Athens Acropolis and Museum:
Hanging in Athena’s House

There is, I think, very little I can tell you about the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens that you haven’t already learned in a high school History class.

Its a place to find ancient temples and statues dedicated by (and often to) the ruling elite of Ancient Athens.

It was once the haunt of some of the world’s most influential thinkers and philosophers. Socrates’ trial was held just down the hill from here.

And of course, the place is flooded with tourists. Even on a series of long-exposure shots from the top of the Acropolis, I could never quite make them all disappear.

The Acropolis and Parthenon (which, for the record, is specifically the goddess Athena’s temple atop the Acropolis Hill) are rightly a source of pride for the city of Athens.

Which might go to explain why such a great museum was built to describe the rich history of this ancient area.

I nearly skipped the New Acropolis in favor of the beautiful weather Athens threw at me the entire time I was in town, but I would have been mistaken to do so (and so would you be!)

Not only are the views out towards the Acropolis itself amazing, but with a good guide the background and political circumstance that built ancient Athens and the Acropolis come a little bit to life as you walk through these halls filled with ancient artifacts.

Of course, without the history the whole place is just so much marble.

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The Acropolis and Museum are both super easy to visit on your own (though take a guidebook or something to the Acropolis for a better grasp of the history). I, however, visited as part of a tour I was photographing for GetYourGuide. If you decide you’d rather go with a guide, I went with this Athens City and New Acropolis Museum tour.