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The hill of Lycabettus and the view of Athens
The hill of Lycabettus is one of the most favorite locations of the capital’ s residents as it offers a panoramic view of the entire city. The view from Lycabettus Hill is perhaps most worthwhile as the light falls and at night when the millions of lights of Athens illuminate the Attic sky and Athens seems to glow as the darkness thoroughly hides the grey hue of the city, the smog and the crampedness of the apartment buildings in most of the city.
However, on a day with good visibility and a clear atmosphere you will be able to enjoy the expanse of the metropolis, the three mountains that surround the basin(Ymittos, Penteli and Parnitha) and the opening to the sea and the Saronic Gulf, the coast of Aegina and the Peloponnese.
At night, however, the view is excellent especially on the top of the hill of Lycabettus where you will find the chapel of Agios Georgios (see photos of the Resurrection at Lycabettus and Agios Georgios).
From wherever you stand you will see a large part of the city while the best spots could not be other than those overlooking the Acropolis and the Parthenon as they have been standing for 2,500 years, today above the low houses and the alleys of Plaka, perhaps the most beautiful part of Athens with its steps, the picturesque narrow streets, the taverns and the houses with the tile roofs just as they were half a century ago!
The view from the Lycabettus Hill attracts tourists
We visited Lycabettus Hill after 3-4 years, in April 2022, and we were very impressed by the excessive number of tourists who now visit the path from the steps in Kolonaki to the top at the chapel of Agios Georgios. It seems that the Instagram has done its job since in a few years, a beautiful part of the city but relatively unknown to the tourist masses, has emerged as a top destination for the “necessary” selfies!
It is certainly linked to the significant increase in tourism in Athens in 2022 and the fact that Athens now (July 2022) has become a destination of 3-4 days as opposed to a few years ago when most tourists visited Athens for 1-2 days at most, for the necessary visit to the Parthenon, before fleeing to the Aegean islands, Crete or the Ionian Islands (and other destinations of course).
From these points you will also see the Greek Parliament and Syntagma Square, Zappeion, Panathinaiko Stadium and other places of interest in Athens.
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Access to Lycabettus
To enjoy the view from Lycabettus Hill you can get there in three ways:
- By car/motorbike, which you leave in the large parking lot next to the Lycabettus Open Theater.
- On foot by following the perimeter road above Kolonaki and then climbing the large stairs (you need to be in relatively good physical condition unless you stop at the benches to see Athens as you go up).
- By cable car to Kolonaki and specifically to the end of Aristippou Street.
Most of the photos of the Acropolis and the Parthenon from the Lycabettus Hill are taken on the evening of the Resurrection, St. George’s Church, Easter 2010!
text/photos: Yannis Tsouratzis
Lycabettus map
Λόφος Λυκαβηττού / Lycabettus-Athens
Λόφος Λυκαβηττού / Lycabettus-Athens 11471, Greece
Λόφος Λυκαβηττού / Lycabettus-Athens
Useful phone numbers – Athens
- Acropolis Museum: +30 210 9000900
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- Police: 100
- Tourist Police: 171
- First Aid: 166
- Fire brigade: 199
- Town Hall: 1595
- Social Assistance: 197
- Local Buses: 185
- Ferry, Ferry, Train and Bus routes: 14944
- Athens Traffic Police: 210-5230111
- Piraeus Traffic Police: +30 210-4113832
Accommodation in Athens
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