Description of the attraction
Mount Lycabettus (Lycabetus) rises above the city quarters of Athens, in the very center of the city. The height of the mountain is 277 meters above sea level. This is a legendary place with a gorgeous view of Athens, the Acropolis, the sea and the mountains surrounding the city.
According to legend, the goddess Athena wanted her sanctuary, located on the Acropolis, to be closer to the sky. One day she went to Mount Pentelikon and tore off a piece of rock from it in order to hoist it on top of the Acropolis. As she walked back, she was stopped by two birds that brought bad news. Athena dropped the rock and hurried after them. She never realized her plan, and the mountain remained where she was thrown.
In ancient times, Lycabettus was covered with dense forest, but by the beginning of the 19th century, not a single tree remained on the mountain. The restoration of the vegetation began only in 1880. Once upon a time wolves lived here, therefore Lycabettus is also called Wolf Mountain.
At the top of the mountain is the Byzantine Church of St. George, also called the Church of St. Sidereus. It was built in the XI-XII centuries, then the Byzantine Empire and Christianity significantly strengthened their positions. In 1930, a fire destroyed the church, but in 1931 the snow-white temple was completely restored. On Easter night, parishioners go down with burning candles and it seems that Lycabettus is wrapped in a ribbon of fire.
Lycabettus is a paradise for romantics. Pines and cypresses, narrow paths and cozy wooden benches … all this will not leave indifferent lovers of peace and quiet. No wonder Lycabettus is also called the Mountain of Love.
An open-air theater is located on the top of the mountain. Various concerts and theater performances take place there in summer. Also on the mountain there is a cozy restaurant Orizontes, where you can relax and admire the magnificent landscape.
There are many paths and a road leading up the mountain. You can also climb Lycabettus by funicular from Kolonaki.
