Recently I spent a few days in Athens, my first time in Greece, allowing me to pin a new country on my Worldmappin map.
Panathenaic Stadium
I took it easy on the first day, getting my bearings around the city first before I dive into the main tourist hot spots. In the morning, actually it was nearly noon time, when I arrived at the Panathenaic Stadium . The first modern day Olympics was held here in 1896.
Tickets
Tickets to the stadium are only available at the door, you can't buy them online. I think that's really annoying and very inefficient. I was queueing for 20 minutes under the sun before I got my tickets, imagine how bad it would be during summer with all the tourists.
If you don't want to queue up for tickets, and save €10, you can still see the stadium. I took this photo from the outside, the entire stadium is visible, albeit at a distance. However, you don't get the experience of visiting such an iconic place. Knowing that a stadium was built here from as far back as 330 BC, walking on the track where modern day Olympic games started nearly 130 yeaes ago, sitting on the marble seats, and walking to the top levels to get a view of the Acropolis. That's the experience I'm talking about.
Panathenaic Stadium Vs modern day stadiums
My first impression of stepping inside the stadium was how small it is. Naturally I was comparing this to modern day stadiums such as London, where I went for the 2012 Olympics. Bearing in mind the Panathenaic Stadium was built well over a century ago, its scale is obviously going to be much smaller. But where it lacks in size, it beats in other areas.
Its claim to the birthplace of modern day Olympics can never be taken away. To date, it's the only stadium in the world made entirely out of marble. Yes, that record could potentially be broken. Money can buy pretty much anything in the world, but it can never buy class and heritage, and that's what you get here.
Diodes
Another must see at the stadium is the diodes, the vaulted passageway underneath the spectator seats. Everywhere on the internet says this is an ancient entrance used by athletes to enter the stadium, but I couldn't find information on how ancient. From what I saw, it was pretty ancient, whatever that means 😅.Joking aside, it felt like I was walking into the unknown past.
Suddenly I enter a bright modernish building. What a contrast! The building hosts an exhibition if the posters and torches from the Olympics games from 1896 to date.
Of course I was particularly interested in the London Olympics posters. We held the games twice. First in 1948, the first one after the Second World War. And then in 2012. That was such an epic event and I even got tickets to see the games. It was very nice to see and compare the two posters 64 years apart.
Ruins on the Athens street
It's actually unfair to call these ruins as ruins are normally parts of unloved buildings left to decay. What you see on the streets in Athens are not unloved. They're all the foundation of what the city is today and magnificent open air museum.
Starting from the top left is the Temple of Olympian Zeus dating back to 6 BC. Zeus was the God of the Gods and commanded the largest temple in Athens with 104 columns each at 17m tall. Sadly even the greatest God couldn't protect his temple and today there's only a few columns left.
Below that is the Arch of Hadrian from 131 AD. The arch is the entrance to the city of Athens. What a difference a few hundred years make, the arch is still standing strong.
Likewise the Roman Agora on the top right is still pretty complete despite being some two centuries older than the Arch of Hadrian.
And finally, Hadrian's Library is from the same period as Roman Agora 132 AD. It may not be the most impressive archeological site but it did used to be the biggest library in Athens. What you see here is just a fraction of the entire site.
Parthenon
The Parthenon is the ultimate representation of ancient Greece. One cannot visit Athens without seeing it, just as you cannot visit London without seeing the Big Ben, Paris the Eiffel Tower, or New York the Statue of Liberty. You'll have to wait for my next post to see the Parthenon.
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Greece has been one of my bucket list places to go. I didn't realize that the entire stadium was made of marble. It would be cool to see all the different posters but I'm more drawn to the different looks of the torches. I love that tunnel you shared along with the other things you shared. Well you certainly have made Athens a must see place and there's more 😃
Greece has been on my bucket list for be a long time as well, but it's always been Santorini which I never got to go on this trip, but Athen is very nice. I think you should always visit the capital city when you travel
Nice! Delphi must also be cool.
I didn't go to Delphi in this trip
I am delighted with this stadium, my favorite place was the hallway because it feels like the entrance to an amazing and unknown area. I have not had the opportunity to experience stadiums where Olympic games have been held what a joy for you.
I was very lucky to be around in 2012 for the London Olympics it was an amazing experience
Greece! oh my... you are my hero! 😍
If the mail works, I think you will be even more happier
😀 Oh, let's hope it works this time.
I am leaving for that place again and will go to the post office. I can send you something by DHL and it will get there. But that's another shipping method I have to figure out. That's what I was planning the other day.
When I was reading about Architecture and History; the Parthenon and Pantheon were the key landmarks that I had to study thoroughly. I will wait for your detailed post about the Parthenon and Goddess Athena. Greek Architecture and Roman Architecture have very distinct similarities when you see them, but their construction material and structure are different, making them unique. Greek Architecture has more polished and clean features whereas Roman Architecture is very dominant and decorative. Panathenaic Stadium is one of the extraordinary examples of Greek Marble and Greek Architecture.
Amazing...
Oh dear! The pressure is on now as I know very little about the architecture side of things, I hope you won't be disappointed when my post comes out
No no, no pressure. It would be really nice to know your perspective and your experiences.
Walking through that tunnel must have felt like treading on holy ground! A stadium built in marble, that's quite something!
My imagination runs away with me wondering what the people were like, and whether women were allowed to watch, I doubt it very much!
You had a beautiful clear day, nice to have a pin in Greece.
Enjoy the week ahead, dear LUT <3
Good point about women involvement, given that's Greece was more democratic and civilised a long time by ago before anyone else, hopefully women won't totally excluded. However, I didn't read that in the very old days ie way before the modern day Olympics, male competitors competed naked 🫣
Haha 😂 and they had nothing ripped off, rugby would have been a perilous game then.
I'm sure ladies weren't allowed🫣
It is a nice post with great photos. I really like the tunnel and the Olympic Stadium. I hope that one day we will get to see this place. :)
Thanks, it's definitely worth going if you get the chance
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Would love to visit the Parthenon, looks stunning We are visiting Corfu next year, got it booked already.
Hope by you have a great time in Corfu. How's Mexico now?
One word. Amazing! I am curating a long post or two that will be published possibly once home, so that I don’t miss anything out!
It is an impressive stadium made of pure marble, with a great history of those Olympic games, the photographs and the architectural structure are impressive, greetings
Thanks
This post makes me smile with one eye and cry with the other. It's the 2nd year in a row when I got my trip for Athens cancelled on the last moment from reasons that were not linked to me but to the person I want to have this special experience with. Really hope I'll get to enjoy all that beauty with my own eyes one day too :(
Oh no! I hope he doesn't let you down again. Have you rebooked again? Maybe third time lucky!
Not yet. Thinking of trying my luck again in January 2025 but after so many fails I feel like it must be something with it and maybe I should give up on this thought for a while :(
!PIZZA
So cool that you got to go to Greece. I went to the stadium when I was there, we didn't go under ground and that looks cool, seeing the posters and touches and of course that tunnel. I look forward to seeing you post about the Parthenon.
That hallway under the stadium looks amazing. They did a really good job with the lighting on that. What a wonderful trip!
Bäähm, what a great place to add on your map @livinguktaiwan! Congrats to discovering this awesome stadium. I haven´t seen it when I was in Athens, but it looks amazing! Thanks for sharing it with us <3
Oooh, Greece, a destination I have yet to visit. I'm so glad reading that you are discovering new ones. It feels so good to cross borders.
Okay, I didn't know this: made entirely out of marble What Fancy days those were. Of course, you wanted to experience it all. It's a historical taste of the greatness we reached (I'm not going into further details about what costs xD).
The open-air museum does so much more justice to everything you share with us. It is majestic. I've seen some digital reconstructions of these places, and they were just fascinating. I think it's a luxury to be able to be there and appreciate its value.
Loved the hype! xD
Glad to read that you had a good time at Athens!
About the offline tickets and the long queue it is something that happens all the time at many tourist places, I don't know why and it is really annoying. Especially during the hot summer days.