Point of interest
Mount Lycabettus
in Athens, Greece
At 278 metres the highest point in central Athens, reached on foot or by funicular for the best panoramic sunset over the city and the sea.
Where it is
At 277 metres the highest hill in Athens, rising above the smart Kolonaki district in the city centre.
What it is
The summit offers the widest 360-degree view in the city, with the Acropolis in the foreground and the Saronic Gulf on the horizon. You can reach it on foot via shaded paths or easily by funicular. It is especially popular at sunset, and there is a café and restaurant at the top.
History
The limestone hill was mostly bare in antiquity; legend says the goddess Athena let it fall there. The small white chapel of St George (Agios Georgios) on the summit dates from the 19th century. Since 1965 a funicular has climbed up through a tunnel from Kolonaki.