Northeast of the Acropolis stands Mt. Lycabettus, a pyramidal mass of gray limestone that served in antiquity as an observatory. This picturesque landmark, whose summit is crowned with the chapel of St. George, rises to a height of 277 meters above sea-level and dominates the town.

Although popular belief attributes the name of this hill to the many wolves that made their home there, this is mere conjecture, since the word is pre-Hellenic and its origin quite unknown. The Ancient Greeks believed Mt. Lycabettus to be the rock that the goddess Athena tore from Mt. Penteli to reinforce the defenses of the Acropolis. Legend says that as she was carrying this rock to the Acropolis she learnt of the terrible fate of Cecrops' daughters, and in her consternation let it fall: On the birth of Erechtheus, son of Gaia (Earth) by Hephaistus, Athena placed the infant in a chest, which she then entrusted to the care of Cecrops' daughters, Agraulos, Herse and Pandrosos, forbidding them at the same time to open it. The two elder sisters disobeyed; so great was their terror at the sight of the writhing serpents which surrounded the child that they went mad and hurled themselves from the Acropolis.

The ascent to Mt. Lycabettus can be made either on foot, in which case it is advisable to make the climb from the top of Odhos Loukianou opposite the Byzantine Museum of Leophoros Vasilissis Sophias, or from the top of Odhos Ploutarchou - which runs parallel to the right of Odhos Loukianou - by funicular (rope railway).

St George Lycabettus, Athens Hilton and Athens Holiday Inn are among the best hotels in Athens.

Source: www.isnare.com