Lycabettus Hill, Athens

Like in Istanbul there are seven hills in Athens, the Acropolis is the most famous but Lycabettus is the tallest one.

Oh, what sweet memories I have from this hill! I used to live in close distance, that's why many times I went up there just for the sunset over the city. Don’t miss the chance and spend some hours to visit the hill.
You can climp the stairs or take the funicular but I always walk up even during high heat (not recommended). The hill that goes up to 270m is great for wonderful views over the city of Athens (and Acropolis of course) and on a clear day you can see far to the sea! It is also a nice spot for concerts because there is an open air theatre where many artists give performances every year. I have seen Ray Davies, Nick Cave, Dream Theater, Kansas, Blackmore’s Night and so many others…

At the top you can visit the chapel of Agios Georgios (built in the 19th century over a previus byzantine church Profitis Ilias). There is also a restaurant/café on your way up. If you see Lycabetus hill from a distance during the night you will notice the lights on it but it’s also nice during the day because it’s covered with pine trees.

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Almost 1000 feet tall, this is the highest point in Athens and gives a 360 degree view. The ascent is by walking (45 minutes), bus, driving or funicular. At the summit is the 19C Chapel of Agios Georgios which replaces an older building. Nearby stands a military flag where a short sunset ceremony is held daily. Just below the summit is a fine restaurant rand and lower there are cafes and large open air theater used in the summer for popular concerts. On the Eve of Easter, night-time observances are held on the side of the hill.

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In a distance the church of St. George (19th century) looks like a fairytale castle perched on top of the hill which is at the highest point of Athens.
It is a pleasant morning or afternoon walk, and I take the pathway from Kolonaki leading up the hill.

The view is breathtaking. Admire the dazzling city of Athens spread out below.
St. George is a very popular church and I cannot believe a tourist would leave the country without climbing out here either with the funicular which is open the whole year round 19 hours daily. Those who love walking can go on foot. Personally I recommend this because you can take several photos on the way up.

The way up is quite easy and pleasant with some benches on the way.
Don’t forget to carry a bottle of water along and avoid going on foot through the park after it gets dark just in case somebody is out there watching.
I have heard of times that persons had been robbed. However it is fun going up the hill in the day time and more pleasant if you have a friend with you.

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We arrived Athens at about 2 PM. We headed to the hill to get a general view of the city as we were only staying for 3 nights.

We took the teleferic to go to the top but we took the stairs to get down. The hill has a panoramic view of Athens and the views are just spectacular and like no other!

There is a nice church over there too.

Definitely a must and one of the main highlights of our trip.

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This is one of the sites in Athens where you get the best view over the city. How do you get up there? Take the metro untill Evangelismos stop, get out and go left untill you see a road on your right, then cross and go up. Continue going straight on untill the steps begins, then you'll have to do 196 of them, fortunatly there are some seats to rest on the way. At the end you find the funicular that will take you up the holl and back for 7€.
The funicular leaves any 30 minuts.
If you do njot want to walk much take a taxi to the funicular.

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Reaching this vantage point feels like a pilgrimage in itself!

If you decide to go by metro (and why not - the stations are cool!), come out of the station, turn left and walk about 3 minutes till you see a road on your right. Turn here and keep walking for a good 15 minutes, up this gently sloping road. After a while you'll see the imposing hill, so you'd figure out how to reach it! Then you start climbing these stairs, with some roads running across it at certain intervals. Keep going... it may seem you'll never get there, but persevere!

You'll finally see signs for the funicular! That's when you can breathe a sigh of relief ;-) The frequency of the ride is every 30 minutes, costing 12 EUR per person for the return trip.

Another way (easier, but no fun!) is just taking a taxi right to the top. The route taken will be a winding road reaching the top!

Views from the top are great. Wait for sunset & see the city before you, all lit up. Spot the Parthenon on Acropolis hill, and see if you can tell where the sea port is!

There is a lovely restaurant up here, and a church bell tower.

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From the top you will get excellent views of the city, and can clearly see how far Athens spreads.

The Acropolis and other hills stand out like green islands in a sea of concrete, encircled by the distant mountains.

You can get up the hill by using the funicular (which is in a tunnel, so no views from here) or you can walk up. It runs every half and hour or so from Odhis Aristipou (you'll need to climb hill and/or steps to get there).

You could also walk up. There is a snake-like paved path from near the funicular entrance (to the left, as you face the funicular). With hindsight, I should have chosen to take the funicular up and then walked down.

On top of the hill is a restaurant (you have to walk through its patio area from the funicular) and on the very top is the chapel of Ayios Yeoryios. It's whitewashed, and pretty, but not very old........probably dates from the 19th century.

It's worth a wander up the hillif you have the time to spare (and it could be very romantic at night, I suspect) but it was quite busy when I visited in early April. Don't expect to have the summit to yourself!

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Athens being hilly, there are several points where you can get superb view of the city. One of them is the Acropolis Hill and the other is Lycabettus Hill, a sharp limestone rock climbing 277 metres above sea level. The birds-eye-view from the top is incredible and covers Mount Parnetha in the north, the Acropolis Hill crowning the city centre and further south all the way to Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf.

Perched on the cliff is the small white church of Agios Georgios, which is beautifully lit in the evening. There’s also the Lycabettus open-air theatre, which hosts various theatrical performances and concerts during the summer, as well as the classy Orizontes café-restaurant where you can have some coffee and enjoy the view. The fastest -and hassle-free- way to reach the top is to take the two-minute ride with the funicular. The starting point is the corner of Kleomenous and Ploutarhou streets in Kolonaki. If you’re set on doing it on foot, it’s best to start from Loukianou street.

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In our on-going efforts to always be lost, we thought we were heading up Lycabettus Hill after we came down from the Acropolis. Whereever we were at that time, it was a pleasant walk-about, and it is just as well we were lost, as we found our way to the proper hill as the sun was setting, which is THEE time to attack Lycabettus. For the wimpier bunch (just teasing...), there is the funicular to ride up, but it really is not a difficult walk. The worst part was the 10,000 steps we walked up to get to the base of the hill -- THAT I could have done without (but I sure wasn't going to let on to my daughter!) The trail up winds back and forth, so it is a gentle climb, and provides many opportunities to stop and look over the view. Once you get to the top, there is a gorgeous view of the Acropolis, Athens, and the sea. Again, if you can do it at sunset, you won't regret it. And the walk down is really easy!

Lykabettos is the highest point of Athens. On the top of the hill there is a church, Agios Georgios. On the eve of Easter Sunday there is a candlelit procession that goes down from this church.
From Kolonaki you can go up to Lykabetos Hill. There is a funicular that makes it easier.