Lykavittos Hill and Athens urban sprawl viewed from the Acropolis.

Lykavittos Hill

Athens

LoginSave

The 277m summit of Lykavittos – 'Hill of Wolves', from ancient times, when it was wilder than it is now – gives the finest panoramas of the city and the Attic basin, nefos (pollution haze) permitting. Perched on the summit is the little Chapel of Agios Georgios, floodlit like a beacon over the city at night. Walk up the path from the top of Loukianou in Kolonaki, or take the 10-minute funicular railway from the top of Ploutarhou.

Open-air Lykavittos Theatre, northeast of the summit, is a 1960s ampitheatre which hosts concerts and other events in summer. And of course there is a cafe at the top to reward your walk.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • ATHENS, GREECE - OCTOBER 19, 2016: The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece. 572766724 acropolis, ancient, archaeological, archaeology, archeology, architecture, athena, athens, attraction, building, capital, city, civilization, classical, culture, europe, european, exterior, greece, greek, heritage, history, inside, interior, landmark, modern, museum, new, parthenon, sculpture, site, tourism, travel, view

    Acropolis Museum

    1.4 MILES

    This dazzling museum at the foot of the Acropolis' southern slope showcases its surviving treasures. The collection covers the Archaic period to the Roman…

  • Parthenon.

    Parthenon

    1.34 MILES

    Designed to be the pre-eminent monument of the Acropolis, the Parthenon epitomises the glory of Ancient Greece. Meaning 'virgin's apartment', it's…

  • Erechtheion Temple (or Erechtheum) with the figures of Caryatids at the archaeological site of Acropolis in Athens, Greece at sunset. It was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. Golden soft light; Shutterstock ID 2144514097; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: Digital; full: Digital 2144514097

    Acropolis

    1.32 MILES

    The Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost…

  • Greece, Attica, Athens, ancient grave yard Kerameikos, old columns antiquity, archaeological excavation, archaeological site, athens, attica, column, difference, divers, grave yard, historical, landmark, remains, stone, stony, travel destination, various Old columns in the ancient grave yard at Keramikos Archaeological Site.

    Kerameikos

    1.62 MILES

    This lush, tranquil site is named for the potters who settled it around 3000 BC. It was used as a cemetery through the 6th century AD. The grave markers…

  • Odeon of Agrippa statues in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece 637930866 Triton, Travel, People Traveling, Ancient Civilization, Tourism, Looking At View, Cloudscape, Giant, Antiquities, Mythology, The Ancient Agora, Art, Stone Material, Statue, Sculpture, Archaeology, Speculative Being, Greek Culture, Number, Roman, Classical Greek, Ruined, History, Ancient, Old, Cultures, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Tourist, Roman Forum, Acropolis - Athens, Athens - Greece, Attica - Greece, Greece, Europe, Animal, Marble, Cloud - Sky, Architectural Column, Monument, Old Ruin, Cityscape, agrippa, odeion, God, Odeon Cinemas

    Ancient Agora

    1.35 MILES

    The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…

  • ATHENS, GREECE - APRIL 8, 2011: Statue of hunter on the horse killing lion in Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens; Shutterstock ID 1701764272; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1701764272 ancient, art, athens, building, carving, culture, decoration, detail, greece, heritage, history, horse, hunter, landmark, late antique, lion, monument, old, relief, religion, religious, roman, sculpture, statue, stone, temple, tourism, travel, warrior

    Byzantine & Christian Museum

    0.59 MILES

    This outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…

  • G2NPXM Traditional Greek costumes on display at The Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece G2NPXM Benaki, museum, costumes, clothes, clothing, Athens, Greece, Greek, art, arts, capital, cities, city, traditional, costume, craft, crafts, cultural, heritage, culture, design, designs, display, dress, embroidery, museums, needlework, sewing, Attika

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

    0.59 MILES

    In 1930 Antonis Benakis – a politician's son born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 19th century – endowed what is perhaps the finest museum in Greece…

  • Ceramic vase like hedgehog in National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Remains of famous Ancient Greek culture. Old artifact, historical dishes, crockery and pottery. Athens - May 7, 2018; Shutterstock ID 1522798868; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1522798868 amphora, ancient, animal, antique, antiquity, archaeological, archeology, art, artifact, athens, civilization, clay, crock, crockery, culture, dish, europe, exhibition, exposition, famous, fix, greece, greek, hedgehog, hellenistic, historical, history, indoor, jar, landmark, museum, mycenae, mykines, national, old, ornate, peloponnese, pitcher, pot, pottery, roman, showcase, sightseeing, tableware, tourism, tourist, travel, vase, ware, zoomorphic

    National Archaeological Museum

    0.83 MILES

    Housing the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities in an enormous neoclassical building, this museum is one of Athens' top attractions. Treasures…

View more attractions

Nearby Athens attractions

1. Chapel of Agios Georgios

0.17 MILES

On the summit of Lykavittos Hill is the little Chapel of Agios Georgios, all in white with a dainty dome. It's floodlit at night and looks like a vision…

2. Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre

0.42 MILES

Established in 1988, this venerable arts hub in a warehouse is one of the more prestigious places to exhibit in the city. Shows include both Greek and…

3. Agiou Dionysiou Aeropagitou Church

0.47 MILES

This massive church, named after Athens' patron saint, towers over a small plaza. Duck inside to see beautiful paintings by Spiros Vasiliou, splendid…

4. The Runner

0.49 MILES

Thousands of jagged sheets of glass piled on top of each other create the dynamic shape of this striking sculpture of what really does appear to be a…

5. War Museum

0.53 MILES

This relic of the junta years is a stark architectural statement of the times. But its displays of weapons, maps, armour and models from the Mycenaean…

6. National Gallery

0.54 MILES

Greece’s national art museum has been closed since 2013 for rebuilding; it's not set to be completed until around 2022. In the meantime, a portion of the…

7. Museum of Cycladic Art

0.56 MILES

The 1st floor of this exceptional private museum is dedicated to the iconic minimalist marble Cycladic figurines, dating from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. They…

8. Aristotle's Lyceum

0.58 MILES

Excavated only in 2011, this site is not much to look at – only building outlines are visible – but it is hallowed ground. Aristotle founded his school…