Things to Do in Europe

Here on Aghadoe Hill stand the ruins of the 12th century Aghadoe Church and Round Tower. There was a monastery on the site since the 7th century, however, founded by St Finian Lobhar, and no wonder as the views are sublime and perfect for a life of contemplation. There are lakes and at night the town lights of Killarney twinkle, alongside the flood lights of Ross Castle in the distance, although that is a bit more recent dating from the 15th century! To appreciate the landscape, you'll find a few benches nearby so bring a picnic.

Although ruined, there is still plenty to see of interest at Aghadoe Church. The Romanesque door is well-preserved, there is a carved crucifixion scene on another sandstone block, two ca rved faces on the eastern window, and an Ogham Stone - carved writings in the ancient Celtic language. Not much is left of the Round Tower. It is really just a small stump of the sandstone building standing in an old cemetery. 

An archaeological wonder, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the world's most instantly recognizable landmarks, the Acropolis is the star attraction of ancient Athens. Dramatically perched on a jagged clifftop—the so-called sacred rock of Athens—the ruins overlook the modern city and date back to as early as 510 BC.

Although initially founded in 1806, the Adelphi Theatre opened under its current name in 1819, and quickly made a name for itself, hosting stage adaptations of Charles Dickens' and Walter Scott's works. Today, the historic theatre remains a leading venue in London’s West End theater scene, with a long-list of big-name musicals having graced its stage over the years, most notably My Fair Lady, Evita, Chicago, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

The theatre’s current Grade II listed building dates back to the early 20th-century, and features a grand Art Deco style 1,500-seat auditorium, the inspired design of architect Ernest Schaufelberg. Now part-owned by West End stalwart Andrew Lloyd Webber, the theatre has maintained its popularity into the 21st century, hosting modern hits like Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Bodyguard, Made in Dagenham and, most recently, Cyndi Lauper’s Kinky Boots.

The political and social heart of the ancient city of Athens, the famous Agora of Athens (or the Forum of Athens) is one of the city's most important archeological sites -- the remainder of the civic center and marketplace where Greek democracy was first brought to life.

Today, the ruins are regarded as the best-preserved example of an ancient Greek agora, standing to the northwest of the Acropolis between the hills of Areopagus and Kolonus Agoraios. Dating back to the 6th century BC (before which it was used as a residential area), the vast area was originally laid out by Peisistratus and featured an elaborate drainage system, a series of fountains and a temple devoted to the Olympian Gods. Later additions included the temples of Hephaestus, Zeus and Apollo, a series of altars and a concert hall, before the agora was finally abandoned after a Slavic invasion in the 6th century AD.

Today, the fragments of the once glorious marketplace provide important clues to the former political, civic and economic center of the ancient world, most notably the beautifully preserved Hephaiston temple and the shopping center of Stoa of Attalos, which now houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora.

Until the 17th century, the Acropolis survived largely intact but since then a gunpowder accident, a Venetian bombing and tourists have taken their toll. After the creation of the Greek State, it was decided that a museum was needed to protect the heritage of Ancient Greece. The first museum was begun up on the Acropolis in 1865 but it quickly became inadequate. Finally, in 2007, the new 25,000 square meter (6.2 acre) museum near the base of the Acropolis opened.

Today the Acropolis Museum (Museo Akropoleos) houses original pieces from the temples of the Acropolis, protecting them from further deterioration, while also giving their historical context. In the Parthenon Gallery, the famous marble frieze is recreated with both original marbles and casts of those pieces held elsewhere, such as the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum.

The Archaic Gallery has statues which pre-date even the Acropolis itself, and the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis shows pots, children's toys and other things used by the early settlers in everyday life.