Marathon
©
Marathon

Marathon

Greek coastal plain northeast of Athens, remembered for the 490 BC battle against Persia.

Marathon is one of those rare places where the name itself has become a word. In 490 BC, a badly outnumbered Athenian army defeated the invading Persians on this coastal plain northeast of Athens, and a messenger ran the roughly 40 kilometers back to the city to announce the victory. That run gave us the marathon race. The battlefield itself is a quiet stretch of farmland and olive groves between the mountains and the sea, and the contrast between the drama of what happened here and the peacefulness of the place today is striking.

The main attraction is the Marathon Tumuli, the burial mound of the 192 Athenian soldiers who fell in the battle. It rises about nine metres from the plain, a grassy dome that has stood for two and a half thousand years. Nearby, the excellent Archaeological Museum of Marathon displays finds from the battlefield and the surrounding area, including the Trophy of Marathon and artifacts from the Cave of Pan above the plain. The Lake Marathon reservoir above the valley has a marble-clad dam face built in the 1920s — one of the most elegant pieces of hydraulic infrastructure in Greece. The site of Rhamnus, a short drive north, adds a ruined temple of Nemesis to the visit.

The modern town of Marathon is a small, unassuming place that mostly serves the surrounding agricultural area. It sits about 42 kilometres from central Athens, reachable by KTEL bus from Mavromateon terminal. If you are in Athens and interested in ancient history, this makes a rewarding half-day trip, especially if you combine it with a swim at the nearby Schinias beach.

Guide

Getting There

Marathon is 42 km northeast of Athens. The most practical option from the city is the KTEL bus from the Mavromateon terminal in central Athens (near Pedion tou Areos park); buses run several times a day and take about 1 hour 15 minutes. The bus stops in Marathon town near the main square, from where the museum and tumulus are about a kilometre away by foot or taxi.

By car from Athens, take the coastal road via Rafina or the inland route via Nea Makri; the drive takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. A taxi from Athens will cost around 50-70 euros each way. There is no public transport within the Marathon area, so having a car or hiring a taxi for the day gives much more flexibility for combining the tumulus, museum, lake, and beach.

Guide

Things to Do

Marathon's main draws are its ancient battlefield sites and the excellent Archaeological Museum. The Tumulus of Marathon — the burial mound of the fallen Athenians — is the most evocative site, a quiet grassy dome on the coastal plain where the battle was fought. The beach at Schinias makes a natural end to a history-focused visit. The area can be covered in a comfortable half-day from Athens, or a full day if you add the ruins at Rhamnus to the north.