What to do · Marathon
The Marathon tumulus of the Athenians
Information
- From
- €5 per person
- Duration
- 30 min
- Season
- All year; closed on Tuesdays
- Who it's for
- All ages
What it is
In 490 BC, on this plain beside the sea, the Athenians and their allies from Plataea defeated the Persian army that had landed on the beach. The fallen Athenians were buried where they fell, under an earth mound nine metres high: the tumulus, the Soros, still standing in the middle of the fields. It was a battle that changed the history of Greece and, as a side effect, gave its name to the marathon race.
Entry and hours
€5 (reduced €3). Open 8:30 to 15:30 all year, except Tuesdays; last entry 20 minutes before. Free on the first and third Sunday from November to March and on open days. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December.
Getting there
It is on Agiou Panteleimonos Street, between Nea Makri and Marathon, about 40 km from the centre of Athens. Park beside the entrance. Combine it with the museum, about 4 km away, with a separate ticket.
Tips
- Climb the mound in your imagination You do not climb it: you walk round it. Imagine the plain without houses and the sea at your back.
- Do not go on a Tuesday The tumulus, the museum and Rhamnous are closed.
As a familyWith teenagers
