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The seats of Pnyx, a place of gathering for Athenians.

©efesenko/Getty Images

Hill of the Pnyx

Athens


North of Filopappou Hill, this hill was the official meeting place of the Democratic Assembly in the 5th century BC – really, the first site of democracy. You can see the speakers' steps, where the great orators Aristides, Demosthenes, Pericles and Themistocles addressed assemblies. (More recently, politicians have used it for photo ops.) The hill is often empty, save for birds, and its view of the Acropolis' front steps gives a real sense of the temples' centrality to ancient Athenian life.

Transportation

  • metro: Thissio

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Athens attractions

1. Hill of the Nymphs

0.1 MILES

Northwest of Hill of the Pnyx, this hill is home to the old Athens observatory, built in 1842.

3. Church of Agia Marina Thission

0.13 MILES

Striped like a multilayered cake and bursting with red-tile domes, this 1931 church perches on the northwest side of the Hill of the Nymphs. Its murals,…

4. Socrates' Prison

0.18 MILES

On the slopes of Filopappou Hill, follow the path to this warren of rooms carved into bedrock. It's said to have been the place Socrates was imprisoned in…

5. Areopagus Hill

0.21 MILES

This rocky outcrop below the Acropolis has great views over the Ancient Agora. According to mythology, it was here that Ares was tried by the council of…

6. Herakleidon Museum Building B

0.22 MILES

This eclectic private museum, split over two locations, examines the interrelation of art, mathematics and philosophy, explored through rotating exhibits…

7. Herakleidon Museum Building A

0.24 MILES

The smaller section of this private museum devoted to ancient Greek technology occupies a restored mansion. It has an exhibition on automata, featuring an…

8. Acropolis Main Entrance

0.25 MILES

The main Acropolis entrance is used by tour groups so can be very busy. Come here for the disabled accessible lift.

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