Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 210 900 0901;
www.theacropolismuseum.gr
;
Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Makrygianni; adult/con-
cession €5/3; 8am-8pm Tue-Sun, to 10pm Fri Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, to 10pm Fri,
9am-8pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar; Akropoli)
The long-awaited Acropolis Museum opened
with much fanfare in 2009 in the southern foothills of the Acropolis. Ten times larger
than the former on-site museum, the imposing modernist building brings together the
surviving treasures of the Acropolis, including items formerly held in other museums or
storage, as well as pieces returned from foreign museums. The
restaurant
has superb
views (and is surprisingly good value) and there's a fine museum
shop
.
Designed by US-based architect Bernard Tschumi, with Greek architect Michael Pho-
tiadis, the €130-million museum cleverly showcases layers of history, floating above the
ruins and with the Acropolis visible above, thus allowing visitors to see the masterpieces
in context.
While the collection covers the Archaic and Roman periods, the emphasis is on the
Acropolis of the 5th century BC, considered the apotheosis of Greece's artistic achieve-
ment.
Filopappou Hill
PARK
( Akropoli)
Also called the Hill of the Muses, Filopappou Hill - along with the Hills of
the Pnyx and Nymphs - was, according to Plutarch, where Thesues and the Amazons did
battle. Inhabited from prehistoric times to the post-Byzantine era, today the pine-clad
slopes are a relaxing place for a stroll. They offer excellent views of Attica and the
Saronic Gulf, well-signed ruins and some of the very best vantage points for photograph-
ing the Acropolis.
The hill is identifiable to the southwest of the Acropolis by the
Monument of Filopap-
114 and 116 in honour of Julius Antiochus Filopappos, who was a prominent Roman
consul and administrator.
The paved path to the top starts near the
periptero
(kiosk) on Dionysiou Areopagitou.
Areopagus Hill
PARK
