Athens Monuments

Thinking about my trip to Athens, Greece.

I was thinking, what are all the cool ancient monuments we should see?

Looking at google maps, many are in the city center, in walking distance of each other.

Searching google returns pages and pages of travel-blog-ad-spam. Useless.

Here’s what gpt5.1 gave me:

Acropolis of Athens – The iconic hilltop citadel overlooking the city.
- Parthenon – The most famous temple dedicated to Athena.
- Erechtheion & Caryatids, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike.
Temple of Olympian Zeus – Once one of the largest temples in the ancient world.
Hadrian’s Arch – Monumental gateway built in honor of Emperor Hadrian.
Ancient Agora of Athens – Heart of ancient political and social life; includes the Temple of Hephaestus.
Roman Agora – Includes the Tower of the Winds, an ancient weather and timekeeping structure.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus – A beautifully preserved Roman amphitheater still used for performances.
Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro) – The world’s only stadium built entirely of marble; site of the first modern Olympic Games.
Syntagma Square & Hellenic Parliament – Known for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Lycabettus Hill – Not a monument per se, but one of the best viewpoints over Athens and the Acropolis.

Great, but there are other things not on there though, e.g. Prison of Socrates on Philopappos Hill.

If only it could plot them on a google map as a walking tour for me…:)

I think Gemini can. It generated a map and it has some/most of the places in 7 stops (6.6 km, 1 hour 42 minutes):

Details:

Monuments: Syntagma Square & Hellenic Parliament
Highlight: This is the political heart of the city. Be sure to witness the Changing of the Guard ceremony performed by the Evzones (Presidential Guard) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in front of the Parliament building.

Monument: Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro)
Route: Head southeast from Syntagma Square down Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias.
Highlight: This is the Kallimarmaro (“beautiful marble”) stadium, rebuilt entirely of marble for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

Monuments: Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch
Route: Head west from the stadium across the National Garden.
Highlight: Walk through Hadrian’s Arch, a monumental gateway that once separated the ancient Greek city from Roman Athens, and explore the massive ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Monuments: Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Erechtheion & Caryatids, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, and Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Route: Walk northwest, passing through the Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian street.
Highlight: This is the climax of your tour. Before ascending the hill, you will pass the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the southern slope. At the top, you’ll find the majestic Parthenon, the Erechtheion (with the famous Caryatid statues), the Propylaea entrance, and the small Temple of Athena Nike.

Monuments: Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds
Route: Descend the Acropolis towards the north into the Monastiraki area.
Highlight: This area served as the city’s market during Roman times. The highlight is the exceptionally well-preserved Tower of the Winds, an ancient meteorological station and clock.

Monuments: Ancient Agora of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus
Route: A short walk west from the Roman Agora.
Highlight: This was the historical heart of ancient Athens. The stunningly intact Temple of Hephaestus is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, surrounded by the foundations of ancient stoas and civic buildings.

Monument: Lycabettus Hill
Route: Head northeast from the Ancient Agora towards Kolonaki. This is the longest and steepest part of the walk. Alternatively, you can take the funicular railway from Kolonaki up to the summit.
Highlight: Reward yourself with the panoramic view over the entire city, including the Acropolis you just explored. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset!

Cool!

I could easily do that in a day.