Panathenaic Stadium

Run in the footsteps of the original Olympic winners
Noteworthy for: There is a fantastic photo opportunity on the upper tier of stand 21. You can see the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Filopappos Hill, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the National Gardens and beyond.

This ancient site, also known as Kalimarmaro, has seen a lot of action over the years. It was the originally constructed in 330 BC by Lykourgos for the great Panathenaic athletic competitions. The Roman emperor Hadrian later held an orgy of blood sports for his pleasure in its midst. Senator Herodes Atticus restored it around 140BC with 60,000 marble seats, which were then systematically pillaged over the coming centuries.
It wasn’t until a wealthy benefactor decided to revive the Olympic Games in 1896 that it was restored to its pristine former glory. In 1906, it again hosted the games and most recently, it was the finishing point for the 2004 Olympic marathon. These days you can go for a morning jog in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks from 7.30am - 9am.