The Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens · Athens, Greece
Sunrise over the Parthenon, where Western civilisation caught its first light
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- Don't climb or touch the ancient stones
- don't eat, drink or smoke on the site
- stay neutral and polite on the subject of returning the marbles.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Stories & people
Historias y personajes
Historia
Pericles' Acropolis
In the golden age of 5th-century BC Athens, Pericles used the treasury of the Delian League to fund the building of the Acropolis complex. The Parthenon was begun in 447 BC and largely completed in 438 BC, with decoration continuing until 432 BC; the whole project was supervised by Phidias, whose own gold-and-ivory statue of Athena stood in the temple's inner chamber. More than two thousand years later, in 1687, a Venetian army bombarded the Acropolis, and gunpowder the Ottomans had stored in the temple was hit and exploded, badly damaging the temple and leaving it roughly as it is today.
Fuente: Wikipedia: Parthenon; Wikipedia: Pericles; Wikipedia: Athens
Leyenda
Athena and Poseidon compete for Athens
In myth, Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Poseidon, god of the sea, competed to be the city's protector. According to the ancient geographer Pausanias, the sculptures of the Parthenon's west pediment depicted this contest; the area of the neighbouring Erechtheion is said to have held Athena's sacred olive tree, and the temple honoured both Athena and Poseidon.
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
Masterpieces of the 5th-century BC age of Pericles: the Parthenon and the Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion freeze the reason and beauty of ancient Greece. Two and a half millennia of war and plunder (the dispute over the 'Elgin Marbles' in the British Museum continues) have not dimmed its brilliance. Standing on the summit, all Athens spreads at your feet, the Aegean breeze passes through the columns, and you can almost hear the debates of Socrates' day.
Costumbres locales
- Greeks are warm and hospitable — 'filoxenia' (hospitality) is an ancient virtue
- many sights require timed booking
- there's an afternoon siesta tradition, and some small shops close at midday.
Religión y creencias
- An ancient Greek polytheistic site, today an archaeological shrine rather than a religious place
- but Greece is an Orthodox country, so dress modestly to visit monasteries and churches — women may need a wrap skirt (often provided at the entrance).
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
Normas que se aplican aquí
Greece: don't photograph military installations
- Put your camera away when you see military-zone signs
- Approaching or photographing military installations, vehicles and buildings
It is illegal.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice
Greece: drunken rowdiness and indecent behaviour lead to arrest
- Behave appropriately in public
- Drunken rowdiness and indecent exposure
- Wearing costumes that may be seen as offensive
Police will arrest you, and courts usually impose heavy fines or prison.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice
Greece: no fires, no barbecues
- Follow fire warnings when hiking
- Lighting fires or barbecuing in the countryside
Starting a wildfire is a criminal offence, even if unintentional.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice
No lo haga DON'T
- Don't climb or touch the ancient stones
- don't eat, drink or smoke on the site
- stay neutral and polite on the subject of returning the marbles.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
- Greeks appreciate visitors who love history and are willing to slow down over a Greek coffee (ellinikos)
- learning to say 'efharisto' (thank you) earns you a radiant smile.
Plan your visit
Información práctica
| Mejor época | April–June and September–October are best — avoid the midday sun |
|---|
Consejos de viaje
- April–June and September–October are best — avoid the midday sun. Entry is by timed booking, and the combined ticket covers the Acropolis and several sites below — book on the official website in advance
- going in when it opens at 8 a.m. gives good light and few people
- the Acropolis Museum below deserves another two hours.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
Imprescindible
- Souvlaki
- Moussaka
- Greek salad
Souvlaki (grilled-meat wraps), moussaka (baked aubergine with meat sauce), horiatiki (Greek salad), pita with tzatziki (yoghurt-cucumber dip), honey yoghurt / loukoumades (honey doughnuts)
| Dónde comer | Old-town restaurants in Plaka, grill houses around Monastiraki flea market, the Acropolis Museum café |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Dress modestly at Orthodox monasteries and churches |
| Precio orientativo por persona | EUR 15–28 ≈ CNY 125–232 |
| Consejos | Plaka's main street has a view premium — go one lane in for more local places; a late lunch (2 p.m.) is the local rhythm. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
Miyagawa · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photos
Fotos
Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ggia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Jebulon · CC0
Fuentes y notas de verificación
Compiled from Greek Ministry of Culture e-ticketing information
