The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Seen from the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is a cluster of pale columns in a green field; up close, it is overwhelming. This was the largest temple ever built in Greece, dedicated to the king of the gods, and its history is a lesson in ambition. Work began in the sixth century BC under the Peisistratid tyrants, who planned something to outdo every other temple in the Greek world, and then stalled for generations, partly because democratic Athens saw it as a monument to tyranny. A Hellenistic king of Syria resumed it with Corinthian columns in marble, and the Romans finally completed it under the emperor Hadrian, a passionate admirer of Athens, in the second century AD, nearly seven hundred years after it was started. It once had more than a hundred columns, each about seventeen metres high, and housed a gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus with a matching statue of Hadrian. Earthquakes, invaders and centuries of quarrying left fifteen columns standing; a sixteenth was toppled by a gale in 1852 and still lies on the ground in sections, like a fallen stack of coins, which gives you an extraordinary sense of their scale. Just outside the site, on busy Amalias Avenue, stands Hadrian's Arch, a gateway built by the Athenians in the emperor's honour, with inscriptions on each side marking the line between the old city of Theseus and the new city of Hadrian. The arch is free to see from the street; the temple precinct has its own ticket, sold separately since the combined ticket ended.

Visiting: the site is flat, open and easy to walk, which makes it a good option for anyone who finds the Acropolis climb daunting. A path circles the columns, with information panels and fine views up to the Parthenon, especially in the late afternoon. There is little shade, so bring water and a hat. Remains of Roman baths, houses and a section of the ancient city wall lie in the grass around the temple, and the site is surprisingly peaceful compared with the rock above. Most people need about forty-five minutes to an hour. Opening hours are shorter than at the Acropolis, generally closing in the afternoon outside summer, so check before you plan a late visit.

Tickets and bundles: the temple has its own ticket, and because the old combined ticket has been discontinued, it is worth thinking about bundles. Tiqets sells the temple on its own with a digital guide, paired with the Ancient Agora, with the National Archaeological Museum, or in the Athens Mythology Pass, which combines the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. If you are watching your budget and short on time, the view over the fence from Vasilissis Olgas Avenue and from the Acropolis itself gives a decent sense of the place, but standing beneath the columns is what makes it memorable.

Building a walk around it: the temple sits at the meeting point of several of Athens' best walks. The National Garden and the Zappeion are across the road, leading up to Syntagma Square and the Evzones at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The marble Panathenaic Stadium, venue of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, is a ten-minute walk east. And Plaka begins just across Amalias Avenue, past Hadrian's Arch, so you can follow Lysikratous Street into the old town for lunch. For a beautiful evening, walk from here along Dionysiou Areopagitou below the Acropolis as the lights come on.