Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.
The word Acropolis is from Greek ἄκρον (akron) 'highest point, extremity' and πόλις (polis) 'city'. The term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece. During ancient times the Acropolis of Athens was also more properly known as Cecropia (Κεκροπία), after the legendary serpent-man Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king.
Getting around Acropolis of Athens the local way
- Get inGenerally, pedestrian ferry users will be closer than cruise passengers to the Metro station providing access to central Athens; walking distances can vary considerably.
- Go nextPiraeus - the harbour of Athens, and Rafina (on the east coast of Attica) are the departure points for a large number of ferry services to the Greek Islands and other destinations in the eastern Mediterranean, including ports in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Israel and Cyprus.
- Go nextThe closest islands, suitable for a day trip from Piraeus, are in the Argosaronic (or Saronic) gulf: Hydra Aegina Poros Spetses Kea (also pronounced Tzia) is a very nearby destination, too, less than two hours from the port of Lavrio.
- Go nextFrom here you can continue to Kymi and take the ferry to Skyros island or choose to explore the islands hidden gems.
- Go nextDay trips to the Corinth Canal, the ancient theatre at Epidaurus and to the ancient sites of Olympia, Delphi and Mycenae are easy with a rental car.
From Wikivoyage: Athens, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de), Wikimedia Commons.