Greece has applied a brand new scheme to cut back overcrowding and shield its most visited points of interest.
As of Monday, a brand new customer cap was put in place on the Acropolis, limiting attendance to twenty,000 folks per day. An hourly time slot will even be allotted all through the day to settle site visitors, particularly within the morning when the location is at its busiest.
“The boundaries apply to everybody,” Greek Tradition Minister Lina Mendoni mentioned in an interview. “A sure variety of guests will likely be allowed per hour. For instance, the interval from 8 to 9 a.m. has 3,000 folks. You can’t have 3,000 guests plus one. This ends in guests having a better alternative to tour and revel in this prime web site appropriately.
As much as 23,000 folks had been visiting the location each day over the summer time, a quantity 70% greater than final summer time. Consequently, the authorities in Greece have taken these new measures to guard the traditional web site and the well-being of tourists, lots of whom had no selection however to face in line in excessive temperatures throughout Greece’s excessive heatwave this summer time.
In July, the Pink Cross was on web site, distributing water and caring for guests affected by warmth exhaustion. On days when temperatures peaked above 40 °C (104 °F), authorities closed the a part of the location containing the Parthenon in the course of the hottest hours of the day.
New entry system for the Acropolis
As of the start of September, an hourly time system – or ‘customer zone’ – has been put in place for many who buy tickets prematurely on-line. This new process has been launched alongside digital ticket scanning for sooner entry. There are additionally separate entry factors for giant organized tour teams.
Cruise ships account for a excessive proportion of tourists to the Acropolis, with ships docking for a mean of 9 hours within the port of Piraeus. Hundreds of latest passengers arrive each day, desirous to expertise Athens’ first monuments throughout their very brief time within the metropolis.
The overcrowded scenario has alarmed UNESCO, which has expressed concern in regards to the preservation of the Acropolis construction, listed as a World Heritage Website since 1987. “The wait and the variety of folks listed below are monumental,” a customer support worker instructed AFP. . Earlier than making use of the brand new procedures.. World Heritage MonitoringThe Acropolis, a non-governmental group that helps UNESCO in defending and preserving websites of worldwide worth, famous that the Acropolis lacks customer administration plans required beneath the United Nations World Heritage Conference, to which Greece is a signatory.
Co-founder of Walking tours in AthensDespina Savido, who visits the Acropolis weekly with tour teams, instructed Lonely Planet she welcomed the brand new modifications. “The brand new laws will undoubtedly contribute to assuaging the challenges,” she mentioned. “Separate entries for collections and time intervals for implementation, as is the case at many well-known monuments all over the world, will enable for higher planning and management.”
Additionally, capping ticket gross sales is one thing she believes will assist. “The authorities will ban particular days or occasions when the capability for guests is reached. Nonetheless, it’s essential to make changes in conditions equivalent to excessive climate situations.
High suggestions for visiting the Acropolis
Purchase tickets advance
Profit from reductions for college students and anybody beneath 25 from EU international locations. Many websites promote tickets and mixture tickets. Remember that the on-site ticket workplace doesn’t settle for playing cards, solely money.
Contemplate visiting on a Saturday
That is the cruise turnover day, which suggests the crowds are a lot smaller.
Be affected person and versatile
Time your go to nicely. “Purpose to go to earlier than 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m.,” advises Savido. Most individuals attempt to keep away from the warmth by visiting the Acropolis early within the morning, which ends up in lengthy waits at safety strains. The location opens at 8 a.m., when lengthy crowds have already fashioned.
Keep in mind to cowl up
There’s little shade on web site, so deliver a hat and put on loads of solar safety. It’s essential to put on comfy, rubber-soled, closed sneakers, because the stone and marble flooring is uneven, slippery and scorching. In keeping with gown tips, shoulders and knees have to be coated.
Deliver as a lot water as potential
As soon as inside the location, there isn’t a place to purchase water. The Tradition Minister mentioned she was prioritizing having water stations inside the location, however for now, be ready.
Analysis earlier than your go to
Learn as a lot as you’ll be able to earlier than visiting, or watch an entertaining documentary to reinforce your time on the Acropolis. The audio guides obtainable on web site could be finicky, so deliver your personal Lonely Planet Greece GuideOr (and?) put our on-line content material in a queue. Choosing guided excursions can also be a great possibility. Skilled licensed guides like Despina Savido will lead you to an important elements of the well-known landmark, minimizing your time within the solar. Additionally make time to go to the Acropolis Museum, on the foot of the southern slope, which supplies an enchanting context for the marble buildings you may see on the hill.
IMPORTANT: Discover a good rooftop bar
When night comes, the monument is illuminated and turns into seen throughout Athens – when you’ve got an appropriate vantage level, at sundown, that’s.
