An unorthodox walk of ancient Athens fortifications (and other minor sites)

Besides the major ancient monuments that most Athens visitors come here to see, a number of smaller, minor sites and marks are scattered around, dotting the urban landscape as visual reminders of the rich and varied history of the city. You may find yourselves unexpectedly facing them as you walk around Athens or you can create yourselves an admittedly awkward tour of Athens based on these minor sites, near and around the major ones. 

Most of these “mini-sites” are remnants of the ancient Athens fortifications. Walls that Athenians, urged by Themistocles, built at various phases in the 5th century BC, to protect the city from invaders and mainly the ancient Spartans. These are called Themistoclean Walls. Athenians were so hasty to build these fortifications that they used whatever type of material was available at the moment. Even parts of buildings, statues and funerary monuments were used as building blocks in the wall. An additional segment of fortification, called the Diateichisma and connected to the Themistoclean Walls was built near the area of Philopappos Hill. Another major fortification, 7kms long, are the so-called Long Walls, that were built to secure the contact of ancient Athens with its port of Piraeus, again in the 5th century BC. Parts of these fortifications have also been unearthed during excavations or construction of newer buildings and have been fenced and preserved. 

I put together a list of such minor archaeological sites, in the form of a long walk around Athens (see map at the bottom). If you follow this route you will also come across most major sites, but here the order is inverse. The focus is on the minor sites  while the major ones form the background!

Your unorthodox walk starts from the center of Athens, diagonally across Syntagma Square:

1) At the corner of Vasilissis Sofias Ave. & Panepistimiou (a.k.a. Eleftheriou Venizelou) St., in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you’ll see a planted dug-out, with a sign alerting to the presence of “Ancient Athenian fortifications”. 

Ancient Athens fortifications at the corner of Vassilissis Sofias & Panepistimiou, city-center, Athens, Greece

Walk along past the Parliament building, with the National Garden and the Zappeion to your left,  to reach…

2) The roofed excavations of some ancient Roman baths, at Leoforos Amalias.

Roman baths - Excavation at Leoforos Amalias, Athens (city-center), Greece

Roman baths - Excavation at Leoforos Amalias, Athens (city-center), Greece

Roman baths - Excavation at Leoforos Amalias, Athens (city-center), Greece

Walking further down, past Amalias, on Sygrou Ave. you turn right at No.46, on Petmeza St.

3) At the corner of Petmeza St. and Falirou St. you’ll see excavations discovered during the building of the Athens Metro in 1996-98. A number of graves, both ancient (5th century BC) and Early Christian (5th century AD) were discovered in this area, slightly outside the city walls and near the ancient road that led from Athens to the port of Falero.

Mini-archeological site at the corner of Petmeza St. & Falirou St. [Makrygianni neighborhood], Athens, Greece

Mini-archeological site at the corner of Petmeza St. & Falirou St. [Makrygianni neighborhood], Athens, Greece

Moving back towards the direction of the Acropolis, along various back-streets,  you reach the big pedestrian walk (Dionysiou Areopagitou) below the Acropolis. At the point where the pedestrian walk makes a sharp turn to the right and  starts heading down to Thission as Apostolou Pavlou) you’ll see a smaller pedestrian road heading off to the left, up a hill. Follow this to reach the church of Aghios Dimitrios Loumpardiaris constructed by architect Dimitris Pikionis.

4) Across the church you’ll see remnants of the Diateichisma fortifications. Follow the path up the Hill of the Muses (Philopappos) and you’ll see more remains of the Diateichisma to your right (and a great view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon as a bonus).

Diateichisma fortifications, Aghios Dimitrios Loumpardiaris / Philopappos Hill, Athens, Greece

Diateichisma fortifications, Aghios Dimitrios Loumpardiaris / Philopappos Hill, Athens, Greece

View of the Athens Acropolis from Philopappos Hill, Athens, Greece

Return back to the pedestrian walk and continue left (along Apostolou Pavlou) to reach the neighborhood of Thission. Turn left at Herakleidon St. (also mostly pedestrianized) with its cafeterias. 

5) As you walk along Herakleidon St., at the corner with Erysichthonos St., you’ll see another fenced dug-out with ancient ruins from the city’s fortifications. This part was called the Proteichisma (outer wall).

Proteichisma (outer wall) of ancient Athens fortifications, at Herakleidon St., Athens, Greece

Move on toward the end of Herakleidon St. and then to the right, inside the small park, at the end of Ermou St., to reach the entrance of… 

6) Kerameikos Archeological site and museum: this is the best preserved part of the Themistoclean Walls and you can even see them from the fence without going inside (I’ve presented Kerameikos separately in the past as it’s a site of major significance). The walls continue outside the archaeological site and part of them can be seen at the…

Kerameikos cemetery / archeological site: the ancient Themistoclean Walls can be seen at the middle-right.

7) …Museum of Islamic Art (22 Aghion Asomaton St.), at the basement level (Level -1), that has been constructed in such a way as to allow visitors to see the ancient walls that are right under the building (more on the museum of Islamic art here).

Walk back up the busy Ermou St., towards city center, past Monastiraki Sq. and turn left on Aiolou St. (also pedestrianized) for the final part of this walk of ancient Athens fortifications. 

8) At 86 Aiolou St., you’ll see the Headquarters of the National Bank of Greece. Part of the ancient fortifications was also discovered and preserved here, at the foundation of the building, making for a most interesting combination of ancient and modern architecture.

Ancient Athens fortifications at the ground floor of the National Bank of Greece headquarters, Athens, Greece

Ancient Athens ruins outside the National Bank of Greece headquarters, 86 Aiolou St., Athens, Greece

9) A few meters down the road, right on City Hall Square (a.k.a. Plateia Kotzia) you’ll find the final stop of this strange walk. It’s an unearthed segment of the ancient “Acharnean Street” (leading to the northern town of Acharnae) with ruins from ancient tombs and pottery shops on both sides of the ancient road.

Ruins of the ancient Acharnean Street, right outside the Athens fortifications, on modern-day Aiolou St. / City Hall Square in Athens city center, Greece

If you are even more adventurous, and in tip-top shape, for some additional “minor sights” you may head out from city center to Akademia Platonos and Colonus Hill to the west. I’ve presented them separately here (and here).

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Back to Plato's Academy (pt.2)

The video installations at Plato’s Academy (Akademia Platonos) were all at the western section of the park. We  (we being wife and I) thought it proper to check out the north-eastern section as well, before night would set upon us for good. Exiting the park at Kratylou St. we walked to the left and across the street, searching for the preserved ruins of Akademos’ “Sacred House”. We did not see any improvement in the site from the last time we were here but, on top, we came across what seemed like a scene from a disaster movie.

Palm trees at Akademia Platonos, Athens, infected by the red palm weevil 

Palm trees at Akademia Platonos, Athens, infected by the red palm weevil 

I remembered a couple of articles I’d read about the “red beetle” (aka “red palm weevil”) and the havoc it’s causing in palm trees throughout Greece. This invasive species was introduced into Greece from affected palm trees about ten years ago, after being detected in various other Mediterranean countries. It feeds on the interior of palm trees and often causes their destruction. EU authorities were late in banning its import several years ago and Greek authorities have mostly been caught off guard when it comes to protecting palm trees in urban parks and other public spaces. This seemed to be one such case, with palm tree branches and leaves having wilted under the attack of their enemy. 

Palm tree trunk (middle of the picture), destroyed by the red palm weevil, at Akademia Platonos park, Athens, Greece 

Yet, the light of dusk did provide for some interesting photos and the air of destruction only added to that effect. 

Akademia Platonos park at dusk. Athens, Greece.

Akademia Platonos park / archaeological site at dusk. Athens, Greece.

Evening practice at a soccer field; next to Akademia Platonos park. Athens, Greece 

I’ll be curious to see the new landscaping choices for this park and how the red beetle problem gets treated, at least in  the case of Akademia Platonos. Once I do, I’ll let you all Plato fans out there know about it!

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Day trip (from Athens) to Vravrona (updated: 2014-12-10)

If you're looking for ideas for day-trips from Athens, and you are not eager to get on a boat, this  is worth you consideration. Vravrona is nowadays a small settlement of country houses, in the east coast of Attika (east of Athens),  where some Athenians spend their summers, close to the city. You may also see it referred as "Brauron" by scholars of ancient Greek. The place stands out from all other settlements in east Attica due to the presence of a significant, two and a half thousand years old ancient Greek sanctuary, dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunting, and a small but interesting archaeological museum with findings from this area. You may combine your visit here with swimming at the sea (or a  nearby hotel's pool) and a lunch or dinner in a seaside taverna. Depending on how you get here you may need to do some walking (see detailed directions on how to go to Vravrona at the bottom of this post).

Vravrona Archaeological Site - View from the fence

The site is nestled between a rocky hill, a small stream which in ancient times created a verdant wood –suitable for the goddess of hunting– and the seaside where the stream ends up. Archaeologists believe the cult of Artemis and this particular temple to have been really important in ancient times. A sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia (Artemis of Vravrona) had been erected on the Athens Acropolis and every 5 years a large procession from Athens to Vravrona took place in honor of the goddess The archaeological site had been closed to the public for conservation work for a number of years but it is now (12/2014) back open (Winter Hours: Tue-Sun: 08:00am-2:45pm, Tel: +30-22990-27020). In the pictures below you may catch a glimpse of the overall site and the arcade (stoa), which is the most significant remainining edifice, the way they looked from the surrounding fence when I visited in 2012. The museum does a good job presenting the site, the excavations and various findings and it'll take you 40-60 mins to tour (Tue-Sun: 09:00-16:00 from June 8 till Oct.31; call for winter hours as they may change. Ticket price: 3€, 2€ reduced for EU seniors, free for all under 18, Tel: +30-22990-27020).
 
Artemis herself (Diana was her Roman equivalent) was not only the goddess of hunting but also of nature, children and especially girls, and nursing and you can see signs of all this from the findings displayed in the museum. As for the stream, it is still present but the area is now a "wetland", not a "hunting ground" :) Follow the path that starts beyond the entrance of the museum to reach the site's rear side and the stream / wetland.

Vravrona Archaeological Museum entrance

Bronze cauldron - Vravrona Archaeological Museum

Duck-shaped vessel - Vravrona Archaeological Museum

Statue of Goddess Artemis - Vravrona Archaeological Museum

Votive relief picturing goddess Artemis - Vravrona Archeological Museum

Ancient Greek babies statues! (Artemis was the protectress of children) - Vravrona Archeological Museum

Feeding bottles for ancient Greek babies - Vravrona Archeological Museum 

Vravrona Archaeological Site - under works...

The Stoa (arcade) of the temple at Vravrona Archaeological Site - View from the rear fence / access from the path behind the museum

Now that you're done with the educational part of your day trip it's time to hit the beach! There are 2 options nearby: Either continue south (from the road that took you to the museum) to what I call "Beach No.2" in the map below (also referred to as Chamolia) or go back north, to the beach in front of the "Mare Nostrum Hotel" ("Beach No.1"). Both offer shallow and usually calm  and clean waters that will allow you to relax and enjoy your time here. The above said hotel also has a pool that can be accessed by non-guests for a small fee.

Vravrona Bay - View from the road near Mare Nostrum Hotel

Finally, there are various options for lunch or dinner in the area but the best value seems to be offered by a small seaside restaurant called "Artemis", which you'll find if you deviate from the main road, just before you get to the Mare Nostrum Hotel, to the right (towards the sea). They have a reputation, which we were happy to confirm, for some very tender, well-fried calamari rings (probably as good as you can get in a fish-tavern). We also got an excellent, succulent boiled octopus appetizer and a, rather boring, Greek salad. Together with 2 portions of squid rings and a bottle of beer, a dinner for two here cost us 36.5€. A fresh, fried cod fish cost us 23 Euros on a separate occasion (in 2014).

Tip: Make sure you carry a mosquito repellent with you if you stay in the area for dinner

View Vravrona (Brauron) day trip map in a larger map

Getting to Vravrona from Athens

Vravrona is around 40kms away from Athens. There are various options for getting here and I present them all below but you should plan for more than an hour (or even two!) of travel if you don't use a car. So, the best option (45minutes travel) is to either hire a car or get a taxi if you can split the cost.

Public transit: Starting from Nomismatokopeio Metro Station (Line 3) you may catch urban Bus 304. Terminal stop is in front of Mare Nostrum Hotel. Buses leave from 5:35 and approximately every half an hour till 21:15. Return buses from Vravrona to Halandri (Nomismatokopeio Metro Station) from 05:00 till 22:15.

Bus 316 (same starting and terminal stop) has very few routes but the last one is at 23:15. You will need to walk to the archaeological site (almost 2kms if you choose this option). The urban bus is the cheapest option but you should plan for 1.5hour of travel overall.

-A slightly faster option, but considerably more expensive (around 20€)  would be to get to the airport with one of the (more expensive) Express Buses (X93, X95) from Athens to the airport, or go to the airport via Metro Line 3 and catch a taxi to Vravrona from there.

-Similarly, KTEL (intercity) buses with their starting point at Mavromataion St. & Alexandras Avenue (Plateia Egyptou) in Athens (see here) leave every 30min or so for Markopoulo (2012 ticket price: 2.70€). From there, you can get a taxi-cab to the archaeological museum (11km / 15min. away). You will need to walk from the museum to the beach, about 2kms, if you choose this option.

By car: Follow Attiki Odos (Athens' Ring Road) all the way to Markopoulo. About 2kms after the end of Attiki Odos (see map above from this point on), you will see a sign pointing left and a traffic light where you turn left to Markopoulo. If you miss this there’s another one after 300 m (300yards) where you may also turn left. You will stay on the road that has most of the traffic, following signs to Mare Nostrum Hotel and then (left turn) on the road to Porto Rafti. 2kms on the road to Porto Rafti and after having passed some big box shops to your right (the last one being “Caldera” swimsuit factory to your right), the road has a median lane with a sign for a left turn. Stop and carefully turn left here, following the road (Leoforos Vravronos) to Vravrona. After 6kms, and having passed several road-side carts selling fruit and vegetables, the road splits. The left branch will get you in front of Mare Nostrum Hotel after 1.7km. The right one gets you to the archaeological museum and site (1km) and then to the 2nd beach of Vravrona (2kms more).

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The ancient cemetery of Kerameikos

It's not often that you have the chance to walk in a 30 centuries old cemetery, in the middle of a city, but Athens gives you just that opportunity! The ancient burial grounds of Kerameikos, outside the city walls of ancient Athens, have been turned into an archaeological site, very close to city center and easily accessible  on foot or by Metro. A small museum is also found inside the site, hosting burial monuments found in the area (statues, tomb plaques, toys and other belongings of the dead, etc.)

The ancient district of Kerameikos was located in the northwestern part of Athens. Part of it was inside the city walls -an urban area dotted with many pottery (ceramic) workshops, hence the name Kerameikos- while the part outside the city walls served as burial grounds. This function of Kerameikos as a cemetery lasted for at least 16 centuries! From around 12^th century BC to 4^th century AD, although the oldest, isolated graves found here date back to the Bronze Age! The River Eridanos ran and -kind of- still runs through it, though you could barely call it a stream today. [More on Eridanos and the rivers of Athens in a future post]. The presence of the burial grounds may be related to the presence of Eridanos and the fact that this area was a marshland in ancient times.

The key to understanding the site is to locate the walls (fortifications) of ancient Athens. As you enter the site and start walking down the path on your right hand side, you will see them to your right. The walls, surrounding the whole then city of Athens were built in three, separate phases and here you can see traces of all three of them. On your right hand side, behind the walls, lay the potters’ district, the Inner Kerameikos.

Outer Kerameikos. See the ruins of Athens fortifications to the right .

Two gates were built at these walls and their remains can be seen till today: the Sacred Gate and the Dipylon Gate.

As you walk down the path, you come across a dirt path which, in ancient times, was called the Sacred Way (Iera Odos) as it started from the Sacred Gate that is right there on your right and went all the way to the city of Eleusis (Elefsina in modern Greek), home of the religious ceremonies of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The Sacred Gate crossed over the River Eridanos, which can still be discerned as a small creek today.

Eridanos River, the Sacred Gate over it and the Sacred Way to the left.

There was also a separate branch which went southwest to the port of Piraeus, marked by archaeologists as the Way of the Tombs.

Further north laid the Dipylon Gate (which essentially means ‘double gate’). A double-arched, fortified, tower structure that was considered Athens' main gate back in the time. This was the starting point of the ancient Dromos (Road) that led to Plato’s Academy, 1 mile northwest of here. Right outside the Dipylon Gate was the public graveyard (Demosion Sema) where Athens' notable citizens were buried, at public expense. This is where Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oration, at the start of the Peloponnesian War in 430BC. Part of this site is now occupied by what many archaeologists consider an intentionally large and invasive Christian Orthodox church.

Books on Pericles' Funeral Oration (Amazon.co.uk)
Books on Pericles' Funeral Oration (Amazon.com)

A funerary monument found on site. See how the dead (in this case the woman depicted here)  never look  face to face with their friends and relatives as they have crossed the line to the underworld. For ancient Greeks there was no afterlife. 

Both of these roads (the Iera Odos and the Dromos) used to be lined with funerary sculptures on both sides, as these were the major burial grounds of ancient Athens. The excavations that have taken place here allow us to get an idea of what these roads must have been like as sculptures can still be seen today, in their original positions, along the starting segment of the Iera Odos and are quite impressive. Try to imagine 12 continuous miles of road, lined with burial monuments all the way to Eleusis. What an amazing, awe-inspiring sight this would be! The sculptures currently left in the open air are exact replicas of the originals, kept inside the museum.

The Way of the Tombs (branch of the Sacred Way)

At the inside of the walls (near the eastern border of the site) was the Propylon – another, interior, gate. The road from here led all the way to the Acropolis and during the Panathenean Games a boat on wheels with the veil of the Goddess Athena was carried here all the way from the Parthenon. You can still see the cuts left in the stone to accommodate the boat's wheels.

The base of the Propylon. See the lines curved on the stones.

Overall, this is a beautiful archaeological park, very pleasant to walk around and not at all morbid, besides the nature of the site. It is planted with native Mediterranean vegetation, and has views to many Athens sights such as the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill and the nearby Technopolis-Gazi former factory. Finally, the signs installed by archaeologists are surprisingly informative and easy to understand (in Greek, English, German). The small Kerameikos Museum itself is a nice addition to the site and completes the picture in a very nice manner.

A funerary monument depicting a bull. This is the original kept inside the Kerameikos Museum.

Part of an ancient tomb at Kerameikos archaeological site.

Directions

Location: Last block of Ermou St., right hand side (almost at the junction with Pireos St.) 

There are three ways to get to Kerameikos: 

a) Walk all the way down from Syntagma Sq. or Monastiraki Sq. along Ermou St. Ermou seems to stop at Thission but in fact it continues beyond the mini-square that interrupts it for another few blocks as a pedestrian street. The entrance is towards the end of the fenced area, on your right hand side.

b) Get off the Metro at Thission Metro Station (Green Line 1) and then turn left all the way as you exit the station. Follow the pedestrianized part of Ermou St., as above, till you reach the entrance.

c) Get off at Keramikos Metro Station (Blue Line 3). Walk towards the Technopolis Gazi and beyond it, to Pireos St.. Cross Pireos St. and go to the small grassy park. Walk through the park to reach the end of Ermou St. and the archaeological site on your left hand side.

Admission: 2€ / 1€ reduced for EU citizens >65, non-EU students / free for EU university students, persons <=18. Also, included in the unified ticket package that covers the "Athens Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Kerameikos Museum, North slope of Acropolis, Southern slope of Acropolis, Olympian Zeus Temple" (12€ / 6€).

Additional sights nearby:

Thission with its cafeterias and restaurants is just a short walk away, along with the restaurants of Psirri and Monastiraki.
The two Jewish Synagogues of Athens are very close by. 

The Museum of Islamic Art (by the Benaki Foundation) is found right across the site.

Technopolis Gazi is also right there, together with various clubs / bars that have opened up at the lower part of Pireos St. (Bios, Nixon, etc.)

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More pigs... This time at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens

People who haven't caught the pig collection virus may think that this is a bit too much. First I write about pigs at the Acropolis Museum and now it’s pigs at the National Archaeological Museum? I could present this as another child-friendly post, bridging games and archaeology, but the truth is that the National Archaeological Museum is too big to go pig hunting in its halls! Make no mistake, us pig collectors may be a bit shy sharing our addiction with others (sympathetic ears are hard to find) but no matter how hard we try it always finds a way to creep in, even in the most unusual of circumstances. As there’s a big number of pig collectors in this world (more than you would guess…) and some of them will certainly come to Greece for vacation at some point this is not entirely self-centered. So, enjoy my discoveries of ancient, wild, pigs depicted in artifacts found in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and get a small glimpse of the ancient treasures found there.

Ground Floor, Room 4 (third section)

The Tiryns Wall Paintings: The Akrotiri wall-paintings from the island of Santorini (found on the upper floor) may be more famous, but in the central hall (Room 4) of the ground floor, you will find two wall-paintings (at your right hand side) depicting a wild boar hunt, as the boar is being attacked by hunting dogs. The dogs look a bit pig-faced too if you ask me, but this may just be me.

Ground Floor, Room No. 5 (far end)

Further on at the ground floor (left hand side) you will find a Bronze Age (3^rd century BC) piggy-bank shaped vase from Poliochni in the island of Lemnos (No.22 in its window).

Ground Floor, Room No. 10 (far end)

You will see a votive relief(*) depicting Heracles (aka Hercules) capturing and carrying the Erymanthian boar (one of the “twelve labours of Hercules” in ancient Greek mythology)

(*) [You will see the term votive offering many times in the museum: it means an object deposited in a sacred place to gain favor of supernatural forces]

Ground Floor, Room No. 28 (far left corner)

In this room, people gather around the bronze statue of a young man who is probably Paris holding the Golden Apple of Eris (Discord) but in the far left corner, behind the young man you will notice the remnant of a 4^th century BC marble boar head, found in an ancient temple at Tegea, Arcadia, depicting the hunt for the Calydonian boar. I think I must have been the only one to ever take a picture of it! J And if the young man is indeed Paris with the golden apple then you have a pig and an apple in the same room… (If you’re too serious about ancient art you’ll have to forgive me…)

Ground Floor, Room No. 32

This same Calydonian boar is depicted in a very well preserved sarcophagus, from the 2^nd century AD, together with the whole scene of its hunting. The marble sarcophagus was found near the city of Patra in western Greece. BTW, if you are into gory and morbid subjects the –much smaller– Archeological Museum of Patra has a whole section on ancient death rituals with sarcophagi, tombs and the like…

Ground Floor, Room No. 36 (Metallurgy / Karapanos collection)

Part of a collection donated by 19^th-20^th century Greek politician Konstantinos Karapanos is an amazing “pair of lead jumping weights in the shape of a boar” (Kar. 855a, 855b), found in the ancient temple of Dodona, near the NW city of Ioannina.

Upper Floor, Room No. 55 (or 54) (ceramics collection)

There’s a really interesting 5^th century BC small vase (lekythos) here, among myriads of others: A depiction of a tale from Odyssey: “Odysseus’ (a.k.a. Ulysses’) companions turned into swine” by the witch Circe (a.k.a. Kirke). The vase is in black – red colours, “from Boeotia” and painted “in the manner of the Bowdoin Painter” 480-470BC. (9685).

Of course, pigs (should I say boars?) are not the only animals or objects of interest to be depicted in ancient artifacts found in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, but for the rest you’ll have to go searching on your own. If you think I’m not taking ancient art seriously, that would only show you don’t know much about pigs :) [Update: ...and as I just found out, ancient Greek pigs are the subject of study of a University of Buffalo professor. Read on: Hog Wild in Athens B.C.E.! Role of Pigs in Social and Religious Life Provides Insights into Ancient Greece] As always, your comments are more than welcome!

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