The recent plan to unify the archaeological sites around the
Acropolis Hill by pedestrianising the streets and restoring
monuments and listed buildings in the area has met with such
success that Athenians have forgotten (or have tried to forget) how it was
before. The great thing about it is that you can do it any time of the day;
either in daytime by pausing to visit sites on the way, or in the evening,
as part of your walk around the city centre, on your way to a restaurant
or bar. You can start your walk from Dionysiou Areopagitou Street,
across the Temple of Zeus in Makriyanni and follow the cobblestone
path around the Hill. On your way you see the Acropolis Hill and the
Parthenon (see 20), the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus and
Filopappou Hill with stunning views of the Parthenon and the hills of
Imittos and Parnetha. The street is then renamed Apostolou Pavlou
and you reach the picturesque square of Thisio, whith the cafés and
restaurants making it one of the liveliest neighbourhoods. High up on
Ermou street you find the vast Keramikos cemetery, were Athenians
were buried from 3000 B.C.-6th century A.D. Continuing your walk,
you end up in Monastiraki, from where you can either follow the route
towards Gazi and Keramikos, or walk towards the sites of Plaka.