The Panathinaiko Stadium
HOSTING the Olympic Games in 2004, Athens was able to re-create memories of its deep-rooted sporting past and celebrate its legacy of creating the modern Olympiads for the first time since the end of the 19th century.
Although the city built a brand new Olympic complex for the 2004 games, just across Athens lies the site of the athletic stadium used in the first modern Games held in 1896.
Reconstructed from the remains of the Ancient Greek venue, the Panathenaic Stadium is unique by being the only major stadium in the world built entirely from white marble.
In a previous and more amateurish sporting time the Panathinaiko Stadium was used to host the Panathenaic Games which took place to honour the Goddess Athena. Built around 566BC, the original stadium had wooden seating around its perimeter and standing space on its very top bank. Herodes Atticus decided to renovate and extend the capacity of the stadium to 50,000 people as well as change the structure of the stadium to be made mostly of marble.
Aside from being a tourist attraction, rare occasions see the stadium is used for sporting purposes. In the 1976 it hosted the Eurobasket final between Moscow and AEK Athens. The game still holds a record its attendance of around 70,000 people, the largest ever crowd to witness an outdoor basketball game.
It has also been used as a central location to honour the successes of Greek athletes. Following the notable victory of the Greek National football team 2004, the stadium was used to parade the European Championship trophy in front of an audience of thousands.
During the same year, the stadium played a part in the Olympic Games as the event returned to its spiritual home in Athens. The Panathenaic Stadium played host to the archery competition, and was also used as a finishing point in the marathon. Greek athletes celebrated their successes after the Olympics in the same location as the country revelled in the enjoyment at being the centre of world sports once again.
Well placed in the middle of the city, the stadium looks excellent whether from close range as part of a stadium tour or if viewed from nearby Mount Lycabettus which overlooks the marble structure and gives you an excellent vantage point.
Tours conducted around the stadium are self-guided, and the available audio-guide is highly recommended. Visitors are given a headset and walked around the stadiums many features in a numerical sequence. An informative history lessons is given at each different feature the tour suggests you take note of. This gives you the opportunity to walk around the stadium and experience the view that thousands of people have been privileged enough to witness in the years since the stadium was built.
The audio option costs nothing extra to participate in, and gives you an extra insight into the this historic locations’ past.
The opportunity to witness such a unique cultural monument comes at the reasonable price of €3 for adults and just €1 for concessions. This includes the twenty-point audio tour or the freedom to explore the stadium at your own leisure.
The stadium opens its gates in March to October between 8am and 7pm, with opening hours between November and February between 8am and 5pm.
Be sure to also look out for the stadium in your view whilst taking in the sights from either the Acropolis or Mount Lyattikus for a true acknowledgement of the structure.
Travelling to the Panathenaic Stadium is relatively simple. Athens Metro stops Syntagma, Akropoli and Evangelismas are all roughly a 10 minute, well signposted minute walk from the stadium. Alternatively you can reach the world’s most famous marble stadium on the Red 550; Green 90, 209 or yellow 7, 4, 10, 11 busses as well as by using a local taxi.
Although the city built a brand new Olympic complex for the 2004 games, just across Athens lies the site of the athletic stadium used in the first modern Games held in 1896.
Reconstructed from the remains of the Ancient Greek venue, the Panathenaic Stadium is unique by being the only major stadium in the world built entirely from white marble.
In a previous and more amateurish sporting time the Panathinaiko Stadium was used to host the Panathenaic Games which took place to honour the Goddess Athena. Built around 566BC, the original stadium had wooden seating around its perimeter and standing space on its very top bank. Herodes Atticus decided to renovate and extend the capacity of the stadium to 50,000 people as well as change the structure of the stadium to be made mostly of marble.
Aside from being a tourist attraction, rare occasions see the stadium is used for sporting purposes. In the 1976 it hosted the Eurobasket final between Moscow and AEK Athens. The game still holds a record its attendance of around 70,000 people, the largest ever crowd to witness an outdoor basketball game.
It has also been used as a central location to honour the successes of Greek athletes. Following the notable victory of the Greek National football team 2004, the stadium was used to parade the European Championship trophy in front of an audience of thousands.
During the same year, the stadium played a part in the Olympic Games as the event returned to its spiritual home in Athens. The Panathenaic Stadium played host to the archery competition, and was also used as a finishing point in the marathon. Greek athletes celebrated their successes after the Olympics in the same location as the country revelled in the enjoyment at being the centre of world sports once again.
Well placed in the middle of the city, the stadium looks excellent whether from close range as part of a stadium tour or if viewed from nearby Mount Lycabettus which overlooks the marble structure and gives you an excellent vantage point.
Tours conducted around the stadium are self-guided, and the available audio-guide is highly recommended. Visitors are given a headset and walked around the stadiums many features in a numerical sequence. An informative history lessons is given at each different feature the tour suggests you take note of. This gives you the opportunity to walk around the stadium and experience the view that thousands of people have been privileged enough to witness in the years since the stadium was built.
The audio option costs nothing extra to participate in, and gives you an extra insight into the this historic locations’ past.
The opportunity to witness such a unique cultural monument comes at the reasonable price of €3 for adults and just €1 for concessions. This includes the twenty-point audio tour or the freedom to explore the stadium at your own leisure.
The stadium opens its gates in March to October between 8am and 7pm, with opening hours between November and February between 8am and 5pm.
Be sure to also look out for the stadium in your view whilst taking in the sights from either the Acropolis or Mount Lyattikus for a true acknowledgement of the structure.
Travelling to the Panathenaic Stadium is relatively simple. Athens Metro stops Syntagma, Akropoli and Evangelismas are all roughly a 10 minute, well signposted minute walk from the stadium. Alternatively you can reach the world’s most famous marble stadium on the Red 550; Green 90, 209 or yellow 7, 4, 10, 11 busses as well as by using a local taxi.