Quicktime	:		Medium - Large - Fullscreen			Map of Lefkada
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	Quicktime	:		Medium - Large - Fullscreen			Map of Lefkada
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Although an island, you don’t need to take a boat to reach Lefkada. It is seperated from the mainland by a narrow canal and all you have to do to get there is simply cross the drawbridge..

Lefkada is part of the Ionian islands in the western part of Greece. It's a mountainous island, covered with dense vegetation to the east and south. Its eastern coast slopes gently down to the sea, which is sheltered from the wind and dotted with thickly wooded islets.

The capital town of the island is also called (surprise) Lefkada and it's a tranquil, picturesque town built on a natural harbour. You can enjoy a walk along the town's streets (many restricted to automobiles) or savor your frappe (iced coffe) in one of the cafes that line the promenade or one of the town squares. Surprizingly, this sleepy town has a very lively nightlife during summer weekends. The town gets crowded and you'll even find a few nightclubs in addition to the bars, cafes, and restaurants.

There are few historical ruins or sites to see on Lefkada. The island's claim to fame are the beautiful and remote white sand beaches of the western coast and yes, they are as pristine as they look in the travel brochures.

A few decades ago Aristotelis Onasis bought Scorpios, a small island off the eastern coast of Lefkada right across from Nydri. Of course, he attracted a lot of publicity and for a while Lefkada acquired a cosmopolitan shine. Today, Scorpios still belongs to Onassis' sole surviving heir, his grandaughter Christina but she hardly ever visits.

The beaches I got to explore are Pefkoulia, St. Nikitas and Kathisma.

Lefkada on the web
• Lefkada.gr - Ofiicial web site by the local government
• A brief history of Lefkada - From ancient times until today by the Friends of the Ionian

	Quicktime	:		Medium - Large - Fullscreen			Map of Lefkada
	Java	:		Medium - Large			Send this page to a friend

	Quicktime	:		Medium - Large - Fullscreen			Map of Lefkada
	Java	:		Medium - Large			Send this page to a friend

Ancient Athens
- The Acropolis
- The Acropolis Museum
- Kerameikos
- The Ancient Agora

Museums
- The National Archaeological Museum
- Other Museums

Greece for Visitors > Athens Guide > Ancient Athens > The Acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens

The Ancient Theatre Of Dionysus	The Stoa Of Eumenes
The Odeion Of Herodes Atticus	The Propylaea
The Parthenon	The Temple of Athena Nike (Apteros Nike)
The Erechtheion	The Golden-ivory Statue Of Athena
The Areios Pagos	The Pnyx
The Panathenaea Feast	The Acropolis Museum
Practical information to plan your visit to the Acropolis
Acropolis Virtual Tour with high-resolution, interactive 360° panoramas

For thousands of years the Acropolis has been the symbol of Athens, the sacred rock, the link that connects the magnificent ancient Greek civilization with the modern. The Acropolis and its monuments, its history and the myths that are connected with it are rightly the pride of Athens. Hundreds of thousands of visitors each year make the pilgrimage to the sacred rock and absorb its magnificence and beauty. If you have never been to the Acropolis, rest assured it will be a unique and unforgettable experience. And if you can't visit in person, you can always take a virtual tour from the comfort of your chair. Or, click the image of Acropolis above to view a very high resolution zoomable picture of the Acropolis that captures amazing detail.

A timeless masterpiece of creative genious - The Athenian Acropolis is the supreme expression of the adaptation of architecture to a natural site. This grand composition of perfectly-balanced massive structures creates a monumental landscape of unique beauty consisting of a complete series of masterpieces of the 5th century B.C.: the Parthenon by Phidias, Ictinos and Callicrates (447-432); the Propylaea by Mnesicles (437-432); the Temple of Athena Nike by Mnesicles and Callicrates (448-407); and Erechtheion, completed in 406. The monuments of the Acropolis have exerted an exceptional influence, not only in Greco-Roman antiquity during which time in the Mediterranean world they were considered exemplary models, but in contemporary times as well. Throughout the world, Neo-Classic monuments have been inspired by the Parthenon or by the Propylaea.

Testimony to a living civilization - The Acropolis illustrates civilizations of Greece over a period of more than a millennium. From the royal palace of kings in the 15th century B.C. and the Pelasgic walls of the first fortification, to Odeon, constructed in 161 A.D. by Herod Atticus, a unique series of public monuments was built and conserved in one of the densest spaces of the Mediterranean.

From myth to institutionalized cult, the Acropolis, by its precision and diversity, bears a unique testimony to the civilization and religions of Ancient Greece.
It is the sacred temple from which sprung fundamental legends about the city. There, in the presence of Cecrops, the first mythical king of Athens who arbitrated their contest, Athena and Poseidon fought for possession of the country. Poseidon made a source of salt water spring forth; Athena offered the olive tree which, cut by the Persians in 480, grew again the following year.
The site of the Acropolis is where another mythical king, Erichthonios, was born subsequent to the attempted rape of Athena by Hephaestus. It is also where Aegeus, believing that his son Theseus had been devoured by the Minotaur, threw himself into the sea which now bears his name.

Beginning in the 6th century, the Athenian Acropolis was the place where myths and beliefs gave rise to temples, altars and statues corresponding to an extreme diversity of cults which have brought us the Athenian religion in all its richness and complexity. Athena was venerated as the goddess of the city (Athena Polias); as the goddess of war (Athena Promachos); as the goddess of victory (Athena Nike); as the protective goddess of crafts (Athena Ergane), etc. Most of her functions are glorified at the main cult temple dedicated to her, the Parthenon, the temple of the maiden-goddess.

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