Lykavittos Hill, or Lycabettus, one of the seven official hills of Athens, is said to have the best view of the city and the sea beyond. It is the highest point in Athens, at 300 meters above sea level. One afternoon, we decided to make the trek up there to see the sunset.
The hill itself takes about 30 minutes to hike up from the neighborhood below, and there are paths and then stairs. It's a bit of a workout but nothing too difficult, especially since there are multiple viewpoints to take a break, complete with benches.
An interesting detail are the signatures carved into the cacti leaves along the paths.
The top of the hill has a number of facilities, including a viewing platform, a little church, and a restaurant. The restaurant is actually quite nice, with great views over the city, and it has great falafel sandwiches that are cheap if you get takeaway. There are also a few individual vendors that sell drinks and snacks.
From the top of the hill you can see Athens from all angles, and the city spreads out before you in a beautiful white lattice of streets and buildings.
When the sun starts to set, all the visitors crowd around the platform, so make sure to stake out a spot for yourself.
In the distance, you can glimpse the famous Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, shining in the light.
I zoomed in to get a better view. It's amazing how the sea blends into the pastel colors of the sky, and you can't really tell where one ends and the other begins. The view was really magical.
Seeing a city from above really aids in my understanding of how it is laid out, and how the different neighborhoods relate to and connect with each other. Because I am a visual thinker, I like having the cityscape laid out before me. I highly recommend hiking up this hill; it's not too strenuous of a journey, and there is also a railway that takes visitors up if you'd rather not exert yourself.
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