Destination: Athens
What To See
Athens
Athens
  + Athens
  Sights
* Agía Aikateríni (Church of St Catherine)
* Agía Sotira (Church of St Sotira)
* Ágioi ApóstoloI (Church of the Holy Apostles)
* Ágios Nikodímos (Church of St Nikodimos)
* Ágios Nikólaos Ragavás (Church of St Nicholas Ragavas)
* Ágios Pávlos (Church of St Paul)
* Anafiótika
* Áreios Págos (Areopagos)
* Ebraïkó Mouseío tis Elláthos (Jewish Museum of Greece)
* Elliniko Paithíko Mouseío (Hellenic Children's Museum)
* Ethnikí Pinakothíki (National Gallery)
* Ethnikós Kípos (National Gardens)
* Exárcheia (Exarchia)
* Filopáppou (Philopappou)
* Gennádios Vivliothíki (American School of Classical Studies)
* Hephaisteion (Temple of Hephaistos)
* Istorikó Mouseío (National Historical Museum)
* Kapnikaréa
* Kentrikí Agorá (Central Market)
* Kéntro Ellinikis Paradosis (Centre for Hellenic Tradition)
* Kéntro Laikis Téchnis Kai Paradosis (Centre for Popular Arts and Traditions)
* Kéntro Meletis Ikoy Theatroy (Greek Theatre Museum)
* Keramikí Syllogí Apo to Mouseío Elliníkis Laografías (Ceramic Collection of the Museum of Greek Folk Art)
* Kerameikós (Keramikos Cemetery)
* Kolonáki
* Mitrópolis
* Mnimeío Lysikrátous (Monument of Lysikrates)
* Monastiráki
* Mouseío Athinón (Museum of the City of Athens)
* Mouseío Benáki (Benaki Museum)
* Mouseío Ellinikís Paithikis Téchnis (Museum of Greek Children's Art)
* Mouseío Kanellópoulos (Kanellopoulos Museum)
* Mouseío Kosmímatos Ilía Lalaoúnis (Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum)
* Naós Aiólou (Tower of the Winds)
* Odion (théatro) Iródou Attikou (Odeon of Herodes Atticus)
* Olympíeion (Temple of Olympian Zeus)
* Píli (Pýli) Adrianoú (Hadrian's Arch)
* Pinakothíki Tou Dímou Athinaïkoú (Municipal Art Gallery)
* Plateía Klafthmonos (Klafthmonos Square)
* Plateía Omonoías (Omonia Square)
* Plateía Syntagmatos (Syntagma Square)
* Pnýka (Pnyx)
* Polemikó Mouseío (War Museum of Greece)
* Proedrikó Mégaro (Presidential Palace)
* Prótoí Nekrotafío Athinón (First Cemetery of Athens)
* Romaïki Agorá (Roman Agora)
* Schliemann's House
* Théatro Dionýsou (Theatre of Dionysos)
* Théatro Filopáppou (philopappou Theatre)
* Vivliothíki Adrianoú (Library of Hadrian)
* Vizantinó Mouseío (Byzantine Museum)
Excursions
  + Excursions

  Walk/Drive
  Food&Drink
  In The Know
  Did You Know?
Théatro Dionýsou (Theatre of Dionysos)

( Highly Recommended )

Standing below the Acropolis on its southern slopes, this theatre in its prime held 17,000 people in 64 tiers and was the venue for an annual drama festival. Here, the citizens of Athens witnessed the birth of European drama, in the first theatre ever to be built of stone, where the premières of plays by Aristophanes, Sophocles and other great dramatists were performed. Initially the theatre was a wooden structure, followed by a stone building in 342-26 BC, and finally by the Roman theatre whose remains are what can be seen today. There are some amusingly detailed Dionysian statues supporting the stage, and marble barriers from the times when wild animals fought in the arena, which was also used for gladiatorial contests. In the front rows are the marble thrones for visiting dignitaries. In the rock behind the theatre is a cave which was once held sacred to the Goddess Artemis, and where a Byzantine chapel was later built.


Address: Entrance to southern slopes of Acropolis on Leoforos Dionysiou Areopagitou
Phone: 322-4625
Open: Daily 8:30-2:30. Closed public holidays
Bus: 230
Metro: Acropolis, when open
Accessible: None
Admission: Moderate
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Greece (Mainland)
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Athens
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