The Acropolis in Athens, Greece
Visiting the Acropolis in Athens, Greece
Note: click photos for larger views
I have long maintained that the cruise routes that shuttle folks from Athens to the Greek Isles, Croatia, Slovenia, and ending in Venice are one of the “must do” itineraries in the Mediterranean. And now, I’m pleased to say, Carol and I have finally broken away to sample this itinerary for ourselves.
There are a great many flavors of cruise lines that make this route available, but as we have made it a goal to sample all of the cruise lines that might be considered 4+Star and up, we decided to make this journey with Azamara Club Cruises.
I’ll be talking a lot more about Azamara Club Cruises in future articles, but if you would like to learn a little more about them now, just click that link above.
The Acropolis of Athens
I shot the photograph above from the roof of our hotel as the sun was about to set. It’s quite the view, don’t you think? If you’re interested, we stayed at the Hotel Grand Bretagne, and you can learn more at this link.
As I stood and viewed this site, it boggled my mind to think that those structures atop the Acropolis were constructed 2,500 years ago. And further, 500 years later the Apostle Paul would stop by to comment about all of the idols in Athens in his famous speech on Mars Hill which is located on the other side of the Acropolis from this view.
There has been a tremendous amount of history built atop that hill over the years, and tomorrow my feet will gather some of the same dust walked upon by the Greeks of long ago.
Here is another photograph I shot after dinner, again from the top of our hotel.
As you might imagine, the Acropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage site (link) and here is a brief synopsis about the Acropolis from their website:
“The Acropolis of Athens is the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times. It is situated on a hill of average height (156m) that rises in the basin of Athens. Its overall dimensions are approximately 170 by 350m. The hill is rocky and steep on all sides except for the western side, and has an extensive, nearly flat top. Strong fortification walls have surrounded the summit of the Acropolis for more than 3,300 years. The first fortification wall was built during the 13th century BC, and surrounded the residence of the local Mycenaean ruler. In the 8th century BC, the Acropolis gradually acquired a religious character with the establishment of the cult of Athena, the city’s patron goddess. The sanctuary reached its peak in the archaic period (mid-6th century to early 5th century BC). In the 5th century BC, the Athenians, empowered from their victory over the Persians, carried out an ambitious building programme under the leadership of the great statesman Perikles, comprising a large number of monuments including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia and the temple of Athena Nike. The monuments were developed by an exceptional group of architects (such as Iktinos, Kallikrates, Mnesikles) and sculptors (such as Pheidias, Alkamenes, Agorakritos), who transformed the rocky hill into a unique complex, which heralded the emergence of classical Greek thought and art. On this hill were born Democracy, Philosophy, Theatre, Freedom of Expression and Speech, which provide to this day the intellectual and spiritual foundation for the contemporary world and its values. The Acropolis’ monuments, having survived for almost twenty-five centuries through wars, explosions, bombardments, fires, earthquakes, sackings, interventions and alterations, have adapted to different uses and the civilizations, myths and religions that flourished in Greece through time.”
We enjoyed a private guide to take us through The Acropolis and here is yet another photograph I captured from one of the city’s high hills that she took us to that looks out across the basin towards the sea.
You know, I’ve always said that an ocean or river cruise is a great way to get a taste of a region. The only problem is, if you enjoyed the taste, you’re going to want more. We only had a day to sample Athens, and while I greatly enjoyed the taste, I want more.
I suspect that Carol and I will be back again to Athens as our tastes of Mykonos and Santorini left us wanting more as well. But alas, those destinations are for another story on another day. Stay tuned.
How about you? Would you like to enjoy some time in Athens and the Greek Isles? Whether you desire a land journey, or perhaps a fun ocean cruise with Azamara Club Cruises, we’ve got the in-country contacts, expertise, and complimentary perks to help you craft a fabulous journey.
To book your journey or cruise to Greece, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Travel Tip: if you plan to visit the Greek Isles, you should start the planning process with us a year in advance. The islands are small, and the number of hotel rooms is limited.
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I had the great pleasure of visiting Athens in 1972 while aboard a ship in the navy. The ship made a port call for two days. the views you have taken pictures of are just as beautiful as they were then. I saw some interesting things on the history channel where they are trying to save the color or at least figure out what color is in the stone. just fyi.
Hi Roger,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments. In regards to the color in the stone, in the new Acropolis Museum, they have a few pieces of the old statuary and then standing right next to it, their best guess of what the colors might have looked like. If you are interested, you can learn more here: http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en 🙂
My husband and I are booked next May for an Azamara cruise. We’re staying at the Grand Bretagne a day ahead of the cruise, so we’ll have a bit of extra time in Athens. We are seniors (70) and although we have no specific mobility issues, I’m wondering how strenuous the climb to the Acropolis actually is. I haven’t been able to find anything really specific. I found your website earlier today and was very happy to read your Azamara cruise comments, and to see this article about the Acropolis. Can you provide any further information about your visit there, and how you found it to be? We, too, expect to use a tour to visit the site. Thank you so much!
Hi Nancy,
🙂