Athens: Landmark Rest Stop on Philopappou Hill to be Restored

The Philopappou Rest Stop. Photo source: Athens Municipality.

The Municipality of Athens has announced plans to restore the Philopappou Rest Stop, a significant landmark located on Philopappou Hill that has been closed for almost two decades.

Adjacent to the temple of St. Dimitrios Loumpardiaris and known as “Anapaftirion” in Greek, the rest stop was created by renowned Greek architect and urban planner Dimitris Pikionis in the 1950s.

The site has been transferred to the Municipality of Athens by the Greek Public Properties Company (ETAD) for it to be restored into a recreational and resting area for visitors at Philopappou Hill.

Considered a protected monument by UNESCO, the “Anapaftirion” was designated by the Culture Ministry as a “historic preserved monument” and “work of art.”

The Philopappou Rest Stop. Photo source: Athens Municipality.

Its location and architectural value, together with the cobblestones that unify the Filopappou and Acropolis hills and the adjacent temple, make it an emblematic reference point of the Greek capital.

Under the contract signed with ETAD, the Municipality of Athens will undertake the restoration, maintenance and protection of the landmark, which covers an area of 1,063 square meters, for the next 20 years.

The municipality will also be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits before the start of the works and for restoring the site in accordance with applicable provisions.

“Following our agreement with ETAD, this unique landmark will regain its lost glory and become a recreational area for young Athenians and visitors,” said Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, highlighting the municipality’s commitment to protecting the site with respect, as befits its history.

The Philopappou Rest Stop. Photo source: Athens Municipality.

The restoration of the “Anapaftirion” on Philopappos Hill follows the same model of cooperation established for Lycabettus Hill. In June 2021, the Municipality of Athens and ETAD signed a contract whereby ETAD granted the Municipality 142,000 square meters of its property to transform Lycabettus into an entertainment and recreation space.

This agreement paved the way for the overall regeneration of the hill and its infrastructure with the aim to revamp and reopen the Lycabettus theater.

Additionally, the Municipality of Athens and ETAD collaborated for the preservation of the Olympic Center in Goudi. In February 2023, ETAD leased a part of the surrounding area of the center to the Municipality of Athens.