Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro)

About Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro)

The Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro) is an ancient Greek stadium in central Athens built entirely of white marble. Athletes raced here as far back as the fourth century BC during the Panathenaic Games, although the stands were later rebuilt in marble under Roman rule. The stadium fell into ruin over the following centuries, until it was restored to host the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and it is still in use today. The Athens Marathon finishes on this track every year, and the Olympic flame is handed over to each new host city in a ceremony held on this field. The horseshoe of seating sits in a hollow beside Ardittos Hill, row after row of white stone with patches of grey and pale honey where it has weathered. From the track at the open end, the stacked rows create incredible leading lines toward the curved far end. You cal also climb up to the very top rows to capture the whole bowl opening below you, with the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill rising above the rooftops. The white marble gets very bright in the middle of the day, so aim to go either in the morning or late afternoon when softer light will highlight the lines of the seating. The entrance sits along Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue, an easy walk from Syntagma Square, and there is a fee at the main gate. As a bonus your ticket also lets you jog/walk the track where the first modern Olympians ran. You can shoot the open end from across the avenue without going in or having to pay the entrance fee. (Athens, Attica, Greece)

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