Mount Lykabettos
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
The highest hill in Athens at 277 meters (908 feet), Mount Lykabettos dominates the city almost as much as the Acropolis, of which there is an excellent view from the top.
Lykabettos was once well outside the city boundaries, because, as recently as the 19th century, Athens was merely a small cluster of houses around the Acropolis. It’s hard to imagine that today, as you gaze out from the hilltop and see the modern metropolis sprawling before you, all the way to Piraeus on the coast.
Some of the offshore islands in the Saronic Gulf can also be seen, including Salamis and, on a clear day, even Aegina. To the north you can see Mount Parnes.
Climbing Mount
Lykabettos
It's a stiff climb to get to the top of this chalk outcrop,
but a very pleasant one through pine-scented woods, often filled with
butterflies and birds, and even a few wild tortoises. There are several routes
up, plenty of benches on which to take a breather, a café half-way up, and a
restaurant at the very top, naturally with wonderful views, day and night.
Church of Agios
Georgios
Here, too, is the small, whitewashed 19th-century chapel of Agios Georgios (St George), whose feast is celebrated on 23 April, so be sure to go to the top of Mount Lykabettos if you’re in Athens on that date.
Mount Lykabettos Funicular
It’s also possible to take a funicular to the top and back, and currently this operates every day of the year from 9am-3am, reflecting the popularity of the hill at night. The address for the funicular station is Aristippou 1.
Mount Lykabettos is the perfect place for a late-night coffee or brandy, with the illuminated city spread out at your feet.
Where to Stay in Athens
A few other Athens pages
Athens Airport Hotels
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Amusing Children in Athens
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Athens War Museum
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Athens Culinary Tours
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Best Views in Athens
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
Changing of the Guard in Athens
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Athens National Historical Museum
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Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum
The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.
Athens Airport Car Rental
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Artistic Athens
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Entertainment in Athens
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Athens Olympic Stadium
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
Cape Sounion and the East Coast
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Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
Where to Eat in Athens and Piraeus
If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.
Athens Weather and the Best Time to Visit
The Greece Travel Secrets website looks at the Athens weather, the chance of rain, the climate in summer and winter and the best time to visit Athens.
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.
Ten Best Museums in Athens
Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.
Athens Events and Public Holidays
If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.
Athens Dining Guide
This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.
A Walk around Kolonáki
This walk around the Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens starts and ends in Syntagma Square and takes you to several museums, Kolonaki Square and Mount Lykabettos.
My Athens: a Portrait by Travel Writer Mike Gerrard
In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis and eating!
Athens in the Rain
Athens in the rain isn’t something you’re likely to experience but here are suggestions for things to do in the rain in Athens including museums and shopping
Athens’Benaki Museum
Athens' Benaki Museum is one of the city’s top museums with an outstanding collection, especially of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, in a beautiful mansion.
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