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    Marathon

    Greece

    Marathon

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    Marathon is the site of the 490 BC battle where Athenians and Plataeans routed the Persian landing force on the coast. The Tymvos, burial mound of the fallen Athenians, still lies in the plain.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Greece
    7. Attica
    9. Marathon
    Marathon is the site of the 490 BC battle where Athenians and Plataeans routed the Persian landing force on the coast. The Tymvos, burial mound of the fallen Athenians, still lies in the plain. From here, the first Olympic marathon to Athens began in 1896.Beyond the battle's traces, highlights include the Archaeological Museum with finds from the plain, the reservoir with its marble-clad dam, and Schinias' long beach bordering a pine forest. A few kilometers north lies Rhamnous, one of Attica's most impressive archaeological sites.

    Sights in Marathon

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    1European Bread Museum in Varnavas

    The museum is located in the village of Varnavas in the north of the Marathon municipality and was established in 2005 in an old mansion. Its core collection consists of decorated festive and church breads from Greece and many other countries; information on the collection's size varies greatly depending on the source. Recreated scenes illustrate the steps from cultivating and harvesting grain to kneading, shaping, decorating, and baking, complemented by old agricultural tools. According to the operator, visits are offered by appointment.
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    Schinias-Marathon National Park

    2Schinias-Marathon National Park

    The National Park is located on Marathon Bay, northeast of the plain where the battle took place in 490 BC. It includes one of the few umbrella pine forests on the Attica coast, a multi-kilometer long sandy beach, and the Megalo Elos wetland with the Makaria spring. The area is part of the European Natura 2000 protected areas network and a resting place for migratory birds. On its edge lies the regatta course built for the 2004 Olympic Games.
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    Museum des Marathonlaufs

    3Museum des Marathonlaufs

    The museum in Marathon is housed in the former first primary school, which was built around 1908 to 1910 with funds from the benefactor Andreas Syngros. In 2004, the year of the Olympic Games in Athens, the municipality made the building available for the museum. On display are over 4,000 objects on the history of the marathon race since 1896. These include the medal and personal belongings of Spyridon Louis, winner of the first Olympic marathon, as well as memorabilia from Stylianos Kyriakidis, who won the Boston Marathon in 1946.
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    Archaeological Museum Marathon

    4Archaeological Museum Marathon

    The museum is located near Vrana on the western edge of the Plain of Marathon. It features finds from the area, from the Neolithic to the Roman era, including grave goods from the Plataeans' burial mound, who fought with the Athenians in 490 BC. A separate hall is dedicated to the statues from the Egyptian sanctuary of Brexiza, which Herodes Atticus had established in the 2nd century AD. Next to the museum are Bronze Age burial mounds, which are covered by a protective roof.
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    Rhamnous

    5Rhamnous

    Rhamnous is situated on the northeast coast of Attica overlooking the Gulf of Euboea and was in antiquity a demos with a fortified garrison that monitored the sea route. In the Sanctuary of Nemesis, the foundations of two temples stand side by side: the smaller from the 6th century BC and the larger from the second half of the 5th century BC, for which Agorakritos, a pupil of Phidias, created the cult statue. Below, a road with burial grounds leads down to the fortress by the sea, whose walls and gates are well preserved. The site is located away from settlements in a pine forest; Marathon is about 15 kilometers away.
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    Food & Drink

    1

    Mister’s Grill

    A psistaria in Marathon with grilled dishes like Souvlaki, Gyros, and Bifteki, on a plate or in pita. It also delivers, ideal for a quick, easy meal.
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    2

    Loulas Tavern

    Traditional tavern in the town center of Marathon, on Dimokratias Street. The menu features Greek classics like grilled meats, souvlaki, oven-baked dishes, and salads. Dining is also available on a terrace.
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    3

    The Mansion of Lekka

    Restaurant in a stately manor house on Kazantzaki Street in Marathon, featuring a garden and large terrace. The cuisine is Greek-Mediterranean, utilizing local ingredients. Many families with children are drawn here because of the garden.
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    Food and Drink

    In Marathon, the cooking is Attic and rustic. The plain is Athens' vegetable garden; fish tavernas line the coast at Schinias.
    Lowland vegetables

    Lowland vegetables

    The fertile alluvial plain supplies Athens since antiquity. Village taverns' menus accordingly list seasonal dishes: stuffed tomatoes, beans, oven-baked aubergines.

    Fish in Schinias and Nea Makri

    The coast is lined with fish taverns, which fill up with Athenians on weekends. Ask about the daily catch and price per kilo before ordering.

    Wine from Mesogeia

    South of Marathon, the Attica wine region begins. The old variety Savatiano is now also made dry and without resin, with several estates towards Spata and Koropi welcoming visitors.

    Honey and Pine Resin

    The pine forests at Pentelikon and by Schinias yield thyme and pine honey. On country roads, beekeepers sell directly; the quality is usually better than in supermarkets.

    History and Culture

    The Battle of 490 BCIn the plain of Marathon, the Athenians and their allies from Plataea defeated the Persian army, which had landed here, in 490 BC. The fallen Athenians were buried on the battlefield in the Tymvos, a burial mound that still stands in the plain today. The graves of the Plataeans are in a separate mound near Vrana, close to the museum.Earlier and Later TracesThe plain had been settled long before the battle, as evidenced by Bronze Age burial mounds next to the museum. In the 2nd century AD, Herodes Atticus had a sanctuary of the Egyptian gods built on the coast near Brexiza, whose statues are now in the Archaeological Museum of Marathon.The Marathon RaceThe legend of the messenger who carried the news of victory to Athens was only recorded by later ancient authors. It inspired the race from Marathon to Athens at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. To this day, the Athens Marathon starts every year in the town, and the Museum of the Marathon Race tells this story.

    Exploring locally

    Getting ThereKTEL Attikis buses connect Athens with Marathon and the coastal towns of the municipality; you should check departure points in central Athens with the operator beforehand. By car, you'll reach it from Athens via Marathonos Street in about an hour, depending on traffic.On SiteThe sights are widely spread: From the Tymvos to the Archaeological Museum, the reservoir, or Rhamnous, each is several kilometers away. Rhamnous and the reservoir are virtually inaccessible by bus. Without your own vehicle, you'll need a taxi, which you should order in town, as there are no taxi stands at the sites.

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    Nearby

    Kolonaki

    Kolonaki

    Kolonaki is an upscale residential and commercial district on the southern slopes of Lykavittos. Around Kolonaki Square are boutiques, galleries, cafes, and embassies, while several major museums line Vasilissis Sofias Avenue. The district is named for a small column in the square.
    Athens

    Athens

    Athens is a city that doesn't keep its 3,400 years in a museum, but lives them daily: Beneath the Acropolis lie districts full of tavernas, record shops, and rooftop bars. If you only seek antiquity, stay two days. If you want to get to know the city, you need four.
    Attica

    Attica

    Attica is the peninsula surrounding Athens and, with almost four million inhabitants, by far the most populous region of Greece. Here you'll find the Acropolis and the capital's major museums, but also sanctuaries like Eleusis, Brauron, and Rhamnous, which only a few visitors see.For those planning a few days beyond Athens, you'll find swimming coves and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion along the coast; to the north, the battlefield of Marathon; and Parnitha, a forested mountain range that is reachable from the city in less than an hour.
    Plaka

    Plaka

    Plaka is the Old Town of Athens, situated on the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. Narrow alleys, neoclassical townhouses, and small Byzantine churches characterize the district, which stretches between Syntagma and Monastiraki. Adrianou Street divides it into Upper Plaka, directly below the Acropolis Rock, and Lower Plaka.
    Monastiraki and Psyrri

    Monastiraki and Psyrri

    Monastiraki is the market and flea market district of Athens' Old Town, named after the small monastic church of Pantanassa on the square of the same name. To its north lies Psyrri, a former artisan quarter, where today tavernas, bars, and workshops are densely packed. Both districts are lively until late into the night.

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