As I said in my last travel post,  I love a bit of history. Can you really get to know a place if you don't visit the cultural and historical sites?  I'm just back from exploring Italy again, which will give me plenty more to share in these Travel Diaries. But for now, I thought I'd write a post specifically about Rhodes Acropolis.

When you visit Rhodes, a lot of people hang around the harbour area - its the site of the Colossus Statue, the Palace of the Knights and Old Town Rhodes. If you're wanting to know more about these areas then check out my other blog post all about Rhodes Old Town.

If you're wanting to get off the beaten track, but still within walking distance, then the Acropolis of Rhodes is the place for you. Fewer people make the walk up here, meaning that the Acropolis is pretty quiet from the hustle and bustle of the Old Town. The Acropolis lies about 30 minute walk from the Old Town, and the bus stop. The walk is fairly easy - with not too many turns to follow, but (as its an acropolis you're heading to) it is all up hill. In the heat its best to have a bottle of water on hand, and to pace yourself, but it is certainly do-able. We managed the walk easily (and this was pre gym memberships).



The Acropolis of Rhodes dates back to the Classical Greek period - we're talking c. 5th-3rd Centuries BC. The site is incredible - situated at the highest part of the cities, and giving amazing views across the city, right out to the sea. An acropolis is the highest area of the city, chosen for their defensive purposes. The sites often became the centre for political and religious activities - and therefore had impressive architecture. While the acropolis of Rhodes doesn't have a huge number of remains still present, it is still worth a visit.




You'll be able to visit Nymphaeums, the Temple of Apollo, an Odeon and Stadium, and some remains of buildings and walls. The site is built over different levels, with the Temple of Apollo at the top, leading down to a theatre and a stadium.



Some of the site has been reconstructed - most obvious is the small theatre (Odeon) which has its seats reconstructed. The Stadium has also been reconstructed, with some of the original spectator and official seats. When we visited, the Temple of Apollo was under scaffolding, and fences were around it preventing visitors from getting too close. Although its was under a lot of scaffolding, you could still see how impressive the structure was.






Located a bit further away from this area are Nymphaeums. There's a sign post pointing to them as you approach the Acropolis, and you have to walk off of a path through some grass. Here there are 4 subterranean structures, which you can peer down into.

Its an incredible site to explore, we spent some time wandering around the ruins and experiencing the remains. While its a bit of a trek away from the main attractions of Rhodes, its definitely worth a visit for those who like to learn about the history of a place. While Old Town Rhodes was important in the medieval period, the acropolis was the centre in the Classical Period - and therefore great to visit if you're a archaeology geek like me!



Keep tuned for more travel posts over this summer by following me on bloglovin - I'll be swapping the Greeks for the Romans while I head over to Italy!

Want to know what I wore this holiday? I've got a look book up with some of my holiday outfits that you should have a look of & let me know what your favourite look was!

Love,
Emily
xxx