A newly inaugurated visitor center and revitalized pathways at the archaeological site of the Acropolis officially opened to the public on Sunday, June 1, offering enhanced access and an enriched cultural experience. This development marks a significant expansion in accessibility and visitor engagement at one of the world’s most iconic heritage sites.

The visitor center—part of a broader initiative led by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Organization for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources—complements the restored northern slope route of the Acropolis, now open for the first time in decades.

The New gift shop at the Acropolis Archaeological site.

A New Gateway to the Sacred Rock

“This new facility adheres to the architectural and aesthetic standards required for such a sensitive and historic site,” said Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni. “It responds to the growing demand from visitors for high-quality souvenirs and commemorative items that reflect Greece’s cultural heritage.”

Located just south of the Areopagus Hill, the new visitor center has been seamlessly integrated into the surrounding landscape. It offers carefully curated items, including authentic replicas, best-selling designs, and products inspired by the site’s archaeological finds—serving, in the Minister’s words, as “ambassadors of our country’s culture.”

Newly Accessible Routes and Rediscovered Monuments

Recent restoration efforts have cleared and reopened previously inaccessible areas on the slopes of the Acropolis, enabling visitors to explore expanded archaeological routes.

A notable addition is the reactivation of the northern slope path, known as the North Slope Trail, at the base of the Acropolis rock. Once closed to the public, this route leads through a sacred landscape where ancient Athenian cults dedicated to fertility and nature thrived in open-air sanctuaries and rock-cut shrines.

The restored terrace on the southern side of the Areopagus Hill.

Among the key sites now accessible are:

  • The Klepsydra spring, an important ancient water source
  • Sacred caves associated with the worship of Apollo, Zeus Olympios, and Pan
  • The endpoint of the Panathenaic Way
  • The Sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros, identified through 4th-century BCE inscriptions carved into the rock below the Erechtheion

According to archaeologist Vasilis Barkas, the open-air sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros features niches for votive reliefs and inscriptions. Nearby, a Mycenaean-era path known as the Northeast Ascent emerges from the rock—a natural route shaped as early as the second millennium BCE.

Rediscovering Sacred Caves and Ancient Waterworks

In what was once believed to be the Cave of Aglaurus, archaeologists have uncovered a Mycenaean fountain, located 40 meters beneath the rock’s summit. An inscribed stele discovered in 1972 led researchers to identify this site as the Aglaureion, a sanctuary linked to secret rituals of the Arrhephoroi—young girls who lived at the Acropolis and participated in the Panathenaic festival.

The area also features post-Classical adaptations from the Frankish and Ottoman periods. A network of caves stretches westward, including sanctuaries linked by tunnels. The easternmost cave was dedicated to Pan, whose cult gained prominence after the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. Adjacent openings are thought to correspond to sanctuaries of Zeus Olympios and Apollo, the latter dating back to the Late Bronze Age (13th century BCE).

The landscaped terrace and the West Slope of the Sacred Rock

These sanctuaries lie within the bounds of the Pelargikon, the earliest fortification wall of the Acropolis. This ancient barrier, associated with the Pelasgians, enclosed essential water sources such as the Klepsydra spring, also known in antiquity as Empedo.

Under the Athenian statesman Kimon, a formal fountain house was built here between 490 and 460 BCE. Later renovations occurred during the Roman period following frequent rockfalls. Today, visitors can trace the historic Peripatos path, which intersects with the Panathenaic Way and a Medieval road once leading to the church of Saint Nicholas or Seraphim—believed to have been built during early Ottoman rule.

In the 18th century, when the Wall of the Presentation was erected, part of it integrated the church, converting it into a bastion.