athens

Temple of Hephaestus

I posted a photo of this temple a few days ago but it was in the distance so I wanted to post a closer shot of this well preserved piece of history. This view is from the opposite side of the temple seen in my last post.

Off Season Travel

This is a great example of how nice it can be to travel in the off season. We were in Athens in January so pretty much everywhere we went the only other visitors were locals and there were only a few of them. People always comment on how there is no one in this photo and that is why, they whole place was very empty.

The Temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora of Athens

Athens is a city full of ancient wonder, most famous being The Acropolis, but this Temple of Hephaestus seems to be in the best condition of all the ancient ruins we saw saw during our visit.

As a tourist you can access the temple with a visit to The Athenian Agora, which is well worth a visit because it is full of amazing history.

The Agora of Athens was the center of the ancient city: a large, open square where the citizens could assemble for a wide variety of purposes. On any given day the space might be used as a market, or for an election, a dramatic performance, a religious procession, military drill, or athletic competition. Here administrative, political, judicial, commercial, social, cultural, and religious activities all found a place together in the heart of Athens, and the square was surrounded by the public buildings necessary to run the Athenian government.

Click here for info on planning a visit to the Agora.

Temple of Hephaestus

If you are like us and have never heard of Hephaestus you might be interested to learn that he was a patron god of metal working, fire, and craftsmanship. It is believed that the temple had many potters’ workshops and metal shops around the temple in order to gain benefit from the god.

Olympic stadium in Athens

Panathenaic Stadium – Athens, Greece – January 2014

This was one of the many statues found at the Olympic stadium. Then again Greece is full of such statues isn’t it?

Olympic Stadium in Athens

As we’ve mentioned in other posts this attraction is a nice place to stop while you are visiting the city of Athens, especially if you are a fan of the Olympics, past or present. It is easy to find and can be accessed by public transportation or by simply walking.

Have you been to Athens? If so what was your favorite part of the city? What should we not miss next time we go? Let us know in the comments below.

Site of the first modern Olympics

Panathenaic Stadium – Athens, Greece – January 2014

Site of the first modern Olympics

We found this to be a nice little attraction to spend about an hour at while we were in Athens. It was not very busy and you are able to explore pretty much the whole stadium. In fact you can even run on the track if you so desire.

There is also a small museum that has many of the past Olympic torches on display as well as other artifacts from past games.

So if you find yourself strolling around Athens looking for something to do we recommend this stadium.