Are you interested in ancient architecture and construction techniques? Do you love nature? Are you only satisfied when you have discovered how things work or came to be? Then this day tour in the Penteli Mountains on the Marble Road to Athens is the perfect fit for you!
The Athenian Acropolis has fascinated its visitors for thousands of years, and many have wondered how the ancient Greeks managed to haul the incredible masses of stone onto the rugged rocky plateau of the Acropolis in the heart of the city.
Behind this lie immensely complex processes and highly developed technology. Manolis Korres, the architect responsible for the restoration of the Parthenon, has been researching these for many years. He has succeeded in uncovering some of the well-kept secrets of the Penteli, whose marble quarries supplied the building material for the Acropolis.
On our tour, we visit the most important marble quarry of Penteli and learn many interesting facts about ancient methods of quarrying and transporting the coveted white stone. We end the hike with a visit to the open-air marble museum in Dionysos. One thing is certain: after these exciting insights into the world of marble, your admiration for the architecture of antiquity will be even greater!
This hike is available all year round on any day.
Here we learn all about the process of quarrying, smoothing, and transporting of the huge marble blocks to the construction site of the Acropolis, 17 km / 10.5 mi. away. This famous Athens landmark as we see it today was finished an incredible 2,500 years ago in the golden age of antiquity.
Once our hunger for knowledge has been satisfied, we take a transfer to the top of Mt. Penteli, 1,100 m / 3,608 ft. above sea level. From here we enjoy an incredible view over Athens and Attica. From the summit, we walk down the northern slope of the mountain.
After about 4 km / 2.5 mi. we reach the open-air museum in Dionysos. We enjoy a picnic lunch at this magnificent site, designed and created by enthusiastic architects and traditional marble sculptors. While we are here we learn more about the wonderful world of marble. Afterwards, we transfer you directly back to your accommodation in Athens.
Luggage:
110 € per person
12 hrs
Jun – Oct
Moderate
Athens
Athens
Full charter 4-10 persons
Age: 12+
4 hrs
All Year Round
Moderate – Challenging
Athens
Athens
Persons: 2+
Age: 12+