To celebrate its 13th birthday today, Monday 20 June 2022, the Acropolis Museum is inviting visitors to its exhibition areas with reduced tickets (5 euro), a live concert and the opening of a wonderful new exhibition.
The Museum will be open from 8 am to 4 pm today with reduced tickets to all exhibition areas, and at 3 pm, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy music by the Woodwind Quintet of the Athens State Orchestra.
Image by the Acropolis Museum
From today until January 8, 2023 the Acropolis Museum will present the exhibition program “Ton Athinithen athlon. Panathenaic amphorae from Toronto, Canada back to their birthplace”, with two exquisite vessels created in Athens over 2,500 years ago. They are Panathenaic amphorae, vessels filled with oil that was given as a prize to the victors of contests held during the festival of the Great Panathenaia. One side is decorated with the figure of Athena Promachos and the other with scenes related to the games for which they were given as prizes.
The two vessels from the Royal Ontario Museum will be exhibited in the Parthenon Gallery, relating to the great temple’s frieze, where Pheidias and his collaborators artfully carved the Panathenaic procession.
This presentation is an event taking place simultaneously with the presentation “From Athens to Toronto: A Greek Masterpiece Revealed” at the Royal Ontario Museum where the Acropolis Kore 670 is on display from March 2022. The event has been organised as part of cultural exchanges between the Acropolis Museum and other great museums abroad, contributing to the enhancement of friendly relations between the people of different countries.
Athens’ Acropolis Museum is inviting visitors to celebrate the European Night of Museums tonight May 14, and International Museum Day on Wednesday, May 18, with extended hours, free entrance and a variety of special events.
The Museum participates in the European Night of Museums with extended opening hours from 8 a.m. until 12 midnight, and free entry from 8 pm onwards.
The Museum restaurant will remain open during the same hours, while visitors have the chance to admire by night the masterpieces of its collections, while on the same day, within the context of the initiative “What does the Acropolis Museum mean to you?”, the most representative answers of visitors received recently by the Museum will be projected on a big screen.
On International Museum Day, the Museum will be open from 8 am to 8 pm with free entry for its visitors.
This year’s topic is the “Power of museums” focusing on achieving sustainability, innovating on digitalization and accessibility and community building through education. On this occasion, the Museum will offer its adult visitors the two new gallery talks “Hidden Stories of the Diaspora” and “Digital Acropolis Museum. New interactive applications”. This includes a series of applications with touch screens, which have remained inactive due to covid-19 healthcare protocols. However, on May 18th, these touch screens will be turned on for three hours and the Museums’ archaeologists will be there presenting and highlighting various aspects of the exhibits; offering a unique experience by creating a new exciting world for kids and grownups alike.
In addition, the new family trail titled “The Parthenon Sculptures. 6 short stories of separation” will be available for children and their parents.
The first Food & Wine pairing session in Athens’ museums, as part of the Athens City Festival, will commence tonight; allowing guests to sip on a fine glass of Pinot Noir while admiring a marvellous 5,000-year-old Cycladic exhibit.
The restaurants of the Acropolis Museum (12/05), The B&E Goulandris Foundation (26/05) and MOMus – Museum Alex Mylona (27/05) are all taking part in the exciting sessions and will be adjusting their menus for the special occasion, highlighting a number of wonderful varieties and labels from a wide range of wineries from all over the country.
For every session, five Greek wine etiquettes will be combined with five dishes made from the finest Greek ingredients by internationally accomplished chefs.
The first session at the Acropolis Museum tonight, titled “Ancient Diet and Wine Tasting” will see the museum’s archaeologists answering questions such as, “What was the relationship of the ancient Athenians with wine?” “How did they drink it and what did they accompany it with?” “But more generally, what did their diet include?” “Which products were local and which were imported?” “And what role did they play in the religious life of the city?” This unique experience will be completed in the restaurant on the second floor with views of the Acropolis, and a meal prepared especially for the occasion accompanied by wine tasting with the support of the “Biblia Chora” Winery.
This is a sell-out event, so make sure you get in quick for the next two sessions, which offer a unique experience not to be missed!
Athens’ Acropolis Museum is set to welcome visitors for the summer season, by extending its opening hours into the evening and offering stunning night views of the Acropolis from the restaurant terrace every Friday and Saturday until midnight.
The Museum’s hours from April 1 through to October 31, 2022, will be:
Monday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, and Friday, 8:00 am – 10:00 pm.
The Acropolis Museum has also added a new cycle of presentations to the Museum’s archaeological excavation with its ‘Walking in the ancient neighbourhood of the Acropolis Museum’ tour that will take place every Saturday and Monday.
Visitors will be guided by the Museum’s archaeologists, and given the opportunity to wander through the archaeological excavation which stretches underneath the Museum, like a giant exhibit. Visitors will be able to walk on the ancient neighborhood’s streets, take a closer look at the houses with their courtyards and wells, enter the heart of the impressive mansions with private baths, examine the workshops with the water reservoirs; and take a magical stroll through time and the daily life of the people who lived in the shadow of the Acropolis’ rock for over 4,500 years.
Details for the new Presentation are as follows:
English: every Saturday & Monday, at 11 a.m. Greek: every Saturday & Monday, at 1 p.m. Duration: 45 minutes Participation: For registration, refer to the Information Desk at the Museum entrance on the same day. Limited to 20 visitors per session. First-in first-served. Only the general admission fee to the Museum is required (10 €).
The adult gallery talks ‘Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum’ and ‘Saturday in the Museum with 20+1 masterpieces’ will continue as per the winter schedule.
An elegant temple constructed in the Ionic style, the Erechtheion lies on the northern side of the Acropolis. When visiting the Parthenon, we highly recommend you spend time viewing this stunning ancient building up close, as it’s one of the most striking historical buildings in all of Athens.
Athens’ elegant temple
Dedicated to the Greek god Poseidon and the goddess Athena, the temple was built at the same time as the Parthenon and was designed by Classical Greek architect Mnesikles. It actually replaced the “Archaios Neos” (Ancient Temple) of Athena Polias, part of which had been destroyed by the Persians sixty years earlier.
The new temple was divided into two chambers: an eastern room dedicated to Athena and a lower western room that houses shrines of Poseidon-Erechtheus, Hephaistos, and Boutes, the brother of Erechtheus.
The Erechtheion’s unique form resulted from the architect’s need to accommodate all of these figures within one building, while also adapting its structure to the site’s uneven ground.
An Ionic frieze surrounded the Erechtheion’s main building and north porch, decorated with figures of gods, heroes and mortals. The figures were almost fully carved, and they were created from white Parian marble and attached with metal fasteners to slabs of grey Eleusinian limestone.
Notable features include the sacred olive tree to the south-west, the mark of Poseidon’s trident to the north marked by the saltwater well and this sacred site is also said to be the burial place of Kings Kekrops and Erechtheus.
Set on the northern side of the Acropolis
The Erechtheion’s best-known feature by far is the south porch, whose roof, instead of being supported on columns, rested on the heads of six Korai statues – the famous Caryatids. Created by Alkamemes or Kallimachos, the statues were later named Caryatids after the young women from Karyes of Laconia who danced in honour of the goddess Artemis. Five of them are now found in the Acropolis Museum, displayed on a special balcony and visible from all sides, while the position of the sixth Kore, still held in the British Museum, has been left empty.
Tips and Information on Visiting the Erechtheion Temple
-If you really want to get to know all the history behind this sacred temple, we suggest a tour by a professional guide. In fact, a good tour will give you a nice overview of the entire Acropolis while also spending time on the history and architecture of the Erechtheion.
See it up close when visiting the Parthenon
-The temple is open every day (excluding public holidays).
-The Acropolis Athens pass covers entry to The Erechtheion. This ticket is valid for 48 hours and covers entry to other archaeologically important sights as well.
-If you visit in summer, we recommend heading to the temple early morning or very late in the afternoon, this will ensure you avoid the heat and the crowds.
-Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. The marble tends to be slippery.
– Make sure to visit the nearby Acropolis Museum to see the original Caryatids and a host of fascinating archaeological finds from the Acropolis site.
A fragment from the Parthenon temple that was recently returned to Greece by the regional archaeological museum of Sicily, has now been placed on the Parthenon frieze at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, where it will remain on display as part of a long-term loan.
The fragment depicts the right foot and part of the dress of the Greek goddess Artemis, which once sat on the eastern frieze of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis Hill.
The slab was unveiled in a ceremony at the Acropolis Museum yesterday, January 10, as the fragment was placed in the Parthenon Gallery – a glass-walled chamber with a view of the Parthenon- displaying sculptures of the temple’s 160-metre-long frieze in the same position as they were on the original monument (with plaster copies replacing pieces that are now mainly in the British Museum.)
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the director of Acropolis Museum Nikos Stambolidis and the President of the Acropolis Museum Dimitris Pantermalis attended the ceremony, as Greek officials warmly welcomed the development, stressing that it shows the way for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures kept for two centuries at the British Museum.
Also at the ceremony was Assessor, Dr. Alberto Samonà, Cultural Heritage and Identity of Sicily, who said during the event, “We hope that after Sicily, other regions and countries also decide to take a step forward so that we can build together a new humanism.”
It is unclear how Fagan came to own the fragment, which has been in Palermo, Sicily, since 1818 and was part of the archaeological collection of Robert Fagan, a British diplomat and art dealer who was appointed consul general for Sicily and Malta in the early 19th century. Following his death, his widow sold the piece to the University of Palermo’s Regio Museum, now the Salinas Museum.
Director of A. Salinas Museum in Palermo, Dr. Caterina Greco added, “Today is a very important day, both for the culture and for me personally. The reconnection of the fragment with the other fragments on display in this majestic museum first seals, in the most representative degree, the feelings of brotherhood and cultural identity that have connected Sicily with Greece for centuries.”
The Italian museum has returned the fragment on loan to Greece for eight years with a view of permanent repatriation. It can be viewed by the public at the Acropolis Museum, which is one of the world’s most visited museums.
After two years of dreary isolation and low-key gatherings, this Christmas season Athens is alive with numerous events.
From the festively twinkly streets, Christmas trees and pretty ornaments, various corners of the city are filled with Christmas villages, merry gatherings for people of all ages, fun ice rinks, loud music, creative performances and more.
The Capital’s Largest Ice Rink
Until January 6, from 10 am-8 pm, ice skaters can enjoy practising artful pirouettes (or just landing on their behinds several times in a row) in Kotzia Square on Stadiou St. The largest ice rink in Athens, with a total area of 400m sq, keeps ice skaters entertained for hours. An online reservation is required through the pagodromio.christmasinathens.gr platform.
Ice skating in the Greek capital
The Return of the Christmas Factory
Children can enjoy Christmas games, rides, and sweets at the Christmas Factory in Technopolis in Gazi. At the open-air Christmas marketplace, you’ll find 30 stands selling everything from seasonal decorations, toys, sweets, good luck charms and 15 food stands serving sweet and savoury dishes. Children can ride on the carousel, bumper cars and even a Ferris wheel while admiring beautiful Christmas décor. On weekends, activities and games, as well as musical and theatrical performances, take place. Until January 6.
Xmas DJs Hit the City
Producers from the City of Athens’s official radio station, Athina 9.84 will be DJing a Christmas soundtrack for shoppers and passers-by in the city’s most central areas around Syntagma Square, shopping boulevard Ermou St, around Monastiraki and Kotzia Square. Meanwhile, the Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing musical pop-up events, adding live entertainment to get those festive vibes rising.
Lively Christmas Villages in Various Neighbourhoods
From Acharnon and Kypseli to Pagrati and Goudi, neighborhoods of Athens will be transformed into ‘Christmas villages’ from December 17 to January 7. Santa Claus and his elves will welcome passers-by with crafts, sweets, Christmas hand-painting workshops and other festive activities. Stilt walkers, jugglers, Christmas characters, animators, puppets and magicians will be there too, adding to the seasonal fun. The Christmas villages will be open from 11 am -7 pm at Messolonghi Sq in Pagrati, Agia Aikaterini Sq in Kato Petralona, Athanassiou Diakou Sq in Kato Patisia, Agios Eleftherios – Acharnon, Victoria Sq in Kypseli and Agios Thomas Sq in Goudi.
Festivities on every corner of Athens
Christmas Street Food Village
Athens’ first Christmas Street Food village is set up outside the Christmas Theater, an entire Christmas village with wooden houses that will serve up flavours from around the world. Try tasty French crêpes and American hotdogs or Mexican churros and Middle Eastern falafel, Italian pizza, Russian piroshki and heart-warming soups. Until January 6, at the Indoor Olympic Stadium of Galatsi.
The Tree of Freedom
In celebration of the Bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, decorate a giant tree with ceramic creations by the OPANDA Ceramics Centre. Meanwhile explore an exhibit of ceramic art like angels, doves and other festive items. The event is open from Tuesday to Friday from 11 am – 7 pm, and on weekends from 10 am- 3 pm at the Angeliki Chatzimichali Museum of Folk Art and Tradition.
The Acropolis Museum in Christmas Spirit
Interactive festive programmes for kids, evening walks in the exhibition spaces (every Friday at 8:30 pm except from 24/12 and 31/12), Christmas carols, unique gifts at the museum store and seasonal sweets in the restaurant are prepared to offer visitors special memories. The Acropolis Museum invites children aged 4 to 11 years old to participate in an interactive festive programme designed to help them express themselves through music. Visiting days are on 29/12 and 30/12 at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm & 2:30 pm.
Programs organised by the City of Athens
St. Petersburg Classical Ballet of Russia’s Christmas Performance
The Nutcracker, the beloved ‘Christmas ballet’ will be staged on 25/12 and 26/12 at 8:30 pm at the Christmas Theater in Galatsi. The Classical Ballet of St. Petersburg, made up of prolific dancers from the famous Kirov (Mariinsky) corps de ballets, will be in Athens this Christmas with 60 performers to enchant audiences with the most magnificent Christmas fairy tale.
Swinging Christmas
On December 30 at 8:30 pm, get ready for a “Swinging Christmas” with the Athens Big Band starring Stavros Romanos and Jenny Kapadais with songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, at the Olympia Municipal Music Theater ‘Maria Callas’. On New Year’s Eve at the same location, say adieu to 2021 at the festive concert “The 12 Days of Christmas” with songs and hymns from around the world, and welcome in 2022 with a New Year Opera Gala on January 13 at a concert dedicated to love, with famous arias and a duet of the most popular operas, conducted by Nikolas Nägele.
Christmas Eve Wish Lanterns
On Christmas Eve, the sky above Kotzia Sq will be filled with lanterns representing the Night of Wishes. Those present are promised the dreamy experience of watching an impressive audio-visual show by the Athens Digital Arts Festival with the Athens City Hall as a backdrop.
Christmas at the SNFCC
SNFCC lights up during Christmas
On Monday, December 27, at 8.30 pm, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) will present the ERT National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the award-winning conductor George Petrou at the Stavros Niarchos Hall. The seasonal concert will include the popular waltz and polka tunes as well as excerpts from operettas by composers from 19th century Vienna traditionally heard at this time of year to create a fuzzy festive buzz.
From December 18 to January 6, as part of the SNFCC Christmas World, the lighthouse Terrace is transformed into an impressive pop-up bar, specially designed for the holiday season, is making an entrance in the city. Designed by architect & set designer Elina Loukou, the 360 Christmas Pop-up Bar turns into a festive bar of contemporary aesthetics. The experience is complemented by beloved DJs and music producers, and a large selection of cocktails.
Every year Greece’s top jewellery designers create gouria or lucky ornaments that we can hang from our neck or wear on our wrist as a symbol of hope, dreams coming true and protection for the new year.
With all that the world has been going through, we need now more than ever some beautiful symbolic jewellery to offer us an added sense of strength and grace. Here we have selected the best and most classic brands for you to consider as a gift to yourself or a loved one.
Lalaounis
An inspiration to marine biologists, deep-sea divers and artists alike and a symbol cherished since the Minoan times that represented healing properties, coral has resilience and vulnerability at once that’s reminiscent of the human spirit. And this particular amulet (€290) comes with the added bonus of supporting a worthwhile ecological initiative. Famous jewellers Lalaounis write on their website: “In the depths of the Greek Seas lie the oldest, most complex and productive marine ecosystems: Coralligenous Habitats. They are some of the least protected habitats and their survival today is at great risk. With our 2022 good luck pendant, we wish to support the ARCHIPELAGOS Institute of Marine Conservation in their work to protect the biodiversity of the NE Mediterranean and to halt the ongoing destruction of Coralligenous Habitats.”
Antonia Karra
Antonia Karra’s macrame bracelet (€39) is her good luck design for 2022, depicting an engraved compass to lead you on the right path and always help you find your way in the new year. On a more esoteric level, the design is also a reminder to always follow your inner guidance.
Acropolis Museum
Designer Kostas Dimpoulos has chosen a classic Greek symbol of good fortune, prosperity, abundance and fertility that can arrive with new beginnings. His gold-plated brass pendant (€32) sold at the Acropolis Museum is an engraved pomegranate with a red tassel hung just above it. The pomegranate, the star component of the Greek New Year tradition that involves smashing the fruit into the ground in one’s front entrance, makes for a very hopeful gift.
Katerina Psoma
Be A Poem cuff €138 playfully combines rock chic with art deco glamour, this gold-plated cuff with the ‘Be a Poem’ affirmation written on is a reminder to live your life as if you are a work of lyrical art. Psoma’s All Fine pendant (€155) is a hopeful reassurance after trying times and ahead of more uncertain days ahead that everything’s going to be just fine. Gold-plated and decorated with colourful zircon stones, it can be just the right amount of sparkle to wear on a dreary day.
Zolotas
Cosmos is a collection of charms based on the celestial bodies and their orbits, which includes pendants and bracelets decorated with precious stones. The famous jewellery house says that the use of stones was very symbolic, “reflecting the four elements of the world: Emerald and Opal for Water, Tiger’s Eye and Malachite for Earth, Sapphire, Lapis lazuli and Amethyst for Air, Ruby and Agate for Fire.” The Cosmos pendants (€35) are designed to light our new year up, bringing to 2022 fullness and harmony, balance and peace.
Cycladic Art Museum
This autumn/winter hosting the ‘Ancient Kallos’ exhibition dedicated to beauty in antiquity, the Cycladic Art Museum has chosen a mirrored pendant (€75) as its good luck charm for 2022. The handheld mini mirror is meant to represent self-reflection as well as self-love in the coming year and beyond.
Marina Vernicos
With a nudge to biker bravura, angelic blessings, love and freedom of the heart, designer Marina Vernicos’ stand-out necklace (€38) depicts the number 22 in the shape of a heart with wings.
Benaki
Designer Niki Orfanou made her amulet (€30) inspired by a painting by Nikos Hatzikiriakos Gikas depicting a Hydra landscape, created this handmade good luck charm out of brass and silk. The charm is reminiscent of ‘fylakto charms made in folk tradition around Greece out of threads and beads and is sold at the Benaki Museum shop. Also at the Benaki is the ‘Angel’ charm for 2022 (€60) designed by Savvas Dimou and inspired by the sculptural artwork by acclaimed artist Yiannis Tsarouchis.
Zeus + Dione
Zeus+Dione’s lucky charm, for the new year, depicts the power number ‘22’, which is said by numerologists to double the power of anything. The design is inspired by retro mailing stamps which feature waves under the number; in this case, the waves are meant to amplify the power of the number and augur good luck, change and determination to head forward confidently toward change.
Athens’ Acropolis Museum has introduced its winter program at a reduced admission fee of 5 euros for children and adults. Further to that, each first Sunday of the month, entrance to the museum is free. The museum’s winter program will run during the November 1 – March 31 period.
Acropolis Museum Winter Program
Saturday in the Museum with 20+1 Masterpieces
Visit the Acropolis Museum and along with the archaeologists, discover the hidden stories of 20+1 masterpieces that feature myths and fables, folklores and traditions, historical milestones and human stories transformed into art and weave a vivid experience during an outstanding walk in the Museum’s Galleries.
Date & Time: Saturdays, at 10.30 am in English
From the 6th of November 2021 till March 26th, 2022
Athens’ Acropolis Museum
Strange Creatures on the Acropolis Museum
Visit the Museum with your children to discover creatures of the earth, the sea and the air, creations of the imagination of ancient people that invite visitors to a game of exploration, observation, and knowledge. Children will be given materials to take home and create their own strange creatures.
Date & Time: Every Sunday 10:30 am and 12:30 pm
From the 7th of November, 2021 to 27th of March, 2022
Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum
The Museum’s archaeologists invite you on a captivating walk through its halls, to introduce you to the fascinating stories hidden in the treasures of the museum’s galleries. The walk develops each time based on your interests; and promises an unforgettable experience, with the usage of numerous visual means -such as photographs, sketches, and representations- as well as stops on the digital applications that enrich the collection.
Date & Time: Every Friday at 6 pm
Until the 25th of March, 2022
To register you need to refer to the Information Desk on the day of the tour. There is a limited of 30 visitors and first-in first-served.
As the midsummer August full moon rises over the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum invites locals and visitors to experience this annual event at their wonderful courtyard.
Officials from the Acropolis Museum have announced visitors are being offered the opportunity to enjoy its exhibits as follows:
Acropolis Museum
Saturday 21 August 2021
On Saturday 21 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8 am to 8 pm with free entry to all visitors, on the occasion of the Museum’s participation in the “Greece 2021” initiative.
The Museum second-floor restaurant will be open until 12 midnight and visitors will be able to enjoy the moon from the terrace for dinner/drinks (phone reservations: +30 210 9000915).
Sunday 22 August 2021
On Sunday 22 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8 am to 10 pm. The second-floor restaurant will be open during the same hours.
Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in the gallery talk “Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum”, where they will be introduced to the fascinating stories hidden in the treasures of the Museum’s galleries:
English: 6 pm (2 simultaneous talks)
Greek: 8 pm (2 simultaneous talks)
Duration: 60 minutes
Participation: Limited to 10 visitors per session. For registration, please refer to the Information Desk at the Museum entrance on the same day. First-in first-served.
Health protection measures: It is necessary to wear a mask (not provided by the Museum) and to use the whisper guide system headsets (provided by the Museum).
Cost: The general admission fee to the Museum is required (10 euro).
Whether you’re going there to see the Parthenon or the New Acropolis Museum, Makriyianni can keep the entire family happy with plenty of things to do and see!
Any day of the week – but especially during the weekends, the Makryianni-Acropolis area is a bit of a hub and a wonderful place to go for a stroll with your kids. Unsurprisingly, because of the majestic beauty of the Parthenon overhead, and then there’s the pedestrian road of Dyionissiou Aeropagiotou with its neoclassical and modernist residences, greenery, and cobblestone pathways leading towards the historical hills of Filopappou and Pnyx. Jewellery-sellers, mimes, and musicians set up camp to entertain passersby in the hope of making an extra penny, and the hop-on hop-off Happy Trainsets off from outside the New Acropolis Museum for a tour of the town. It’s busy, it’s buzzy and it’s scenic.
The New Acropolis Museum is in fact a good starting point if you’re looking for ways to breed a little bit of culture into your kids under the guise of fun. Little visitors are offered a bag with various museum-centered activities to engage them – a treasure hunt, colouring books, puzzles. The restaurant, which can be visited even by those who are not buying a museum ticket, is on a large outdoor terrace under the Acropolis and serves a good variety of Mediterranean dishes suited for all ages.
At the museum, you can also enjoy entering through the side entrance which has a metal ramp going all the way down that’s perfect for pushcarts or wheelchairs. Once on the museum level, there’s another side path across the way surrounded by more greenery that leads to the side exit.
From here you can head up the road to Kallisperi 2 where there is a playground. There are no swings and slides here, but the twirly-whirly rides are always entertaining for kids.
From there, head back up to Dyionissiou Aeropagitou for a scenic walk to Filopapou and Pnyx hills, where you can admire the view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill seemingly side by side and chill out on an ancient rock in the place where Democracy was devasted millennia ago.
If you return to Dyionissiou Aeropagitou and turn downwards you’ll find yourself walking around the Acropolis grounds on Apostolou Pavlou, where you’ll pass even more street musicians and a row of street sellers as well as several cafes where you can stop for coffee and ice cream. Here there is also a playground (Apostolou Pavlou 33) with plenty of rides to keep kids busy for a while.
Tip: From here you will also see a park-like entrance with an earth pathway, which if followed will lead you to Monastiraki – Plaka area. A little further down is the train station of Thisseio.
Athens has some of the world’s best museums and cultural centres. And with so many amazing classical and modern ones to choose from, we have rounded up 10 unmissable cultural spots for your next visit to the Greek capital.
Benaki Museum
The Benaki Museum of Greek Civilization was founded by Anthony Benakis and donated to the Greek state in 1931. Here you will find a wonderful collection of Greek art and material culture in a geographical and evolutionary context, from prehistory to the present. There is a curated selection of ceramics, sculpture, and jewellery in Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine collections.
Numismatic Museum
The Numismatic Museum in Athens is one of the most important museums of Greece and houses one of the greatest collections of coins (ancient and modern) in the world. The museum itself is housed in the former mansion of Heinrich Schliemann, the famous archaeologist, formally known as Iliou Melathron.
@joysofmuseums
Museum of Cycladic Art
The Museum of Cycladic Art in Kolonaki was inaugurated in 1986, features a 5,000-year-old artwork collection from the Cyclades Islands. It also displays countless pieces of art from Cyprus and Ancient Greece. Scattered over four floors, the exhibitions contain varied objects, all of which are displayed with information, making the visit even more interesting.
National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world; devoted to ancient Greek art. It was founded at the end of the 19th century to house and protect antiquities from all over Greece; displaying their historical, cultural and artistic value.
Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments
Housed in an elegant nineteenth-century mansion erected in 1840, the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments displays nearly 1,200 unusual instruments, dating from the 18th century to the present day; highlighting half-century of research and study by the famous musicologist Fivos Anoyanakis.
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum, one of the most important museums in the world, houses the findings of only one archaeological site, the Athenian Acropolis. The museum was built to feature every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.
Byzantine and Christian Museum
This is one of Greeces national museums, which houses over 25,000 artifacts that relate to Early Christian, Byzantine, Medieval, post-Byzantine, and later periods. The pieces date from between the 3rd and 20th century AD and their provenance encompasses the entire Greek world, as well as regions in which Hellenism flourished.
Theocharakis Cultural Foundation
The creation of the B. & M. Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music was an important development in the cultural life of Athens. Founded by Basil and Marina Theocharakis in 2004, it’s located opposite the Parliament, in the heart of the cultural, political, and commercial centre of the Greek capital. A café-restaurant, museum shop, and foyer with exhibition and display facilities are also open to the public.
Onassis Cultural Centre (OCC)
Onassis Cultural Center (Stegi) is a centre of arts in Athens created by the Onassis Foundations. With its productions and exhibitions, the OCC is a place of theatre, performance, dance, music, cinema, design, exhibitions, conferences, and lectures. It also hosts various festivals with local and international artists. The building itself is beautiful and on the roof terrace, you can visit the restaurant that offers a magnificent view of Athens.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC)
The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre opened up a few years back and has since become the most popular cultural spot for locals and international guests who come to see this sustainable, world-class cultural, educational, and recreational urban complex that includes a prestigious National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, located within the Stavros Niarchos Park; an ideal place to spend the day with the family or friends.
