LYCABETTUS
FUNICULAR RAILWAY
- ATHENS, GREECE -
G'day folks,
This railway carts travelers to central Athens's highest peak, which offers stunning vistas of the city.
Running from the lower terminus in Kolonaki to the upper terminus atop Mount Lycabettus, the Lycabettus Funicular takes passengers on a 680-foot underground journey up to the highest peak in central Athens.
Mount Lycabettus sits 908 feet above sea level. In 1960, construction began on a funicular railway that would take visitors to the top of the mountain. After much digging and hauling, the Lycabettus Funicular was inaugurated on April 18, 1965.
The funicular ran uninterrupted for 38 years until 2002, when the carriages were replaced and the mechanical and electrical systems were renovated. Now, each car has a capacity of 34 people and the funicular transports an average of 300,000 riders annually.
Atop the mountain is a panoramic view of all of Athens. On the higher peak is the 19th-century Chapel of Saint George, a tiny Cycladic-style chapel that was first used by a Monk in 1834 and sits on the grounds of an ancient temple dedicated to the God Zeus as well as a café and restaurant. On the lower peak sits a 4,000-seat Amphitheater.
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