construction of the buildings of the Olympic Games of 1896 and was the first building in the world built exclusively for the Olympic Games.

It is an important ancient temple in the center of Athens. Although its construction began in the 6th century BC, it was not completed until the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. It was the largest church in Greece during the Hellenistic and Roman times.

The port of Athens since ancient times, the largest port in Greece and one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean Sea and in the world. The ancient walls of the Athenians are still visible in many parts of the city of Piraeus.

We will drive the hall coastal road until Mikrolimano, at Castella neighborhood, ThIs is the most famous area of Athens by the sea. We also show you the best fish restaurants and the best cafes there.

From here we start the acquaintance with the historic center of Athens, on a walk. In the area of ​​Plaka is the impressive cylindrical monument of Lysikrates, which was saved over the centuries despite the raids, wars and the unscrupulous action of the archaeologists. Its history is impressive. The monument today is in good condition and owes its rescue to the installation of Capuchin monks in Athens, during the Turkish occupation (in 1669). They bought a house under the Acropolis, where they set up their Monastery. The Capuchin monastery also functioned as a guest house and its rooms hosted important people, among them Lord Byron when he first came to Greece. He wrote in a letter: "In front of me I have Hymettus, behind me the Acropolis, on my right the temple of Zeus, in front the Stadium, on my left the city. Ehh, let's just say I've seen better. Sir, there is nothing like this in London, no, not even the residence of the Lord Mayor "...

We will walk on the most ancient street in the world, Tripodon Street. Exactly the same road that exists today, was the most central road of the Athenians, at least from 4000 BC.

In the area of the Roman Agora in Plaka is the monument of the "Aerides". It is an octagonal marble building, without columns, where the eight main winds are embossed on its equal metopes, hence the name "Winds". It was built in the 1st century BC and as a building it was used as a "meteorological station", a Muslim monastery, a prison and much more. In the same place is the library of the Roman emperor Hadrian and the Fethiye Mosque, which was left to us from the Turkish occupation.

The Roman market was created as a continuation of the ancient market, in order to meet the needs of everyday life of the city. The market was a large square atrium surrounded by Ionic columns. On one side of the Agora, on the east, there were various shops. The gate that still exists today is the outer part of its gate. During the Turkish occupation it had the same use as the name "bazaar".

The Agora has been the "navel" of ancient Athens since the 6th century BC, during the time of Peisistratos and especially Cleisthenes. Many of the early buildings date back to around 500 BC, among them the altar of the Twelve Gods which was also an asylum and a starting point for measuring kilometers. From here passed the procession of the Eleusinian mysteries and the street of Panathinaion, the "central avenue" of the city that crossed the Agora and which was followed every four years by the procession of the great Athenian festival of the same name.

Here is the busiest part of the city, even for the locals. Here you can shop until midnight. This is where most of the walks you can do on your own begin and end. We will explain everything to you. We will also guide the most interesting restaurants and bars, worth a visit..

It is the oldest neighborhood of Athens and the neighborhood of the center with the most interesting cafes, tavernas and bars in Athens. A neighborhood full of colors and music! After our walk you can either return to your hotel or continue on your own in one of the bars we showed you before.