Acropolis of Athens
On Gingerguide's self-guided Athens audio tour, Acropolis of Athens is a stop worth about ~90 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Athens Athens guide
About Acropolis of Athens
A sacred rock at the heart of Athens, crowned by the marble temples of its golden age and dedicated to the goddess who gave the city her name.
The Acropolis of Athens is a rocky citadel rising around 150 metres above the modern city, its flat summit of roughly three hectares crowned by the ruins of ancient Greece's most celebrated sanctuary. Its name joins the Greek words akron, a high point, and polis, city. The site was dedicated above all to Athena, the city's patron goddess. Most of the surviving monuments were built in the second half of the 5th century BC, under the statesman Pericles, after a Persian army sacked the older temples on the rock in 480 BC.
The Periclean building programme was overseen by the sculptor Pheidias and employed architects including Iktinos, Kallikrates and Mnesikles. Its four principal Classical monuments are the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike. Column drums from the earlier, unfinished Parthenon were built into the north wall as a memorial of the Persian war. The Acropolis was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Did you know? The word Acropolis is entirely practical. It joins akron, meaning a high point or edge, with polis, meaning city, so the grand sanctuary's name translates to nothing more romantic than 'the high city'.
How much time do you need at Acropolis of Athens?
Around ~90 min works well for Acropolis of Athens — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Acropolis of Athens?
Yes — Acropolis of Athens made the cut as one of 35 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Athens. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Athens
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Acropolis of Athens and read more:
Day 1 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Acropolis of Athens
Preview the Athens tour free in the Gingerguide app.