Day Trip 3 — Thorikos + the Laurion mining landscape (theatre + extraction)

Laurion Mining area + Thorikos theatre (Ex: Viking Sagas + Extraction of Silver)

Thematic (towns)

Where theatre and mining meet, the result is how classical Athens paid bills. Power is created in the place where labour was found, where ore was mined, where money was created, where ships came forth, and where an empire was founded.

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Travel Time (total)
Approximately 3 hours of travel, but does not include time spent at stops!

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Road Trip Map
Athens → Thorikos → Laurion Mining Region → Lavrio (Lunch/Coffee) → Back to Athens via Keratea.

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AM (travelling out of the City):

Leave Athens south east toward Laurion — through the lower hills. Leaving the populated area of the city, still keep in mind that the Parthenon or the Athenian Fleets are both the result of silver from these hills! Today's trip is a combination of the ideals of the town & the industry that created them.

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THORIKOS: Mine/extraction region (up to 1 hr)

Thorikos has monumental structures; however, traversing the details will assist in understanding. The theatre exists in an area of mining, with the details of landscapes varied by labour. Traverse across the seating & look down to be able to understand better the location of civic space in industrial surroundings – culture & extraction – two areas working together.

LAURION MINING REGION- INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY (1/2 - 1 hour)
You will find various points of lookout and various visual remains. Keep in mind the locations are "infrastructure" more than (ruins) when visiting - such as: shafts, tailings piles, processing sites, resting remnants of the workings. The iron dust in the air will irritate the lungs when the wind blows. Sounds will be made by thousands of cicadas on top of the tailings found. These mines were the financial resource for the construction of Athenian naval vessels using silver. Those vessels were the means of securing Athenian dominance. The Laurion landscape is barren, utilitarian, and historically significant.

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LAVRIO: Industrial port area (60 mins)
Travel to Lavrio for lunch or coffee. Formerly the shipping point for silver, this remains an active working port. When arriving at the port, observe the relic infrastructure and shelters, then get some food near the waters. The atmosphere is more like an industry than a theatre, appropriate to the events for the day!

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INLAND RETURN VIA KERATEA

Your return to Athens from Lavrio continues with the inland road through Keratea. The terrain becomes more lush as you cross through olive trees and smaller towns. The trip feels quiet and has a more reflective mood in contrast to the mining.

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Practical Information

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Approx. 120 - 160 km round trip - as you change routes.

Roads: paved; some winding sections, low volume of traffic

Travel: ~3 hrs travel time, not including time for stops

Parking: available at all sites

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Thorikos open for visitors from 8:30 - 15:30 every day, Laurion hills: open; Lavrio: (open to the public)

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Food: Numerous cafes & taverns in Lavrio.

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Clothing: pants for feet; bring a hat; bring water & sunscreen

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Combining: Suggest that you follow with Cape Sounion, for a separate day.

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This day is about "Foundations". Before the monuments and philosophies were foundations. Thorikos & Laurion are examples of machinery that made the myths possible. What hidden engines finance the buildings of today?