Private Full-Day Tour of Athens and Temple of Poseidon

Overlooking Syntagma Square, it was originally the royal palace of King Otto and Queen Amalia, the first monarchs of Greece. Designed in the neoclassical style by Friedrich von Gartner, the palace was completed in 1843. It was used as the Royal Residence until 1924 and, since 1934, has housed the Greek Parliament. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument in honor of the servicemen who fell in the struggle for Greek Independence, is located in the forecourt of the building. The Tomb is guarded by the Presidential Guard(‘Evzones’) in traditional dress, whose intricately orchestrated changing of the guard at the turn of the hour attracts many visitors, who also take the opportunity to feed the ubiquitous flocks of pigeons.

The National Library is the leading custodian and administrator of the Hellenic intellectual reserve. It was founded by Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1829 and its course is parallel to the history of the Greek state. It is reached via an impressive sculpted marble staircase.

Construction of the temple began in the 6th century BC under the tyrants Hippias and Hipparchos, at the site of the ruins of an earlier temple built by their father, the tyrant Peisistratus. The Temple stood unfinished throughout the ‘Golden Century’ of Athens and was only completed by Roman governor Hadrian, known as the ‘Philhellene’, in 132AD. The Temple was huge by ancient standards, rivaling other colossal famous Temples such as the Heraion in Samos, and featured a large gold and ivory statue of Zeus in its cella. Today, only fifteen of its original 104 columns are still standing. A sixteenth column lies on the ground, where it fell during a storm in the 19th century.

A stadium existed on this site from as early as the 4th century BC, when it was used for the mystical Ceremonies held for the Panathenaic Festival in honor of Athena, patron-goddess of the City of Athens. Roman governor Hadrian had also constructed a stadium at this site, where gladiatorial contests and shows were put on for the Athenian public. The ancient stadium was completely restored - as an exact replica of the ancient original - in the late 19th-century, in order to host the first modern Olympiad in 1896. During the Athens Olympic Games of 2004, this gleaming white Pentelic-marble stadium provided the venue for the archery event as well as for the the culmination of the marathon run: since then, the Athens Marathon has also finished inside the stadium (and this year’s event, to be held on November 12, is no exception). Visitors can walk up to the stadium but are not allowed to enter its grounds. Unless you are completing a marathon...